This Cranberry Salad has been a Thanksgiving tradition in my family for years. It was my favorite as a kid and still is. Fresh cranberries, apples, marshmallows and fresh whipped cream. It’s sweet, slightly tart and absolutely delicious!
(Originally posted November 25, 2013)
With Thanksgiving being just three days away, I thought I’d share with you this week some of our family’s favorite things we eat EVERY Thanksgiving.
I love everything about Thanksgiving. . . the food, my family, the way-too-many desserts we have, sandwiches made with the leftover turkey & homemade cranberry sauce, etc. It’s one of my favorite holidays.
This cranberry salad is one of the many things I love about Thanksgiving. Just look at it, isn’t it beautiful? I don’t know of a single person in my entire family/extended family that doesn’t absolutely LOVE this salad. It is the absolute bomb!!It’s probably the thing I look forward to the most on Thanksgiving.
We have been eating this every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. In fact, I don’t even remember A t Thanksgiving without it.
My grandma was always the one who made it every year, she made it better than anyone else. If you’re looking for a new salad to try for Thanksgiving, you really should make this. I love the tartness from the cranberries and the sweetness of the apples and marshmallows, it’s just a winning combination.
The great thing about it (other than it’s just so dang good) is that you need to make most of it the night before, so that’s just one less thing you need to worry about on Thanksgiving day when you’re already trying to get a million other things ready.
When I got married and had my first Thanksgiving with my husband’s family, I had to make this because it just would have been completely wrong to have a Thanksgiving dinner without it. I now have my husband’s family hooked on it. His sisters and even his aunt, make it every year.
Can I make this salad ahead of time:
Yes you can! In fact, it needs to be started the day before so the cranberries and sugar have a chance to meld and have their flavors even more amazing. You can even whip the cream a few days in advance and then fold it into the salad the day it’s needed.
I promise you will love this salad and it may just become your Thanksgiving tradition. Tomorrow I will share one of our favorite desserts that is another Thanksgiving must have with my family.
Enjoy!
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Cranberry Salad (A Family Favorite/Tradition)
- Total Time: 17 minute
- Yield: 15 to 20 servings 1x
Description
This Cranberry Salad has been a Thanksgiving tradition in my family for years. It was my favorite as a kid and still is. It’s sweet, slightly tart and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. (12 oz) cranberries
- 2 large apples, peeled and grated
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 pkg. (16 oz) mini marshmallows
- 1 pint whipping cream, whipped (DO NOT sweeten)
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Chop the cranberries using a food processor or blender.
- In a large bowl, place chopped cranberries, grated apple, sugar and the entire bag of marshmallows. Mix well and cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Just before serving, fold in the whipped cream (and pecans, if using) into the cranberry mixture.
- Store in refrigerator.
Notes
- You can use any kind of apple, I usually use gala.
- This has to be made the night before so the marshmallows can soften up. Make sure you don’t sweeten your whipping cream. This salad is plenty sweet from the marshmallows and sugar already added to the salad.
- I never add the chopped pecans, but if you love nuts in things then go ahead. My grandma would divide the salad into two bowls and add nuts to one of the bowls for those of us that liked the nuts in it.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: overnight chill time
- Category: Salads
BE SURE AND PIN THIS TO YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS SO YOU CAN MAKE IT LATER!
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving. It was SO good. This is a keeper and I will be making it again. Thanks!
I’m so glad you liked this. We have had this from the time I was a little kid. Love, love, love it!
My family also has this every year since I was a little girl. We have branched out a little and sometimes add pomegranates, raspberries, red grapes. It is yummy!
It’s the best Wendy! I love the idea of adding other things. Yum! Thanks for sharing the idea.
Almost my Mom’s recipe.
The recipe card she had said Frozen Cranberry Salad we always made and ate it the same day.
I remember grinding the cranberries and apples with an old fashioned meat grinder. Today we use a food processor. If you add the sugar as you grind the apples and cranberries together it will draw the juices out of the fruit.
We always add the marshmallows last so they don’t get too soggy.