Orange Delight

Orange Delight is a light and sweet treat made of mandarin oranges, crushed pineapple, orange gelatin, cottage cheese and Cool Whip. This old fashioned dessert salad recipe can be made in just 10 minutes!

Orange Delight Dessert or Salad

This citrus flavored dish can be served on the salad bar or found on the dessert table. Orange Delight doesn’t require any cooking or heating up water for the gelatin, just grab a mixing bowl and stir all of the ingredients together.

Creamy and cool this refrigerated no-bake snack is similar to our Pumpkin Fluff because they can both be mixed together an hour before the party up or up to a day ahead of the carry-in or potluck.

Minimize dishes by mixing the Orange Delight Recipe in the same bowl you want to serve it in! Or scoop into a decorative dish like we like to do.

My all time favorite dessert with fruit and whipped topping is this Pineapple Pretzel Salad. Orange Jello Delight is the most similar recipe I have to that dessert salad.

Not like a traditional Cottage Cheese Dessert with marshmallows, the cottage cheese gives this Orange Delight more substance. Pistachio pudding is the primary flavor in our Watergate Salad. The cream cheese in our classic 7-UP Jello Salad gives it a richness that is enjoyable where the cherry pie filling and soda in our Cherry Coke Jello Salad provide the sweet and dominant flavors.

A couple more “delight” desserts that are classics are our Cherry Delight and Chocolate Delight.

Orange Jello Salad Recipe

1. In a mixing bowl add cottage cheese and sprinkle dry gelatin on top. Stir together well.
2. Add well drained crushed pineapple and well drained mandarin oranges. Stir together.
3. Fold in whipped topping and stir well.

Tips for Making Delicious Orange Delight

• Defrost whipped topping in the refrigerator according to the package directions, do not use heat to thaw
• Drain canned fruit well before mixing together or the consistency will be soupy
• An extra can of mandarin oranges may be mixed in if desired, some may be used for garnish
• Recipe can easily be cut in half for an individual or a couple people
• Shelf ingredients have a good shelf life, so this is a great recipe to keep the ingredients on hand to make at a moment’s notice

How to Make Orange Delight

Scoop cottage cheese into a mixing bowl and sprinkle orange gelatin over the top. Stir well until the cottage cheese is an even and consistent orange color.

If there are streaks of orange just keep stirring!

Drain the mandarin oranges and pineapple well. I typically use a strainer and stir the pineapple several times to help as much juice as possible drain from the fruit.

Add fruit to cottage cheese and gelatin mixture.

Stir the fruit and orange colored cottage cheese together. Mix well.

Fold in defrosted whipped topping and keep stirring until the Orange Delight Dessert is a consistent orange color.

Chill for about an hour before serving. Store in a covered or air tight dish in the refrigerator.

Other Light and Fruity Recipes

• Lemon Delight has a bright citrus flavor that’s perfect for warmer months.
• Strawberry Banana Split Cake features fresh strawberries and bananas and canned pineapple on a graham cracker crust
• Easy Banana Cream Delight mixes pudding and whipped topping on a vanilla wafter crust along with a layer of sweet cream cheese
• Lime Jello Salad also contains cottage, crushed pineapple and Cool Whip but does require hot water to dissolve the gelatin.