Frozen Cranberry Salad Recipe - Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Side

This frozen cranberry salad has been on my Thanksgiving table for more than 40 years. Made with fresh cranberries, crushed pineapple, cream cheese, nuts and whipped topping, it is creamy, tart, slightly sweet and completely make-ahead.

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I first found this recipe in a food processor cookbook when I was in college. I had an inexpensive food processor from Sears, and somehow this simple cranberry salad became one of those recipes that stuck with me.

Over the years, it became a family tradition. My kids would not consider it Thanksgiving without it, and I've made it in everything from loaf pans to muffin cups and even a ring mold.

The best part? You can make frozen cranberry salad weeks before Thanksgiving and keep it in the freezer until you need it. That makes it one less thing to worry about when you're preparing the rest of the Thanksgiving dinner.

If you love old-fashioned frozen salads, you might also enjoy my Frozen Fruit Salad, another family favorite, that I usually make in the spring.

Why You'll Love This Frozen Cranberry Salad

• Make it weeks ahead. This cranberry salad is designed to be frozen, making it a great Thanksgiving make-ahead recipe.
• It is easy. Your food processor does most of the chopping and mixing work.
• It can be served in different ways. Make one large loaf, use two smaller loaf pans or make individual cranberry salad cups in a muffin tin.
• It balances a heavy Thanksgiving dinner. The tart cranberries and creamy texture are a nice contrast to turkey, stuffing and all the other rich side dishes.
• It is a family tradition. I've been making this frozen cranberry salad since college, and it has become one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

Ingredients for Cranberry Salad

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this old-fashioned frozen cranberry salad.

Fresh cranberries

Use one bag of fresh cranberries. Cranberries are naturally quite tart, which is why the sugar in this recipe is important.

Sugar

Granulated sugar sweetens the fresh cranberries. I recommend using the amount called for in the recipe the first time you make it, then adjusting in future batches if you prefer your cranberry salad sweeter or more tart.

Cream cheese

Cream cheese gives the salad its creamy texture and helps balance the tart cranberries.

Let it soften before processing so it blends easily. I prefer regular cream cheese versus low fat, but you do you!

Walnuts or pecans

I usually use walnuts, but pecans work beautifully, too. Either adds crunch and flavor to the soft, creamy cranberry mixture.

Crushed pineapple

Be sure to drain the pineapple well. Too much liquid can make the frozen salad softer than you want.

Cool Whip or whipped cream

This is one of those recipes where I stick with tradition and use Cool Whip. You can substitute sweetened whipped cream if you prefer.

6 Steps to Frozen Cranberry Salad

1. Chop the cranberries

Place the fresh cranberries in a food processor and chop them finely.

Transfer them to a large bowl and stir in the sugar.

2. Chop the nuts

Add the walnuts or pecans to the food processor and chop them. Not to fine, but not to large.

Add the nuts to the cranberry mixture.

3. Add the cream cheese

Process the softened cream cheese until smooth and add to the bowl.

Stir everything together.

4. Add the pineapple

Stir in the well-drained crushed pineapple.

5. Fold in the whipped topping

Fold in the Cool Whip or whipped cream until the mixture is evenly combined.

This is the point where you can decide how creamy you want your cranberry salad. If you like a softer, creamier salad, you can add a little more whipped topping.

6. Freeze

Lightly grease your pan or pans.

Pour the cranberry mixture into:

• One 9 x 5-inch loaf pan (The mixture will fill it about halfway.)
• One 8 x 4-inch loaf pan (The mixture should fill it to the top.You will have extra to make into muffins cups.)
• Paper-lined muffin cups for individual servings (I usually get about 18 muffin cups.)
• A ring mold

Cover well and freeze until firm.

How Far Ahead Can I Make This Thanksgiving Side Dish

This is one of the reasons I love this recipe for Thanksgiving. As soon as fresh cranberries appear in the grocery you can make this cranberry recipe!

You can make frozen cranberry salad several weeks ahead of Thanksgiving.

Once it is frozen solid, keep it tightly covered in the freezer until you're ready to serve it.

Making it ahead means you can check one more Thanksgiving side dish off your list before the big day.

Can I Make Individual Frozen Cranberry Salads?

Absolutely.

This is actually one of my favorite ways to serve it.

Line a muffin tin with paper liners and spoon the cranberry mixture into the cups. Freeze until firm.

Individual servings are especially convenient because you don't have to worry about unmolding and slicing the entire salad.

They also make great leftovers. When my kids were young, I loved having a few of these little cranberry cups in the freezer for an easy snack.

What's The Best Pan For Frozen Cranberry Salad?

There isn't really a wrong answer.

Loaf pan

A loaf pan gives you slices that look especially pretty on a Thanksgiving platter.

I use either one 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans.

Muffin tin

Use paper liners for individual portions. This is my favorite option when I want the salad to be easy to serve.

Ring mold

If you have a ring mold, use it. The cranberry salad makes a beautiful presentation when unmolded onto a platter.

How Do You Serve Frozen Cranberry Salad?

Take the cranberry salad out of the freezer and let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

If you've made it in a loaf pan or mold, this gives it enough time to soften slightly so you can unmold and slice it.

For individual muffin cups, simply place them on a serving platter and let them soften slightly before serving.

I serve this as part of the Thanksgiving dinner rather than dessert. The tart cranberry flavor and creamy texture are especially good alongside turkey and stuffing.

Sometimes I add whole berry cranberry sauce to the platter, so those that like those can have both!

Of course, there is nothing stopping you from serving it as a light dessert.

Tips For Making Frozen Cranberries

Drain the pineapple well. Excess liquid can affect the texture of the frozen salad.

Let the cream cheese soften. It will blend better when it isn't cold and hard.

Use a food processor. I consider this an important part of this recipe because it makes quick work of the cranberries and nuts and is much easier than chopping by hand.

Don't skip the freezing time. This recipe needs enough time in the freezer to become firm.

Make it ahead. That's one of the best reasons to make this cranberry salad for Thanksgiving.

Try individual servings. Muffin cups make serving incredibly easy and eliminate the need to slice or unmold the entire salad.

Is This Cranberry Salad a Side Dish or Dessert?

In my family, it is definitely a Thanksgiving side dish.

The tart cranberries are a refreshing contrast to all the rich foods on the Thanksgiving table, and I especially love a little spoonful alongside stuffing.

But this cranberry salad is sweet enough that it can certainly be served as a light dessert, too.

I won't tell anyone which way you choose.

More Questions Answered

A 40-Year Thanksgiving Tradition

I've been making this cranberry salad since college, and somehow it has followed me all these years.

The original food processor cookbook is long gone, but the recipe remains.

I've made it for family, friends and countless Thanksgiving dinners. I've passed the recipe along to people who have eaten it at our table, and I've watched my kids grow up expecting to see it alongside the turkey.

I also love traditional cranberry relish. And yes, I have a soft spot for the cranberry sauce that comes straight from the can.

I love cranberries from the can and each summer when I just can't stand it anymore, I buy a can of cranberries.

But this recipe? Well, there's nothing like a melty pink cranberry salad that combines so well with the stuffing on your plate.

And this frozen cranberry salad is different.

It's creamy, sweet and tart, crunchy and cold, and when it starts to soften just enough on the Thanksgiving plate, it becomes the perfect little contrast to all the warm, savory food.

For my family, it simply wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it.

More Cranberry Recipes

If you love cooking with fresh cranberries during the holiday season, try some of my other cranberry recipes:

• Cranberry Walnut Bread
• Fresh Cranberry Apple Salad
• Orange Tequila Cranberry Relish
• Salsa Macha with Cranberries and Pecans
• Cranberry Waldorf Salad
• Cranberry Orange Copycat Panera Muffins
• Candied Oranges and Cranberries
• Cranberry Chocolate Scones
• Cranberry Cake with White Chocolate Icing
• Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
• Easy Cranberry Pecan Crostata
• Broccoli Cranberry Salad

And if you're planning your Thanksgiving menu, don't miss my collection of Thanksgiving Favorites, where this frozen cranberry salad has been a family favorite for years.

More Thanksgiving Recipes

If you're planning the whole Thanksgiving meal, you'll also want to check out my other Thanksgiving side dishes, stuffing recipes and holiday favorites.

This frozen cranberry salad is especially useful because it can be prepared weeks ahead — exactly the kind of make ahead recipe that makes Thanksgiving Day a little easier.

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