Cranberry Fluff
Cranberry Fluff is a very delicious Thanksgiving meal must have. I’ve been making this every Thanksgiving for many years. I love this Cranberry Fluff because of the bright flavors of tart cranberry mixed with sweet grapes and apples. With this tasty side dish, everyone will be a cranberry fan this Thanksgiving!
Prepare ahead:
Who doesn’t need more time on Thanksgiving day for preparing and cooking the big meal? I’ve made it my goal to do as much pre-work as possible because I want to enjoy Thanksgiving day too (with a cold beverage in hand)!
Start the Cranberry Fluff the night before. It just needs a little more work on the big day, 15 minutes at most. I like to finish preparing the fluff first thing in the morning because it can just chill in the refrigerator until meal time.
*Some other tips for an easy day include slow cooker green bean casserole and already baked rolls in the freezer. For snacks, this Boom Baby Chex Mix is a must-make early in the week before the overnight guests arrive.
Back to the fluff…
Step 1 – Night Before
Add the cranberries to a food processor or blender and pulse a few times to lightly chop. Add the sugar and let sit 15-20 minutes until some juice has been released from the cranberries. Blend/pulse until the cranberries are chopped up very fine.
Step 2 – Night Before
Transfer the cranberries to a large bowl and add 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows. Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.
Step 3 – Day of
The next day, add the halved (or quartered if they are quite large) grapes, diced apples and remaining mini marshmallows, mix together.
Step 4 – Day of
Whip the heavy cream into stiff peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into cranberry and fruit mixture. Refrigerate until mealtime. Enjoy the same day it’s made or the next day.
Cranberry Fluff
Ingredients
- 2 cups cranberries, rinsed
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 cups mini marshmallows, divided
- 1 cup purple/red grapes, halved
- 2 medium crispy sweet apples, smallish dice
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Start this process the night before Thanksgiving or whenever you’d like to make this. Add the cranberries to a blender or food processor and pulse just a few times to lightly chop the cranberries. Add sugar to the blender/food processor and let it sit for 15-20 minutes until the sugar and cranberries have created some juice. Pulse or blend until the cranberries are very finely chopped. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows, stir together. Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.
- Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and add the rest of the mini marshmallows, halved grapes, diced apples and stir together. Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, then gently fold into the cranberry mixture. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate a few hours until it’s time to serve. This is best the day it’s made as it loses some fluff and gets more liquidy as time goes on, but can be eaten on day 2 as well.
I love this recipe! It’s a great addition to our Thanksgiving dinner.