Sea foam salad is a vintage recipe that has been around for years. Also known as lime fluff, my twist on this classic includes maraschino cherries for a little extra burst of sweetness.

Growing up, we would go to a big family reunion every summer. I loved catching up with relatives, but honestly my favorite part was filling my plate with the amazing homemade food everyone brought.

Fluff salads were always a big part of the potluck spread and my grandma’s sea foam salad with crushed pineapple was a stand out favorite.

There are lots of different ways to make this old fashioned JELL-O salad. Some use pears, but my grandma always added maraschino cherries. After making this recipe countless times, with and without the cherries, I think they add a lot to the dish and are a fun burst of sweetness.

What is sea foam salad?

You might be familiar with fluff salads like some of my favorites, cherry fluff salad and 5 cup salad. This is a similar version using lime JELL-O which gives it a hint of citrus flavor and pretty, pale green color.

The airy texture and light green color resemble ocean foam which was the inspiration for the name “sea foam salad”.

I love serving this old-fashioned recipe as a holiday side dish, at potlucks, or as a creamy dessert for summer BBQ’s.

Ingredients

This potluck favorite is made with just a few ingredients.

• JELL-O – You will need a large box of green Jello for that fun green, sea foam color.
• Water – Boiling water is needed to help set the gelatin.
• Cream cheese – Soften cream cheese helps to create the creamy base.
• Crushed pineapple – I like using crushed pineapple for this recipe.
• Mini marshmallows – Adds a great layer of texture to the fluff salad.
• Cool Whip – Use you favorite whipped topping.
• Maraschino cherries – This is an optional ingredient but they add great sweetness.

How to make sea foam salad

I’ve broken this fluff recipe down into a few step-by-step photos for you to follow along while cooking. Keep scrolling to the bottom for the full recipe.

Heather’s recipe tips

• Drain the pineapple. Make sure to drain the crushed pineapple and pat it dry with a paper towel. This will help the consistency of the fluff.
• Soften the cream cheese. Make sure to let the cream cheese soften to room temperature.
• Whisk attachment. If you have a whisk attachment for your mixer I find that it works really well for blending the cream cheese with the gelatin mixture. The recipe will still work using a regular mixer attachment.
• Fold in the whipped topping. Try and be gently folding in the Cool Whip to help keep the creamy consistency.
• It’s important to chill. Chilling the sea foam salad is important to let it set up.

Variations and substitutions

Fruit – Some versions of this recipe add in diced, canned pears.

Nuts – Try stirring in toasted nuts like chopped pecans, walnuts, or pistachios.

Coconut – Stir in 1/2 cup of sweetened shredded coconut for added texture.

Cottage cheese – You can make sea foam salad with cottage cheese by stirring in 1 cup of small curd cottage cheese with the whipped topping.

Storage and make-ahead instructions

Store: Keep this covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Make-ahead: You can make this recipe ahead of time, in fact, it’s best if you make it at least several hours before serving. I would recommend making it the night before if possible so that the flavors really come together.

I do not recommend freezing lime fluff. It doesn’t freeze or thaw well.

Frequently asked questions

More old-fashioned dessert recipes

• Potato candy
• Watergate salad
• Cool Whip ambrosia salad
• Cherry fluff
• Robert Redford dessert
• Cookie salad recipe