This Berry Cheesecake Salad features fresh, juicy berries in a creamy cheesecake mixture that make the most amazing fruit salad ever! Your family will go nuts over it!
Berry Cheesecake Salad
My kids are huge fans of this Berry Cheesecake Salad because, well, it’s more like berry cheesecake than anything resembling a “salad.”
Nevertheless, my children call it marshmallow salad, emphasis on salad, as in, “Mom, it’s healthy. How can you even say no?!”
And I don’t like to say no because it is reeeaaallly good. It’s like an ambrosia salad, but better because we’re using berries!
Fresh juicy berries mixed with my favorite pudding base, whipped topping, and marshmallows! It’s sweet, fresh, and so fun for using up ripe summer berries.
Plus, there is absolutely no baking or cooking required for this recipe which makes it an A+ for when it’s hot!
What’s in Berry Cheesecake Salad?
Berry Cheesecake Salad is made up of two components: the “dressing” and the “salad.”
The dressing consists of a pudding base with cream cheese to give it that yummy tangy cheesecake flavor.
The salad is made up of fresh berries and some marshmallows for good measure.
What Kind of Berries Should I Use?
Most of the time I use strawberries and blueberries only, as those are the berries that all three of my kids agree on.
But feel free to add blackberries or raspberries, or even cherries!
I recommend sticking to fresh berries only for this recipe. Frozen berries will thaw and become juicy and discolor the salad. Plus, they become super soft and mushy when thawed which is kind of a recipe for berry cheesecake soup.
So, fresh – not frozen!
How to Make Berry Cheesecake Salad
In a small mixing bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Stir to combine, and set aside. (Photo 1)
In a separate mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar. You can just use a fork, if you’d prefer not to get out a mixer. Works just as well! (Photo 2)
Add lemon juice and pudding mixture to the cream cheese mixture, and stir until smooth and creamy. (Photo 3)
Fold in whipped topping. (Photo 4)
Fold in marshmallows and berries. (Photo 5)
Pro Tips
- This recipe makes a LARGE batch! It’s great for potlucks and cookouts, and I still rarely have leftovers because it’s so good.
- Make sure your cream cheese is very soft and gets beaten completely smooth before you add in the other ingredients. This will prevent lumps.
- Substitute any kind of berries you like into your salad! Blackberries, raspberries, cherries,…
- Use flavored coffee creamer, such as sweet cream or French vanilla, in place of milk for an extra flavor kick.
- If you can’t find Cool Whip, substitute vanilla yogurt or fresh whipped cream (not the canned kind!).
- Add flavor accents such as lemon or lime zest, almond or vanilla extract, or even use different pudding flavors to vamp it up and make it your own.
- Reader tip: Sub mascarpone for cream cheese for an even richer, creamier texture.
- Serve with graham crackers to make it taste even more like cheesecake!
- This salad is best served the day that it’s made. By the next day, the berries will start bleeding some of their color into the filling.
- To make ahead: Prep cheesecake filling, and keep in an airtight container. Stir in berries just before serving. You can prep the filling 2-3 days in advance.
More Berry Recipes You’ll Love
- Berries and Cream Cupcakes – pretty, delicious, and packed with fresh berries.
- Best Fruit Salad – my favorite fruit salad all summer long!
- Blueberry Peach Crumble – sweet blueberries, tart peaches, and a crunchy topping!
- Berry Spritzer – refreshing and beautiful drink! Make it a mocktail or a cocktail!
- Classic Blueberry Buckle – a classic cake with fresh blueberries!
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Berries and Cream Cupcakes
Berry Cheesecake Salad
Ingredients
- 1 3.4 ounce box instant vanilla pudding
- 1 cup milk
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 8 oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 4 cups fresh strawberries chopped
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Stir to combine, and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar (I just used a fork. No need for a mixer.)
- Add lemon juice and pudding mixture to cream cheese. Stir until smooth, creamy, and well combined.
- Fold in whipped topping until incorporated.
- Add marshmallows, strawberries, and blueberries. Fold in.
- Keep covered and refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve cool.
Notes
- This recipe makes a LARGE batch! It’s great for potlucks and cookouts, and I still rarely have leftovers because it’s so good.
- Make sure your cream cheese is very soft and gets beaten completely smooth before you add in the other ingredients. This will prevent lumps.
- Substitute any kind of berries you like into your salad! Blackberries, raspberries, cherries,…
- Use flavored coffee creamer, such as sweet cream or French vanilla, in place of milk for an extra flavor kick.
- If you can’t find Cool Whip, substitute vanilla yogurt or fresh whipped cream (not the canned kind!).
- Add flavor accents such as lemon or lime zest, almond or vanilla extract, or even use different pudding flavors to vamp it up and make it your own.
- Reader tip: Sub mascarpone for cream cheese for an even richer, creamier texture.
- Serve with graham crackers to make it taste even more like cheesecake!
- This salad is best served the day that it’s made. By the next day, the berries will start bleeding some of their color into the filling.
- To make ahead: Prep cheesecake filling, and keep in an airtight container. Stir in berries just before serving. You can prep the filling 2-3 days in advance.
Nutrition
UPDATES: This recipe was originally published in May 2018, but was republished in May 2019 with updated photos, step-by-step directions, and a how-to video.
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