Millionaire Cranberry Salad

Millionaire Cranberry Salad is a sweet and tart combination of cranberries, juicy pineapple, mini marshmallows, coconut flakes, whipped cream, and cranberry sauce. It is the perfect side dish or dessert for holiday celebrations.

This is not an expensive dish to make, so I am not sure why it is called millionaire salad. Maybe because it tastes like a million bucks! This is such a simple recipe even the kids can make it. Just toss it all in a bowl and mix it up, that is all there is to it. Once it chills, it is ready to eat!

The ingredients work so well together, too, with the rich whipped cream and yogurt taming the tang of the cranberry sauce, the pillowy marshmallows filling with sugary lightness, and the pineapple adding some kick. The pecans and coconut give you something to chew on.

Another great thing about this recipe is that it can be used as a side dish, dessert, or a topping. I prefer it as a dessert because it is so sweet and full of different ingredients. When I want to serve it as a side dish, I typically add something more savory like bacon or cheese, and leave out the coconut. But it is also fantastic on top of waffles and pancakes for breakfast. 

If you are a fan of Ambrosia salad, you are going to love this cranberry millionaire salad. The fruity flavors and creamy yogurt sauce are the perfect combinations of sweet and tangy. Your entire family will be asking for seconds.

Looking for more delicious recipes? My sweet Apple Snickers Salad has the creaminess of vanilla pudding and cream cheese, topped with Snickers candy and caramel sauce. You may also like this Creamy Grape Salad, made from black, green, and red grapes mixed with brown sugar, cream cheese, and sour cream.

Why you will love this recipe

• There are only two steps: It does not get much easier than that. Just mix and chill.
• It is sweet and tangy with nuts: It has all the flavors I love with a mixture of textures for a fun mouth feel.
• Can be served for the holidays or any time: This is a salad that can be enjoyed from summer to winter. My family loves it just as much at a barbecue as they do at Thanksgiving dinner.
• Serve it at any part of the meal: It can be a side dish, dessert, or even a topping for breakfast or a snack.

What you’ll need to make millionaire cranberry salad

Special items

• Saucepan – For making the cranberry sauce.
• Bowls
• Cooking utensils

Ingredients

• Cranberry sauce – I like to use my creamy and tangy homemade cranberry sauce but storebought will work too.
• Vanilla yogurt – Greek vanilla yogurt works great for this and provides a nice thick texture.
• Whipped cream – I also have an easy made-from-scratch whipped cream recipe for a rich and smooth whipped topping that blends into this salad perfectly.
• Pineapple tidbits – I use Dole canned pineapple tidbits, drained well and patted dry.
• Miniature marshmallows – Any kind of miniature marshmallows will do. I like to get the rainbow ones to make my salad colorful.
• Chopped pecans – To add some crunch and nuttiness to this sweet and creamy salad, roughly chopped pecans are the perfect addition. Try these candied pecans in this recipe to make it even sweeter.
• Sweetened flaked coconut – Coconut brings a tropical flavor to the mixture but also adds sweetness and a nice chewy texture.

How to make millionaire cranberry salad from scratch?

1. Bring to a boil: To begin, combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and cinnamon sticks in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. 
2. Cool the cranberry mixture: Next, remove the cranberry mixture from the stove and let it cool completely. It will thicken upon cooling.
3. Mix other ingredients: Now, add all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl. 
4. Add the cranberries: After, add one and a half cups of cooled cranberry mixture to the bowl of salad ingredients and stir. Add more sauce as needed. 
5. Chill the salad: Lastly, refrigerate your cranberry millionaire salad for at least four hours. 
6. Top and serve: Finally, top with chopped pecans before serving after it is properly chilled. 

Expert tip

Making the cranberry sauce

I suggest using four cups of fresh or frozen cranberries with one cup of white granulated sugar, one cup of orange juice, the zest of one orange, and two cinnamon sticks. Boil all that in a saucepan over medium heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Of course, make sure it is completely cooled before adding it to the salad. Pour it into a bowl and let it cool to room temperature for 30 minutes before letting it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. If it is not smooth, run it through a food processor or high-speed blender and then mix it into the salad.

I like to add vanilla extract to my sauce, however, it is optional. Some say it is too sweet. Others say the salad is too sour or bitter without it. Feel free to use it or not, add more, or use less. The cinnamon sticks are also optional or can be replaced with ground cinnamon too.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• More berries: The more fruit, the merrier. Toss in some cherries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries too.
• Other fruit: Don’t stop at berries. Chop up some bananas, strawberries, apples, peaches, and pears.  
• Creamier salad: Speaking of cheese, to make this thicker and creamier, use cream cheese instead of yogurt. 

Serving suggestions:

• It is a fun dip for parties. Serve it with cookies, crackers, or even veggies like carrots, broccoli spears, and celery sticks.
• This salad also tastes great on top of these dreamy pumpkin cheesecake pancakes.
• My favorite wines to go with this decadent salad are Poulsard, Zinfandel, Riesling, and Beaujolais.
• After a scrumptious meal of turkey and my loaded sweet potato casserole, this cranberry salad will fit right in.
• It would also go great after a dinner of red wine pot roast made with garlic, onion, red wine, and an array of Italian seasonings.

Frequently asked questions

How to store leftovers:

• Refrigerate: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to a week.   
• Freezing: Freezing is not recommended unless the sauce is kept separate. The fruit can be frozen in a freezer bag and the sauce in another freezer bag for up to a month.   
• Defrost: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before mixing them together.

More sweet salads:

 

Recipe tips

• Cream cheese can be used instead of yogurt to make this a creamier salad. However, it must be softened to room temperature. 
• When making the cranberry sauce, use four cups of cranberries. 
• Be sure to cook the cranberry sauce down to a gel consistency or the salad will be runny. 
• Also, do not add too much liquid. If this happens, cook it longer or add cornstarch. 
• If the salad is too bitter, add some other juice like lemon or lime. Vinegar, sugar, or salt can also help. 
• For grainy cranberry salad, it may be the seeds, cook it longer. 
• It also may be undissolved sugar. In that case, let it chill longer. 
• Chilling is an important step. It lets the ingredients absorb the juices and gives the marshmallows and nuts time to soften.