Sometimes you need a sweet dish for the table that never goes near the oven. This Mandarin Orange Cookie Salad/Dessert is one of those. It's a creamy French vanilla pudding base with mandarin oranges folded in. Right before serving, crushed cookies get added for more sweetness and crunch.
My mom had at least four copies of this recipe saved throughout her recipe boxes, so I knew it was a good one. Besides, you're adding cookies! Always a good idea.
Her cards call it a salad/dessert, which makes sense once you try it. It's basically a Jello salad that could easily be served as dessert.
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Ingredients needed for Mandarin Orange Cookie Salad/Dessert
My mom's cards only gave two real measurements: 1 cup of buttermilk and 9 ounces of Cool Whip. Cool Whip tubs are 8 ounces now, so that's what I use. Everything else just said "a package" of pudding, "a package" of cookies, and one or two cans of mandarin oranges. The sizes in the recipe card below are the ones I used.
- Instant French vanilla pudding mix
- Buttermilk
- Cool Whip
- Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies
- Canned mandarin oranges (two smaller cans or one larger can both work)
How to Make Mandarin Orange Cookie Salad/Dessert
Start with the oranges, since they need time to drain. Pour them into a colander and set them aside while you make the base.
In a medium bowl, mix the buttermilk and the dry pudding mix until it's smooth. Then stir in the Cool Whip.
Once the oranges are well drained, fold them into the pudding mixture. If you'd like, hold back a few orange segments to put on top later.
If you're making this ahead, stop here. Cover the bowl and put it in the fridge. I like to add the cookies just before serving so they keep their texture.
When it's time to serve, roughly crush most of the cookies. Save a few whole ones for the top. Fold the cookie pieces into the salad.
I like to move the salad from the mixing bowl into a serving bowl before I add the garnish. Then top it with the cookies you saved, either whole or broken in half. Add the reserved oranges too, if you kept some.
Serving and Storage
Because the cookies go in at the last minute, this is an easy one to make ahead. Mix up the pudding and orange base, cover it, and refrigerate it until you need it. Then crush and fold in the cookies right before it hits the table.
Once the cookies are mixed in, they get soft. That's not my favorite, and my hubby picks them out completely. If you plan to eat this over a few days, leave the cookies out. Add them to each serving as you dish it up.
Since this is made with buttermilk and pudding, keep it in the fridge. Leftovers should be eaten within 3 to 4 days, and it shouldn't sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
I haven't tried freezing this one, so I can't tell you how it would hold up.
📖 Recipe
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Mandarin Orange Cookie Salad/Dessert
Ingredients
- 3.4 ounce french vanilla pudding instant
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 8 ounces Cool Whip
- 11.5 ounce box Keebler fudge stripe cookies
- 2-11 oz cans mandarin oranges can use one 15 oz can if preferred
Instructions
- Place the oranges in a colander to drain and set aside.2-11 oz cans mandarin oranges
- In a medium bowl, mix the buttermilk and dry pudding mix until smooth. Stir in the Cool Whip.3.4 ounce french vanilla pudding, 1 cup buttermilk, 8 ounces Cool Whip
- Once the oranges are well drained, fold them into the mixture. (you could reserve a few for the top, if you'd like)
- I like to add the cookies just before serving to maintain their texture. If you are making this ahead, just cover and refrigerate.
- When it's time to serve, roughly crush most of the cookies (save a few to garnish) then fold the cookie pieces into the salad.11.5 ounce box Keebler fudge stripe cookies
- I like to transfer this from the mixing bowl to a serving bowl before adding the garnish.
- Top with the reserved cookies (whole or halves).
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
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