Orange Dreamsicle Salad

This cool and creamy treat tastes JUST like a dreamsicle! Orange Dreamsicle Salad is an easy salad you can stir together in minutes, and everyone will be raving about it.

fluffy orange dreamsicle salad in a glass parfait dish, topped with a mandarin orange.

Since this is a vintage recipe blog, there is no shortage of sweet salads, such as Cherry Salad, Snickers Salad, Pistachio Salad, and Taffy Apple Salad.

Now this Orange Dreamsicle Salad joins their ranks as truly delicious salads that can be served as a side dish OR dessert.

It’s known by a variety of names, such as Orange Fluff Salad, Dreamsicle Salad with Jell-O, Orange Creamsicle Salad, and Orange Jell-O Salad to name a few.

You just need 5 ingredients to make it, and it really does taste like a dreamsicle (or creamsicle)!

Also, if you love creamy orange treats, don’t miss my Homemade Orange Julius!

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Jump to:
orange dreamsicle salad piled into glass parfait dishes, topped with mandarin oranges and surrounded by mini marshmallows.

What is a dreamsicle, and why does this salad taste like it?

A dreamsicle is an orange flavored popsicle with a vanilla ice cream center. The tanginess from the orange combined with the creamy center is irresistible!

Similarly, this salad features vanilla and orange flavors, courtesy of vanilla pudding mix, orange gelatin, and mandarin oranges. Whipped topping makes it extra creamy.

Top tips

  • Despite the recipe having very little hands-on time, leave about 30 minutes to make this dish, since it’ll need to chill for two 15-minute increments. You’ll also need 2 hours for the orange dreamsicle salad to chill after stirring it together.
  • Reserve a few of the mandarin oranges for garnishing the salad.
  • Don’t have mini marshmallows? You can snip large marshmallows into quarters using kitchen shears.

Ingredients

cool whip, mandarin oranges, orange jello, vanilla pudding mix, and marshmallows.
  • The orange flavor comes from both the orange gelatin (such as orange Jell-O) and canned mandarin oranges.
  • The creaminess comes from vanilla pudding mix (such as Jell-O brand) and whipped topping (such as Cool Whip)
  • We’ll also stir in some mini marshmallows for some extra gooeyness!

How to make orange dreamsicle salad

Start by bringing one cup of water to a boil. Whisk in the orange gelatin, then stir in ½ cup cold water.

orange gelatin dissolved in water in a glass bowl with a whisk.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Next, whisk in the vanilla pudding mix, and refrigerate for 15 minutes more.

Finally, fold in the whipped topping, mandarin oranges, and mini marshmallows.

spatula stirring a glass bowl full of a creamy orange mixture with mini marshmallows.

Tip: reserve a few mandarin oranges for garnishing the top of the salad.

Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl (I love it in a fancy glass serving dish), then refrigerate the salad for at least two hours.

After that, garnish with a few reserved mandarin oranges, and the Orange Dreamsicle Salad is ready to serve!

glass parfait dishes filled with orange dreamsicle salad and surrounded by mini marshmallows.

You can either serve it straight from the bowl that you refrigerated it in, or scoop it into individual dishes.

Make it ahead

Orange Dreamsicle Salad is a great make-ahead dish. You can make it up to two days in advance—just keep it covered and in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it.

Variations

  • Add ½ cup of chopped nuts (such as walnuts or pecans)
  • Fold in 1–2 sliced bananas
  • Stir in a can of pineapple tidbits (drained well)
  • Substitute large marshmallows for the mini marshmallows (snip them into quarters with kitchen shears)
  • Switch up the gelatin/fruit combo: how about strawberry gelatin with sliced strawberries, or cherry gelatin with fresh blueberries? The possibilities here are endless with different gelatin and fruit combinations!
glass parfait dish with fluffy orange jello salad in it, with mandarin oranges on top.

Can I freeze orange dreamsicle salad?

For best results, I don’t recommend freezing this salad. After defrosting, the texture will change and it may become runny.

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.

More sweet salads

  • Easy Cherry Salad
  • Snickers Salad
  • 5 Cup Salad (Ambrosia Salad)
  • Old Fashioned Pistachio Salad
  • Taffy Apple Salad

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!

📖 Recipe

orange dreamsicle salad in glass parfait dishes, topped with mandarin oranges.

Orange Dreamsicle Salad

Published by Kate
This cool and creamy salad really does taste like a dreamsicle!
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Refrigeration time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 175 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 (3 oz) box orange Jell-O
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • ½ cup cold water
  • 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
  • 1 (8 oz) container whipped topping (such as Cool Whip)
  • 1 (14 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows

Instructions
 

  • Whisk the orange jello and boiling water together in a large bowl. Stir in the cold water, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  • Whisk in the instant vanilla pudding, and let rest for 15 minutes to firm up slightly.
  • Fold in the whipped topping, drained mandarin oranges, and mini marshmallows. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Notes

Before you refrigerate the finished salad, transfer it to a serving bowl. That way it’s ready to serve! You can also transfer it to individual serving dishes (such as parfait cups) once it is fully chilled. 
Want to add nuts? Stir in ½ cup chopped walnuts or chopped pecans along with the marshmallows. 
Store any leftover salad in the refrigerator. It will last for 3–4 days. I don’t recommend freezing the salad, as the texture will change once defrosted.

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 152mgPotassium: 50mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 96IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 0.1mg
Keyword orange dreamsicle salad
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment below!

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4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I have made this 4 times, and it is such a hit especially now, during the hot days of summer. I have added crushed pineapple twice, and stuck to the recipe twice. each time it is a big hit.

    1. I agree—perfect for summer. Thanks for sharing your experience, Barbara!

  2. 5 stars
    This was delicious! Will definitely make again, this time adding the pineapple tidbits mentioned. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

    1. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nancy! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.

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