Molly Yeh's Cookie Salad Is the Retro Recipe You Need to Make

If you’re like me and can hardly wait to dive into dessert after dinner, you won’t want to miss out on this Molly Yeh recipe that blends cookies into a salad. Yes, a cookie salad—and best news yet, it's traditionally served with dinner, so there's no more waiting to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Of course, Molly’s Cookie Salad can be enjoyed any time of day. (Seriously, I just had some for breakfast.) And because I’ve streamlined her original recipe so that it’s ready to serve in just 15 minutes (instead of 2 hours), you can do the same.

What Is Cookie Salad?

According to Molly, a typical cookie salad contains four ingredients: fudge-covered cookies, canned mandarin oranges or sliced bananas, instant vanilla pudding, and frozen whipped topping. Using this combination of retro ingredients—some from as early as the 1950s—is brilliant, fun, and delicious.

While it may be unclear who exactly started the craze, it is known that cookie salad is a staple in the Upper Midwest, circulated by way of church cookbooks and word of mouth. Many variations of these sweet salads, like Watergate and Snickers salads, pop up at family dinner tables and potlucks in this region.

My Shortcut Version of Molly Yeh's Cookie Salad

Now that I’m convinced I’ve hooked you on the idea of making one, we can get back to my shortcut of Molly's recipe.

Instead of spending hours rolling out cookie dough and stirring a pot of from-scratch pudding, I swapped those two ingredients for store-bought. That means I start by making a 5.1-ounce box of Jello-O Instant Vanilla Pudding, then chilling it into the fridge. Meanwhile, I drain two cans of mandarin oranges and crush about six Keebler Fudge Stripes cookies. I like my salad on the smoother side, but feel free to crush more if you think you might like more crunch.

Molly opts for fresh whipped cream over frozen whipped topping, and honestly, so do I, but do as your heart desires. Either way, just make sure to fold it into the pudding gently so that it keeps its light and fluffy texture. Also, set aside a little extra for the topping.

Once the crushed cookies and all but a large handful of orange segments are combined, I transfer the mixture to a serving dish and add the toppings: a layer of whipped cream, followed by a few whole cookies and the remaining orange segments.

Cookie salad is best served immediately, but if you plan on making it ahead, hold off on the toppings until the last moment so they won’t sink or become mushy. Whatever the event, meal, or time of day, this is one retro dish that’s sure to make everyone smile.