This Gluten Free Frog Eye Salad is an easy fruit salad that's been loved for generations, and for good reason. Inspired by an old fashioned, vintage recipe, this classic dessert salad is creamy, sweet, and incredibly delicious! It's the best dessert salad for gatherings and holidays.
It's a true Frog Eye Salad Recipe Original style treat that feels nostalgic while still being simple to make.
Perfect as a potluck dessert, holiday salad, or easy no bake dessert, this gluten free version comes together quickly and always disappears fast. The creamy texture and fluffy finish make it a standout fluff dessert and sweet pasta salad.
It can double as an easy side dish recipe. Whether you're serving it for a celebration or a casual get together, this easy Frog Eye Salad is a family favorite and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
If you are looking for more recipes like this one you might also like my Cranberry Fluff Salad, my Seven Layer Salad, my Easy Pea Salad or my Gluten Free Million Dollar Cake.
You can find all of my desserts here: Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
Ingredients
- Gluten Free Stelline Pasta
- Pineapple Juice (use from canned pineapple)
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Lemon Juice
- Mandarin Oranges
- Pineapple Tidbits
- Crushed Pineapple
- Whipped Cream (purchase or make your own with my recipe below)
- Mini Marshmallows
- Optional To Make Whipped Cream: Heavy Whipping Cream, Powdered Sugar, Vanilla Extract
Instructions
In a large bowl add the drained mandarin oranges and drained pineapple. *Be sure to save the pineapple juice! You will need it for the custard.
If you are going to make your own whipped cream add 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 4 tablespoons of sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment whisk the mixture until stiff peaks form. I do this step while I'm making the sauce.
In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat combine the pineapple juice, sugar, salt and the cornstarch mixed with 4 tablespoons of pineapple juice. Adding the cornstarch dry may cause lumps in your custard. Let the mixture heat up and then before it simmers add the beaten eggs very slowly while whisking. Let the mixture simmer until it thickens. This usually takes 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. The mixture will thicken more as it cools.
In a large pot bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the gluten free stelline pasta and boil while stirring often for 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water. Once the pasta is cooled add it to the pineapple and mandarin mixture and stir.
Add either the whipped cream you made or store bought whipped cream to the pineapple and mandarin mixture and fold in. This means using your spoon roll the mixture in from the sides over top of itself moving in circles as you turn the bowl.
Add the cooled custard mixture to the bowl and fold in.
If you want this to truly be the classic recipe you would add one cup of coconut flakes at this point, but I hate the texture and always omit them.
Refrigerate the dessert salad for at least 8 hours.
Before serving stir in the miniature marshmallows.
Supplies
More Recipes You Might Enjoy
I get a lot of my ingredients from Thrive Market. Thrive Market has been a game changer for me eating gluten free. They have so many options I can't get at my rural grocery stores! Use this link to get 40% off your first order!
Gluten Free Frog Eye Salad
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Gluten Free Frog Eye Salad is an easy fruit salad that's been loved for generations, and for good reason. Inspired by an old fashioned, vintage recipe, this classic dessert salad is creamy, sweet, and incredibly delicious! It's the best dessert salad for gatherings and holidays.
Ingredients
- 1 - 12 ounce box Jovial Gluten Free Stelline Pasta, cooked
- 1 ¾ cup Pineapple Juice, reserved from cans
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Eggs, beaten
- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch, mixed with 4 tablespoon pineapple juice
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 3 - 15 ounce cans Mandarin Oranges, drained
- 2 - 20 ounce cans Pineapple Tidbits, drained & save the juice
- 1 - 20 ounce can Crushed Pineapple, drained & save the juice
- 2 cups Whipped Cream
- 2 cups Mini Marshmallows
Homemade Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 4 Tbsp Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
In a large bowl add the drained mandarin oranges and drained pineapple. *Be sure to save the pineapple juice! You will need it for the custard.
If you are going to make your own whipped cream add 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 4 tablespoons of sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment whisk the mixture until stiff peaks form. I do this step while I'm making the sauce.
In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat combine the pineapple juice, sugar, salt and the cornstarch mixed with 4 tablespoons of pineapple juice. Adding the cornstarch dry may cause lumps in your custard. Let the mixture heat up and then before it simmers add the beaten eggs very slowly while whisking. Let the mixture simmer until it thickens. This usually takes 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. The mixture will thicken more as it cools.
In a large pot bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the gluten free stelline pasta and boil while stirring often for 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water. Once the pasta is cooled add it to the pineapple and mandarin mixture and stir.
Add either the whipped cream you made or store bought whipped cream to the pineapple and mandarin mixture and fold in. This means using your spoon roll the mixture in from the sides over top of itself moving in circles as you turn the bowl.
Add the cooled custard mixture to the bowl and fold in.
If you want this to truly be the classic recipe you would add one cup of coconut flakes at this point, but I hate the texture and always omit them.
Refrigerate the dessert salad for at least 8 hours.
Before serving stir in the miniature marshmallows.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Salad, Holidays
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Christmas, Gluten Free
Top Tip
This recipe is best made one day before you want to serve it. For the holidays I always put it on my day before prep list. This gives the salad time to set up and get really flavorful.
It also makes it simple the day of your gathering to get it out and just stir in marshmallows before serving it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
No. It's one of those old salads with a weird name. Since I'm using gluten free stelline pasta (means star shaped in Italian) I wanted to change the name to Star Eyed Salad. Sounds so much more appealing. Because this salad is delicious and deserves a better name.
This dish is versatile and can be served as a sweet side dish at gatherings or holidays. It could also go on the dessert table and be served as a dessert.
The salad will last refrigerated for 4-5 days in an air tight container.
