Born from a family favorite, this Strawberry Pistachio Fluff is a revolutionary make-ahead dessert perfect for any gathering, coming together in just about 30 minutes. You’re in for a light, delicious treat that boasts a healthier twist, using rich heavy whipping cream instead of Cool Whip. With just five simple ingredients, this easy strawberry dessert offers a delightful contrast of sweet strawberries and salty pistachios, proving that quick and wholesome can be utterly satisfying.
Why You’ll Love This “No Cool Whip” Fluff
- Real, Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses real heavy whipping cream to create a rich, homemade whipped topping. No artificial corn syrup or hydrogenated oils!
- Sweet & Salty Perfection: The sweet, juicy strawberries are a perfect match for the salty, crunchy, toasted pistachios.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: You can make the cream cheese fluff and toast the nuts a day in advance. Just fold in the berries right before serving!
What You Will Need:
- 6 ounces of strawberries
- 1 cup of coarsely chopped pistachios
- Cream Cheese Mixture
- 1-8 ounce package of cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 2 cups of heavy whipping cream divided
Heavy Cream Makes The Difference
Normally I include Cool Whip in my pineapple pretzel fluff and strawberry pistachio fluff. I looked up the ingredients for Cool Whip and was none too pleased. Not only is corn syrup in it but there is also high fructose corn syrup. There are also hydrogenated ingredients included in Cool Whip. So I decided to look into a suitable substitute. Heavy whipping cream was the winner. Actually organic heavy whipping cream was the winner, but conventional heavy whipping cream will do just fine for this strawberry pistachio fluff recipe. The bonus is that the recipe for the cream cheese mixture is actually ice box cake frosting!
Simple Steps to Your Homemade Pistachio Fluff
Place the softened cream cheese and the 1/4 cup of sugar into a mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and soft, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add one cup of the whipping cream and mix until well blended. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl a couple of times while combining the ingredients. Add the remaining cup of whipping cream when the mixture is smooth. Mix the remaining cup until soft peaks are achieved. Below is a picture of the thickness you will want to achieve.
Tips for Storing Your Fluff for Freshness
This is a great make ahead recipe for your next gathering. All elements to the strawberry pistachio fluff can be made and stored separately with ease. It is very important to keep them separate until the fluff is served. Combining the strawberries and cream cheese mixture ahead of time will cause the mixture to thin out from the strawberries.
If you liked this strawberry recipe, try my strawberry almond salad or my strawberry and peach crumble!
FAQ’s
This recipe uses organic heavy whipping cream instead of Cool Whip, eliminating corn syrup and hydrogenated ingredients for a lighter, more natural base.
Yes, this is a fantastic make-ahead recipe! You can prepare all elements separately and store them in the fridge, combining them just before serving to maintain freshness and texture.
It’s crucial to keep the strawberries separate from the cream cheese mixture until just before serving. Combining them too early can cause the mixture to thin out due to moisture from the strawberries.
While strawberries are excellent, this fluff is versatile! You can experiment with other berries or fruits to make it your own, as long as you keep them separate until serving.
The recipe highlights pistachios for their rich flavor and contrast, but you could try toasted sunflower seeds or simply omit the nuts entirely for a nut-free version. You can also try my Pineapple Pretzel Fluff.
Heavy whipping cream offers a cleaner ingredient profile without corn syrup or hydrogenated ingredients found in many Cool Whip products. It also provides a superior texture and taste, making it similar to an icebox cake frosting.
Strawberry Pistachio Fluff
Ingredients
- 6 oz strawberries
- 1 cup of coarsely crushed pistachios
- 1 – 8 oz package of cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream divided
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place crushed pistachios on a lined baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.
- Cut off stems of strawberries. Dice to about 3/4 inch. Set aside.
- Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup of sugar until creamy and smooth
- Add one cup of the heavy whipping cream to the cream cheese mixture and blend until combined.
- Add the last cup of the heavy whipping cream and whip until soft peaks are formed. Scraping down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl occasionally.
- When ready to serve, add strawberries to the cream cheese mixture.
- To serve, place about a 1/2 cup of cream cheese and strawberries to dessert plate and sprinkle with crushed pistachios.
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