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Creamy Tropical Cheesecake Salad Recipe

Creamy Tropical Cheesecake Salad

A fluffy no-cook cheesecake salad combining cream cheese, cheesecake pudding, whipped topping, pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, and miniature marshmallows. Chill it for at least 1 hour so the flavors blend and the salad reaches its best texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cheesecake Dressing
  • 8 ounces Cream cheese, softened
  • 1 package (3.4 ounces) Instant cheesecake-flavor pudding mix
  • 1 container (8 ounces) Frozen whipped topping, thawed
Fruit and Mix-Ins
  • 1 can (20 ounces) Crushed pineapple, very well drained
  • 1 can (11 ounces) Mandarin orange segments, drained
  • 1 cup Sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup Miniature marshmallows
Optional Additions
  • 1/2 cup Chopped pecans or macadamias
  • 1/2 cup Halved maraschino cherries, well drained
  • 1/2 cup Diced fresh mango or strawberries

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Drain the crushed pineapple and mandarin orange segments exceptionally well. Pat the fruit dry with paper towels if it is especially juicy, since extra syrup can make the salad watery.
  2. Beat the softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until completely smooth. Add the dry cheesecake pudding mix and beat again until evenly combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
  3. Fold in the thawed whipped topping until the cheesecake mixture looks smooth and uniform. Use a gentle hand and stop mixing as soon as everything is incorporated so the whipped topping keeps its volume.
  4. Gently fold in the well-drained pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, and miniature marshmallows. If using pecans, macadamias, cherries, mango, or strawberries, fold them in carefully at this stage.
  5. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the cheesecake salad for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 hours for a thoroughly chilled serving. Stir gently just before spooning it into serving bowls.

Notes

For the smoothest dressing, soften the cream cheese fully at room temperature before mixing. Excess liquid is the most common cause of a thin salad, so drain and pat the canned fruit carefully. For a looser, more mousse-like dressing, beat 1/2 cup milk with the cream cheese and pudding mix before folding in the whipped topping.