Strawberry Cream Cheese Salad - Heart's Content Farmhouse

Prep Time:10

Total Time:10

Equipment

Hand mixer or stand mixer
Large mixing bowl
Spatula
Measuring cups and spoons
Serving bowl or dish

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature, 1 block)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces whipped topping (such as Cool Whip)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 pounds strawberries (sliced or chopped into large pieces)
mini marshmallows (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the cream cheese mixture. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy with no lumps. This should take about 2 minutes.
Fold in the whipped topping. Gently fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture using a spatula, making sure everything is well combined. Be careful not to overmix to maintain the light texture of the whipped topping.
Add the strawberries. Carefully add the sliced or chopped strawberries to the cream cheese mixture. Reserve about 1/4 cup of strawberries to sprinkle on top for garnish. Stir gently to incorporate the strawberries without breaking them apart.
Serve or chill. You can serve the salad immediately for a fresh, creamy texture. Alternatively, cover and chill it in the fridge for a few hours before serving if you like a cooler dessert.

Notes

Choosing good strawberries is important for how the salad tastes. Go for ripe, bright red ones for the best flavor. The salad won’t taste as good if they’re not ripe or too sour.

If you leave strawberries out too long, they’ll get too juicy and make the salad soggy. It’s best to cut them before you add them, and don’t cut them too small.

Also, don’t chop the strawberries into tiny pieces because it can make your salad too soggy. Cutting them into bigger pieces is a better idea.

You can use lighter versions of cream cheese and whipped topping to reduce calories without losing flavor.

This recipe is pretty flexible! You can toss mini marshmallows, nuts, or even chocolate chips for extra crunch and taste. You can also tweak how sweet it is by adding more or less powdered sugar to suit your liking.

The salad is fine to eat immediately, but the flavors come together better if you chill it for about an hour. It also sets a bit, making it easier to serve.

For an extra nice touch, keep a few whole strawberries aside to slice up and put on top of the salad before you serve it. A little powdered sugar on top or some chocolate sauce can make it look fancier, especially if you’re making it for a get-together.

If you’re looking for something crunchy to go with it, graham crackers or vanilla wafers are a great choice. They add a nice texture contrast to the creamy and fruity parts of the salad.

Nutrition

Servings: servings

Calories: 306kcal

Author: Katie