Frog Eye Salad
on Sep 22, 2023, Updated Jul 10, 2024
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Made by folding together couscous, chunks of fruit, cool whip, and a homemade pineapple custard, this Frog Eye Salad is cool, sweet, and refreshing! This funny-looking dessert salad is much tastier than it sounds.
Tart, sweet, creamy, and chewy, this frog eye salad is a treat for both the eyes and the tastebuds! It’s packed with fun textures and nostalgic flavors that meld together into one cohesive treat. Best eaten with a spoon, this sweet salad can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or dessert. For as unappealing as its name is, this frog eye salad is arguably one of the tastiest and easiest desserts to make!
Frog Eye Salad
If you’re in the mood to do a little bit of chopping, I recommend making this dessert salad with fresh fruit instead of canned! Fresh pineapple and mandarin oranges will add some extra tartness and chewy flavor to this sweet side salad.
Mini marshmallows don’t have to be the only dessert ingredient that you add to this creamy salad. Try tossing in some maraschino cherries, toasted coconut, chocolate chips, or candied nuts as well.
Not a huge fan of pineapple? You can make the custard sauce with any fruit juice you prefer. It would be especially tasty with mandarin orange juice, pear juice, grapefruit juice, mango juice, or cranberry juice.
Ingredient Notes
- Couscous—Or acini de pepe pasta. Cooked according to package directions and cooled.
- Pineapple—One can of crushed and one can of tidbits. Both drained.
- Mandarin Oranges—Fresh or packaged and drained.
- Cool Whip—When thawed, this whip-cream-like spread will add creaminess and sweetness to this fruit salad.
- Mini Marshmallows—Adds a bouncy, chewy texture to this otherwise soft dish.
- Eggs—Help to stabilize the dish and binds all the other ingredients together.
- Pineapple Juice—Adds sweetness and just the right amount of tang.
- All-Purpose Flour—Gives this salad a thick and creamy texture.
- Corn Starch—Thickens the salad, making it perfectly scoopable.
How to Make Frog Eye Salad
- In a saucepan, whisk together the pineapple juice, cornstarch, all-purpose flour, and eggs.
- Continue whisking as you cook the mixture over medium heat until thick.
- Allow the pineapple juice mixture to sit on the counter until cool to the touch.
- In a large bowl, fold together the pineapple juice mixture, cooked couscous, crushed pineapple, pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, mini marshmallows, and cool whip.
- Scoop, serve, and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
There is not a definitive history of the frog eye salad, but it’s commonly believed that it was invented by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (otherwise known as Mormons). This sweet dessert salad was a popular dish at church functions and potlucks. Sometimes called fisheye salad, this fruity treat is named for the little balls of couscous or pasta suspended throughout the dish—they look like eyes!
They’re similar, but not exactly the same. In fact, some would claim that frog eye salad is a type of ambrosia salad. Traditional ambrosia salad recipes call for pineapple, mandarin oranges, and mini marshmallows as well as coconut flakes, maraschino cherries, sour cream or yogurt, and sometimes pecans.
Absolutely! You can make this frog eye salad with any mixture of canned and fresh fruits. If all you have on hand is a can of fruit cocktail, go ahead and toss it in! If you have fresh strawberries and bananas, slice them up before folding them with the pineapple sauce and cool whip. The possibilities are endless!
How to Serve and Store Frog Eye Salad
Because this dessert salad has cool whip in it, I recommend serving it cold. I typically serve my frog eye salad straight from the fridge, but you could also leave it sitting out for an hour or two over ice. I would avoid serving your salad at anything above room temperature; when it’s warm, it gets runny and hard to scoop.
Frog eye salad is the perfect sweet counterpart to all your favorite savory potluck dishes! It pairs well with grape jelly meatballs, pasta salad, pinwheel sandwiches, and buffalo chicken dip. Alternatively, you can whip up a batch to enjoy as an easy weeknight dessert, movie treat, or after-school snack!
Any leftover frog eye salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. I don’t recommend freezing this dish, as doing so will significantly change its texture.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- No need to buy a separate container of pineapple juice; simply use the liquid that you drained off of the crushed pineapple and pineapple tidbits!
- Use homemade whipped cream instead of cool whip to give this salad a lighter and fresher feel.
- Allow the assembled salad to chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes prior to serving. This will allow it to set up properly.
More Recipes
- Creamy 6-Cup Ambrosia Fruit Salad
- Pistachio Jello Salad
- The Best and Easiest Fruit Dip Recipe
- 3 Ingredient Healthy Fruit Dip
If you’ve tried this Frog Eye Salad recipe or any other recipe on Bless This Mess, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.
Frog Eye Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups couscous
- ½ cup corn starch
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
- 1 can mandarin oranges, 10.5 ounce can, drained
- 8 ounce container of Cool Whip
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Cook the couscous according to package directions. Once cooked, transfer the pasta to an airtight container and set in the fridge while you continue.
- In a small pot, whisk together the pineapple juice, corn starch, flour, and eggs over medium heat. Whisk continuously until the ingredients are homogenous. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Once the pineapple mixture begins to thicken, remove it from the burner and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
- After the pineapple mixture has cooled, add it to a large bowl along with the couscous, crushed pineapple, pineapple tidbits, oranges, marshmallows, and cool whip. Use a large spoon or spatula to fold the ingredients together.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You can either use the pineapple juice from the crushed pineapple and pineapple tidbits, or use a separate can of pineapple juice.
- Whisking the pineapple mixture over medium heat helps prevent the eggs from scrambling before they are whisked in an homogenous with the rest of the ingredients.
- Allowing the cool whip to sit on the counter for about 5 minutes will allow it to soften and result in it being easier to fold into the mixture.
- This salad should be stored in the fridge covered with plastic wrap until it is ready to be served.
- Once prepared, this frog eye salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Either cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container.
This frog eye salad is great topped with some maraschino cherries and whipped cream.
Nutrition
Frog Eye Salad is a unique and delightful dessert that brings together the unlikely combination of couscous, fruit, whipped cream, and homemade pineapple custard. Its cool, sweet, and refreshing taste is a pleasant surprise for anyone willing to give it a try. So next time you’re looking for a fun and tasty dessert option, don’t hesitate to dive into the world of Frog Eye Salad – it’s a treat that defies expectations and leaves a memorable impression.
what size can of Mandarin oranges should I use? thanks
It’s a 10.5 ounce can!