Cookie Salad

This Classic Cookie Salad recipe is made with Cool Whip, buttermilk, mandarin oranges, instant vanilla pudding and Fudge Striped Cookies. It’s the perfect dessert salad to bring to parties and the kids love it!

You know those recipes that you grew up on and were a staple at every family gathering? This classic cookie salad recipe is one of them. I can totally see why. It’s ridiculously easy and everyone always loves it, especially the kids! It’s stuffed with juicy mandarin oranges and crunchy fudge striped cookies, plus light and fluffy from the Cool Whip!

The debate is really, why do we call this a salad? I don’t have an answer. Around the Midwest salads aren’t just those healthy ones there are also Jell-O salads, pudding salads or combine them and just call them dessert salad, except we serve them as a side to the main dish. Either way, it’s delicious!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

• Everyone LOVES this dessert salad loaded with cookies and mandarin oranges. It’s great for potlucks and parties.
• It’s so quick to make, like 10 minutes and you are done! That’s why it’s the best cookie salad recipe.
• This recipe is really flexible. We call it a side, some people call it a dessert, plus there’s tons of options for add-ins.

Ingredients for Cookie Salad

• Buttermilk – This is key to making the flavor of this cookie salad recipe top notch. However, regular whole milk or 2% milk will also work.
• Instant French vanilla pudding mix – The magic ingredient that makes this work, instant vanilla pudding mix.
• Cool whip – Homemade whipped cream also works, but it’s usually not as stable as cool whip. That’s why I like to use it instead!
• Mandarin oranges – The burst of fruit flavor that cuts through the sweetness of the cookies is just so good.
• Fudge striped cookies – There are many different cookie options to choose from, but fudge striped cookie make the BEST cookies salad.

Should I use Buttermilk or Milk?

I always make this with buttermilk as the directions state, but you can use regular milk. The buttermilk will give it a richer taste and will make it thicker, but the skim milk would give you less calories!

Extra Add-In Ideas!

• crushed or tidbits pineapple, drained
• sliced bananas
• mini marshmallows
• chocolate chips
• chopped pecans
• shredded coconut
• chopped walnuts

How To Make Cookie Salad

1. First grab a mixing bowl and combine buttermilk and pudding mix until smooth. If you don’t have buttermilk here’s a great buttermilk substitute!
2. Fold in the Cool Whip and mandarin oranges.
3. If you are serving immediately then go ahead and add the crushed cookies, but if you aren’t serving it for a while cover and refrigerate.
4. When you’re ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and mix in the chopped cookies.
5. If you add the cookies when you make it and serve it later the cookies will get soggy and no one wants a soggy cookie!

How To “Fold” In Ingredients

The folding technique is designed to combine ingredients without knocking the air out of the mixture, so your Cookie Salad will stay nice and light. If you don’t do this it will become watery and thin.

To fold the Cool Whip and mandarin oranges into the buttermilk mixture you will run the spatula around the side of the bowl, then alone the base of the bowl. Now fold the mixture over onto itself. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat until combined.

Make Cookie Salad Pie!

That’s right, it’s a simple fun twist and makes it a “real” dessert.

All you have to do is prepare it like the directions state and then spread it in a graham cracker crust or chocolate crust.

For the finishing touchm top with more whipped topping, crushed cookies and then chill until ready to serve.

How to Make Cookie Salad Trifle!

You’ll need to grab another container of whipped topping plus more cookies for this twist.

Simply take a trifle bowl and layer 1/3 of the salad into the bowl. Top it with a layer of whipped topping and lay out cookies on top of it. If you get really ambitious you could cut the cookies in half and press them against the outside of the bowl.

Repeat layers two more times. Chill until you are ready to serve.

How do I store leftover Cookie Salad?

Store leftovers in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

This salad will separate some and get a bit watery and the cookies will also get pretty soggy. So if you know ahead of time that you are not going to eat the salad in one sitting, we recommend only adding cookies to the portion that you’ll be eating and then adding the cookies in as you eat it!

Fudge stripe cookie salad is just to die for! Grab those five simple ingredients and whip it up in no time.

More Pudding Salad Recipes

• Strawberry Banana Pudding Fluff is a summertime treat that never gets old.
• If you love this cookie salad recipe, then you’ll definitely enjoy my Oreo Fluff.
• The combination of flavors in Caramel Apple Snickers Salad is something you won’t soon forget.
• Jazz up a candy bar with this easy Snicker Salad recipe!
• Ambrosia Salad is drool-worthy! A classic recipe that everyone will love.