Easy Frog Eye Salad

This easy Frog Eye Salad recipe is made with fresh fruit and instant pudding.  It’s a twist on the classic fruit salad recipe that is perfect for BBQs and potlucks.

I suppose it could be considered a dessert, but you might as well pass this recipe off as a salad and save room for even more sweet treats. If you’re looking for more easy salad recipes, be sure to try our Snickers Apple Salad, Pea Salad or our Chinese Chow Mein Salad.

Easy Frog Eye Salad Recipe

This frog eye salad recipe is a creamy pasta and fruit salad that’s an absolute favorite at BBQs and summer get togethers. I gave this potluck favorite a little facelift by mixing the cooked and cooled acini de pepe with fresh fruit, instant pudding powder, and whipped cream. I also eliminated the egg yolks to make the recipe a little safer to eat.

Frog eye fruit salad is usually made with fruit cocktail or mandarins from a can, but that can be a little mushy and unappetizing. I use fresh pineapples, grapes, and tangerines, but you can use whatever fresh fruit you like best that holds up in a creamy salad. Strawberries, bananas, mangos, or apples would all work great.

Key Ingredients

• Acini de Pepe – cook this tiny round pasta according to package directions. You could substitute orzo, too.
• Instant Pudding – you will need one small package of instant pudding. I like to use white chocolate, but vanilla or another flavor would work great.
• Pineapple Juice – you could also use orange juice.
• Pineapple – fresh diced pineapple adds loads of sweetness to the salad and tastes great with the coconut.
• Grapes – to make them easier to eat I like to slice the grapes in half.
• Mandarins – the classic acini de pepe salad uses canned mandarins but I love using fresh oranges. You can use cuties or another seedless mandarin, or segment any of your favorite type of orange.
• Whipping Cream – instead of Cool Whip, I like to whip up real whipped cream. It only takes a couple of minutes and tastes so much better.
• Shredded Coconut – you can use sweetened or unsweetened coconut.
• Mini Marshmallows – this is a classic ingredient in Frog Eye Salad! For fun, you could use colored marshmallows.

How to Make This Recipe for Frog Eye Salad

1. Cook the pasta. Cook the acini de pepe according to the directions on the package. After you cook and drain the hot water, run cool water over the pasta to cool it down.  Strain the pasta and put it in the fridge to continue to cool.
2. Make the pudding mixture. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the instant pudding mix and pineapple juice together. Whisk for a couple of minutes, or until there aren’t any lumps and the pudding is getting a little thicker. Set aside to continue to thicken. 
3. Fold in the rest. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the whipped cream and whip until you get soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the thickened pudding mixture with a spatula. Then, fold in the cooled acini de pepe, fresh fruit, shredded coconut, and marshmallows.
4. Chill. Store in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips and Variations

• Add tropical fruits like diced mangoes, kiwi, and sliced bananas to the shredded coconut.
• Add fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries for color and tangy flavor that compliments the sweetness of the salad. Different kinds of citrus is another great way to incorporate fruit.
• This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Easy Potluck Salad Recipes

• Broccoli Salad With Bacon
• Wedge Salad Kabobs
• Fruit Salad
• Winter Fruit Salad
• Pasta Salad
• Caprese Pasta Salad
• Pesto Pasta Salad
• More Side Salad Recipes
• More Summer Favorites

This Frog Eye Fruit Salad recipe is made with fresh fruit and instant pudding.  It’s a great salad recipe for BBQ and one of the best potluck salads.  This acini de pepe frog eye salad is a twist on the classic and is delicious every time!