Description
This delicious and creamy Cookie Salad combines the sweetness of instant vanilla pudding, tropical fruits, and crunchy fudge stripe cookies. Perfect as a light dessert or a delightful side dish for gatherings, it’s easy to make and sure to please a crowd with its refreshing and nostalgic flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Base
- 1 package (3.4 ounce) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 8 ounces whipped topping (such as Cool Whip)
Fruit
- 1 can (20 ounce) crushed pineapple, drained well
- 1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained well
Cookies
- 10 fudge stripe cookies, crushed
Instructions
- Mix Pudding: In a large bowl, whisk together the instant vanilla pudding mix and buttermilk until the mixture becomes thick and smooth, ensuring there are no lumps.
- Add Topping: Gently fold the whipped topping into the pudding mixture until well combined and creamy.
- Incorporate Fruit: Add the drained crushed pineapple and mandarin oranges to the mixture and stir gently until the fruits are evenly distributed throughout the salad.
- Chill: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad until it is thoroughly chilled and ready to serve, typically about 30 minutes for flavor melding.
- Prepare Cookies: Crush the fudge stripe cookies just before serving. Fold most of the crushed cookies into the salad, saving some to garnish on top for added texture and visual appeal.
Notes
- Make sure to drain the pineapple and mandarin oranges well to avoid a watery salad.
- Use freshly whipped topping for best texture, or allow thawed Cool Whip to fully unthaw and be smooth before folding in.
- Crush cookies finely for easier mixing and a better texture contrast in the salad.
- This salad is best served chilled and within a day for optimal freshness.
- Feel free to substitute vanilla pudding with another flavor for a different twist.
