This old-fashioned marshmallow salad has pineapple, full-size marshmallows, and cherries in a creamy cooked sauce. It’s been a holiday staple my whole life.
My grandmother made it for every holiday, and it was her recipe, so we call it Marguerite Salad after her. Everyone else calls it marshmallow salad with pineapple, but to us, it’ll always be hers.
Some foods are just family traditions. Every New Year’s, my family makes Bunsteads (a hot ham salad sandwich). I know that I will make my Bechamel Lasagne on Christmas Eve.
On Christmas Day and Thanksgiving, my family always has both ham and turkey. And of course, we always have Marguerite Salad, my family’s version of marshmallow salad.
The soft marshmallows soak up the thick sauce, and the pineapple adds sweetness and a different texture. As for the cherries, well… they’re the cherry on top!
Many marshmallow salads are just fruit stirred into whipped topping. This one starts with a cooked pineapple sauce, so you taste pineapple in every bite instead of pure sugar.
Technically, that sauce is a simple custard. Don’t get scared by a custard. You’re just stirring sugar, flour, pineapple juice, and eggs in a saucepan until it thickens.
If you’d like, add your favorite mix-ins. Friends I’ve shared this recipe with have added shredded coconut, mandarin orange pieces, and more.
Me? I prefer the simple classic, but make this marshmallow salad your own, just like my grandmother did when she created hers so many years ago.
Do you need to figure out what to do with the rest of the jar of maraschino cherries? My Pineapple Upside Down Cake puts them to good use.
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How to Make Old-Fashioned Pineapple Marshmallow Salad
If you haven’t already thawed your Cool Whip, pull it from the freezer now. Drain the pineapple over a bowl, saving all the juice. It’s about 1 1/3 cups, but don’t stress about the exact amount.
Mix the sugar and flour in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the pineapple juice, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl, then add them to the juice before it gets too hot. Keep heating it until the mixture boils, stirring occasionally.
Once it boils, stir constantly for one to two minutes, until it’s about as thick as gravy and coats the back of your spoon. Take it off the stove, and let it come to room temperature. Once it’s cool enough, refrigerate for two hours.
While the sauce cools, use kitchen scissors to cut the marshmallows in half. A bread knife works too, if you prefer. It gets sticky, but it doesn’t really make a mess.
Drain the cherries, and let them sit on a paper towel until they’re completely dry. Any juice left on them will stain the salad and dribble all over it.
Once the sauce has cooled completely, stir in the Cool Whip. I leave the sauce in the same saucepan and stir it right in. Don’t add the Cool Whip while the sauce is still warm, or it will melt and change the salad’s texture.
You need about 2 1/4 cups of Cool Whip, which isn’t a full tub. A little extra is fine, but don’t use the whole tub.
Add the pineapple and marshmallows to a mixing bowl, pour the sauce on top, and stir with a spatula until everything’s coated. Spoon the salad into a serving dish and top with the cherries.
Chill it until it’s time to serve. If you forget to add the cherries before chilling (we’ve done it), add them right before serving.
Is Marguerite Salad the Same as Marguerites?
No. Marguerites are an old-fashioned cookie made with a marshmallow meringue baked on saltine crackers, and the name is the only thing they share with this salad.
It isn’t related to margherita pizza either. That’s what one reader guessed the first time she saw the name.
Is Marshmallow Salad a Side Dish or a Dessert?
It’s both, depending on where you grew up. I grew up in Minnesota, where this counts as a salad, and we always served it with dinner.
(Who else heard “Minnesota salads that aren’t really salad” in That Midwestern Mom’s voice as soon as I asked that question?)
As an adult, I eat it at the end of the meal instead. Serve it whichever way your family likes.
Is This the Same as 24-Hour Salad?
They’re close cousins. Both start with a cooked sauce made from pineapple juice and eggs, and both chill ahead of time so the marshmallows soften.
Most 24-hour salad recipes add more fruit, like grapes and mandarin oranges. This one keeps it simple with pineapple, marshmallows, and cherries.
What Is Gravy Flour?
Gravy flour is an instant flour, like Wondra, that dissolves into liquid without clumping. It keeps the sauce smooth, but regular flour works in a pinch.
Yes, it makes a difference in your sauce. Yes, it’s worth buying and keeping on hand for this and for making gravy from meat drippings.
Can You Use Mini Marshmallows?
You can, but I don’t recommend it. Regular-size marshmallows cut in half give this salad a better texture.
And yes, I tested it. Repeatedly. I’m that kind of giving person.
Can You Use Real Whipped Cream Instead of Cool Whip?
I haven’t made it with real whipped cream, and I don’t recommend it. This salad needs Cool Whip’s stabilizers to work.
Can You Make Marshmallow Salad Ahead of Time?
Yes, and you should. It’s best made a few hours to a day ahead, so the marshmallows have time to soften without the sauce breaking apart.
How Long Does Marshmallow Salad Last?
It keeps for two days, maybe three, in the fridge. After that, the marshmallows get soft and goopy, and the sauce breaks down.
Troubleshooting Your Marshmallow Salad
You see a few small white flecks in your sauce. A little of the egg cooked because the whisk stopped moving. Pour the hot sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl right away. The strainer catches the cooked bits, leaving you with a smooth sauce.
Your sauce looks like scrambled eggs. This can happen if you let the pineapple juice and sugar get too hot before adding the eggs, or if you don’t stir the sauce constantly while it cooks. Unfortunately, you have to throw it out and start over. Blending it won’t save it and only makes the sauce gritty.
Your sauce is still thin and runny. You took it off the heat before it boiled long enough. The flour has to reach a full boil to thicken, or you’ll end up with a soup instead of a thick, creamy sauce.
Put the saucepan back over medium-low heat, and stir constantly until it comes to a full boil. Keep stirring for one to two full minutes this time. Fix it before you add the Cool Whip, though, because reheating the combined mixture will melt it.
Does your family have a holiday recipe like this one?
Old-Fashioned Pineapple Marshmallow Salad
Ingredients
- 20 ounces canned pineapple chunks drained, but save all the juice
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons gravy flour
- 2 eggs
- 10 ounces regular size marshmallows
- 2 1/4 cups Cool Whip thawed, about 6 ounces
- 12 maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Drain the pineapple, saving all the juice (about 1 1/3 cups).
- Mix sugar and flour in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the pineapple juice and stir until it dissolves.3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons gravy flour
- Whisk eggs in a separate bowl, then add to juice before it gets too hot. Continue to heat until the mixture boils, stirring occasionally.2 eggs
- Once it boils, stir constantly until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it for two hours.
- While the sauce cools, cut marshmallows in half. Drain the cherries and let them dry completely on a paper towel.10 ounces regular size marshmallows, 12 maraschino cherries
- Stir the thawed Cool Whip into the cooled sauce.2 1/4 cups Cool Whip
- Add the pineapple and marshmallows to a mixing bowl, pour the sauce on top, and stir until well coated.20 ounces canned pineapple chunks
- Spoon it into a serving dish, top with the cherries, and chill until serving.
Notes
- Regular flour works in a pinch if you don’t have gravy flour.
- Once it boils, it usually takes one to two minutes of constant stirring to thicken.
- Buy pineapple chunks in 100% juice, not the ones in heavy syrup. You need pineapple juice for this recipe and the syrup is far too sweet.
- Use regular-size marshmallows cut in half. Minis work if you need them, but they aren’t ideal.
- Make sure the cherries are completely dry so the juice doesn’t stain the salad.
- It keeps two to three days in the fridge.
- For more tips and tricks, read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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When I saw the title of this recipe, I thought it was something entirely different. This was a wonderful surprise. I will be making this very soon.
(I thought it was like a marguerite pizza with tomatoes and mozzarella.)
This looks yummy and easy to make.
I think I had this for the first time very recently, except it was with mandarin oranges instead of pineapple. Now I have a recipe to try if I'm ever in the mood for this salad. Thanks for sharing!