Your recipe is very similar to one I make (I use cottage cheese and half the fruit cocktail), but mine keeps turning out runny on the bottom. Last time I even used 1/2 the pineapple, a large Jello plus a packet of gelatin, and drained the fruit very, very well. Do you ever have problems with runniness? Thanks.

It is probably runny due to the cream from the cottage cheese. Did you ever try draining the cheese before mixing?

It is runny because pineapple (fresh and frozen) naturally contain a chemical substance that inhibits jelling. The box of Jello says not to mix with pineapple.

If you heat the pineapple, it will jell.

Hi Cindy,

The recipe calls for using canned pineapple, which has been heated during processing, which deactivates the enzyme that prevents the jelling, so it's OK to use canned pineapple when making gelatines.

-- CM

I did not like this at all. I followed the directions and I used strawberry jello and it made the salad such a dark pink it was almost red. much too sweet. I would suggest using two containers of cool whip and 1 oz of jello powder (instead of the 3oz as in the directions).

I did not use pineapple. I used:

15 oz tropical fruit (no pineapple)
15 oz fruit salad
small can mandarin oranges
(all well drained)
8 oz of cool whip
3-4 oz cream cheese
3 oz box of orange jello

The orange jello made it taste just like a creamsicle base. Very yummy!

The recipe turned out great!!!

I really liked this and my kids loved it too. I used strawberry jello so it looked red for the Christmas party!

Very good!! I added a little extra cream cheese, for the thickness.. I loved it!

This is a great recipe, with a few modifications. I use the same size of each: cottage cheese, small curd; Cool Whip; & pudding or Jello, sugar free. Put the cottage cheese in first, then add the pudding, then the Cool Whip. Add whatever drained fruit you want, plus however many nuts (any kind) you like if you want nuts. I use pistachio pudding with crushed pineapple; cherry jello with maraschino cherries; orange jello with mandarin oranges; etc. Absolutely delicious!

I use sour cream instead of cream cheese. It makes it sweet and tangy and its soooo good!!!

This can be made without the cream cheese?!? I loved this as a child, but now I am lactose intolerant and cream cheese is one of the foods I stay clear of.

Thanks Shanan. I'll used the sour cream also.

My grandma used to make with Orange Jello. It gives the recipe a creamsicle taste, YUM!

My fruit salad I drain all the juices very well, add bananas, mandarin oranges, then I add cool whip, marshmallows, and miracle whip to give it a little tangy taste. Any suggestions on how I can keep this recipe from getting runny - I've been adding additional marshmallows to help but don't like a lot of marshmallows in the long run.

This is always going to be runny due to the fruits. I put 1 (8 oz.) pkg. of cream cheese, though, and with the juice from the fruit it made it perfect. Was a huge hit at my husband's dinner at work. I kept the fruit separate from the rest until the very last minute.

Just a FYI for all the runny comments: if you mix cool whip too much it becomes watery... So just fold the cool whip in last.

Almost like mine! I use a 8oz. sour cream, 8 oz. cool whip, and 2 packs of strawberry jello! First mix sour cream and jello together (leave jello dry! no water) mix until its light pink then add the cool whip. Sometimes I put fresh diced strawberries in my jello mix as well. It great and easy and cheap to make for a lot of people.

I love this recipe!!! Light and yummy. Comes out just right for me. I drain the fruit

Looks and taste great to me. It is set from the beginning, like it says mix fruit and serve. Very easy and perfect for potluck!

I make something like this, except I use pineapple island jello (3 oz.) with a can of crushed pineapple almost drained mixed with cool whip and a cup of marshmallows and chill, but I've made it using orange jello and a can of oranges drained then the rest. Very good, summer or Christmas, doesn't matter.

I make this recipe but I use cottage cheese instead of the cream cheese, And no fruit cocktail since I don't like it. I also use crushed pineapple instead of the chunks. Works great with any flavor of Jell-O that I've tried. Love it!