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.
Featured Comment:
“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.” -Barbara
Since this is a vintage recipe blog, there is no shortage of sweet salads like Cherry Salad, Old Fashioned Pistachio Salad, and Glorified Rice.
And now this Orange Dreamsicle Salad joins their ranks as a delightful dish that can be served as a side dish OR dessert. It’s known by a variety of names, like Orange Fluff Salad, Orange Creamsicle Salad, and Orange Jell-O Salad. Whatever you call it, it sure is good. I love how it’s cool and creamy, and really does taste like a dreamsicle!
Here are a few of my tips for making it:
- Despite the recipe having very little hands-on time, leave about 30 minutes to make the salad, since it’ll need to chill for two 15-minute increments. You’ll also need 2 hours for it 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.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- 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
- Whisk together one cup boiling water and the orange gelatin, then stir in ½ cup cold water. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then whisk in the vanilla pudding mix and refrigerate for 15 minutes more.
- Fold in the whipped topping, mandarin oranges, and mini marshmallows. Reserve a few mandarin oranges for garnish.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least two hours, until ready to serve.
You can either serve it straight from the bowl that you refrigerated it in, or scoop it into individual dishes.
Variation Ideas
There is no shortage of variations of Jell-O salads in old recipe books. Everyone had their own spin on orange Jell-O! Here are a few ideas that I found:
- 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!
📖 Recipe
Orange Dreamsicle Salad
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.1 (3 oz) box orange Jell-O, 1 cup boiling water, ½ cup cold water
- Whisk in the instant vanilla pudding, and let rest for 15 minutes to firm up slightly.1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
- Fold in the whipped topping, drained mandarin oranges, and mini marshmallows. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.1 (8 oz) container whipped topping, 1 (14 oz) can mandarin oranges,, 1 cup mini marshmallows
Hi,
So I don’t need to actually make the vanilla pudding, just use the mix itself?
Thank you!
That’s correct! Just use the powdered mix as directed.
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.
I agree—perfect for summer. Thanks for sharing your experience, Barbara!
This was delicious! Will definitely make again, this time adding the pineapple tidbits mentioned. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nancy! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.