This creamy, dreamy Cottage Cheese Jello Salad is one of my favorite treats once the weather turns warm in the spring and summer. It’s perfect for potlucks, backyard barbecues, and family reunions!
Planning a summer cookout in the backyard? Be sure to check out these other reader favorites like Classic Potluck Broccoli Salad, Raspberry Pretzel Salad, and Classic Frog Eye Salad!
This recipe has the potential to be the most divisive one I’ve posted here on House of Nash Eats. It seems to be one of those things you either love or you hate. I love it. My husband can’t stand the stuff. His loss, my gain, I say.
You Will Love Strawberry Jello Salad with Cottage Cheese!
I grew up with this cottage cheese jello salad at every family reunion and potluck. I don’t remember it ever having a name – we just called it “the pink stuff” or “the orange stuff” depending on the color at the time. But it was always the offering I went back for over, and over, and over, loading up my plate with giant spoonfuls of the stuff.
I’m a HUGE fan of cottage cheese, especially with fruit. One of my favorite snacks since I was a kid was just a bowl of cottage cheese with sliced pears. It’s so good and quick and easy! And healthy too!
This is a perfect sweet treat for your Easter dinner table, but it’s great served all year long. We always had it for 4th of July, Labor Day BBQ’s, and any other potluck or family reunion gathering in Idaho where all my mom’s family is from.
Cottage Cheese Salad Ingredients
- Cottage cheese
- Cool Whip – For the sake of convenience and because this is how we have always made it, we use a tub of thawed Cool Whip to make this recipe. But you can absolutely use a batch of my homemade whipped cream (Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe) instead if you like!
- Flavored gelatin powder – Any flavor will do, but strawberry or orange are our favorites. I get asked this question all the time but yes, you just use the powdered mix without adding any water or preparing it. Stir the powder in dry!
- Crushed pineapple
- Optional add-ins – Some people love to add marshmallows, chopped nuts, or fresh fruit like sliced strawberries, grapes, or a can of drained mandarin oranges to their jello salad.
How to Make Strawberry Cottage Cheese Jello Salad
One of the best things about this quick and easy recipe is that you don’t even need to measure anything.
- You literally just combine a can of drained crushed pineapple (don’t forget to drain the juice off or your salad will end up soupy), a carton of cottage cheese, and a box of your favorite Jello flavor.
- Then fold in a tub of Cool Whip until combined and pop it in the fridge for an hour!
I would say it’s a one-bowl recipe, except I always mix it in a larger bowl, then transfer it to a smaller serving bowl for a cleaner, prettier presentation. I think this is best alongside a burger, chips, and baked beans. It really goes with anything, but those flavors are forever entwined in my memory of summertime!
How to Store This Cottage Cheese Dessert
Store your finished salad in a covered container in the fridge until ready to serve. If you are going to a picnic, be sure to bring along a cooler with ice since this salad shouldn’t sit out for longer than 1-2 hours.
How to serve Strawberry Jello Salad with Cottage Cheese
You can serve this family style with a big spoon for scooping onto plates at a picnic or cookout, which is how we typically serve it. But for smaller gatherings it’s fun to fill individual dessert cups with this cottage cheese jello salad and top them with a little whipped cream and a decorative piece of fresh fruit like a sliced strawberry or mandarin orange wedge.
Jello Salad with Cottage Cheese FAQ
If your jello salad gets watery, it’s because the gelatin is separating. Usually this can be fixed by just giving the salad a good stir so everything comes back together again.
All kinds of fruit taste delicious with cottage cheese but some of our favorites are peaches, pears, strawberries, pineapple, mandarin oranges, cantaloupe, and cherries! Anything really juicy and sweet or tart is fantastic. The ones I would avoid are more like watermelon and apples.
More Fun Jello Recipes Everybody Loves
- Lemon Pineapple Jello with Whipped Cream Topping
- Orange Jello Salad with Pudding Whipped Cream
- Layered Rainbow Jello
- Cranberry Jello Salad with Cream Cheese Topping
- Coca-Cola Jello Salad
- Seafoam Salad by Food Lovin Family
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Strawberry Cottage Cheese Jello Salad
Ingredients
- 1 small (3-ounce) box powdered jello any flavor
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed pineapple drained
- 1 (16-ounce) carton cottage cheese
- 1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip thawed
Instructions
- Combine cottage cheese, pineapple, and gelatin in a bowl, stirring well.1 (15-ounce) can crushed pineapple, 1 (16-ounce) carton cottage cheese, 1 small (3-ounce) box powdered jello
- Fold the Cool Whip in with the other ingredients until combined. Try not to overmix and deflate the Cool Whip.1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip
- Transfer to a clean serving bowl, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
We always called it Pink Stuff too! Yummy
Thanks Debbie! It’s the best!
Whats the nutrition on this recipe?
I use 1 16 oz cottage cheese
1 large cool whip
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 medium can mandarin oranges
2 boxes 3 oz strawberry jello
1/2 cup ground pecans
Drain the fruit. Fold in cool whip last and refrigerate 1 hour or more. This is my moms recipe.
Sounds great Connie!
I absolutely love this salad and think it’s good enough to eat as a dessert. It can’t be messed up as you can use whatever kind of fruit(s) you like. It’s so quick and easy so if you need anything in a hurry, this is it. And don’t worry about the cottage cheese; no one will know it’s in there!
I agree Debbie! It’s so quick and easy and could be dessert, it’s so good! This is a big hit with my family and I get excited if I ever see this at potlucks or BBQ’s. 🙂
Do you have use the whipped topping?
It’s a pretty crucial ingredient, Are you looking for a replacement?
Loved it and so easy. I wonder if adding nuts would ruin it. Thank you!
I am glad you loved it Angelyn! If you love nuts, you could definitely try it! You could even just add nuts to your own serving if you want to give it a try before adding more to the mixture.
Do I drain the crushed pineapple or not?
Yes, you drain the pineapple. Let me know if you have anymore questions!