Dessert

Frog Eye Salad

By Amy Flanigan

Updated Jun 18, 2026

Read 3 Reviews

Prep 15 minutes mins

Cook 8 minutes mins

Servings 12 cups

By Amy Flanigan

Updated Jun 18, 2026

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This Frog Eye Salad is such a unique fruit salad that always has everyone coming back for more. It’s made with tiny pasta, pineapple, coconut, pudding, marshmallows, and whipped cream. It’s a little sweet, a little tropical, creamy, and super delicious! This recipe makes at least 12 servings, so it’s perfect for holidays, potlucks, and bigger gatherings.

Tips & Variations

• Other pasta options. Acini di pepe is a teeny-tiny pasta often used in soups and salads and is usually available in most grocery stores. However, an Israeli-style large pearl couscous or large tapioca pearls also work in this recipe. Just note the cook times on the package, as they may be different.
• Reserve the pineapple juice. Only 1/4 cup pineapple juice is needed, but I like to reserve the juice from both the crushed pineapple and tidbits, just to make sure I have enough.
• Chill the fruit. Before combining all of the ingredients, chill the fruit. I like to do this overnight and then combine it with the pasta and pudding just before serving.
• Fresh whipped cream or Cool Whip. I prefer the flavor and texture of homemade whipped cream but it can be replaced with Cool Whip if desired.
• Toast the coconut. For more of a nutty, tropical flair and flavor, you can lightly toast the coconut flakes. Just be sure to toast them ahead of time and let them cool completely before adding them to the salad.
• Make ahead. Frog eye salad is definitely a recipe that needs to be made ahead of time. I really prefer to make it the night before. The pudding and the cooked pasta both need to firm up, plus the salad itself should be served cold and creamy.

5 from 3

Frog Eye Salad

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 8 minutes mins

Chill Time: 8 hours hrs

Total: 8 hours hrs 23 minutes mins

Servings: 12 cups

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This Frog Eye Salad recipe is a unique sweet and creamy fruit salad made with tiny pasta, mixed fruit, vanilla pudding, coconut, and whipped cream. It's a classic beloved side dish or dessert that's perfect for a group!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup dry Acini di pepe pasta, (see note)
• ▢ 1 3.5 ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1¼ cups whole milk
• ▢ 1 8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
• ▢ 1 20 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained with juice reserved
• ▢ 1 11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
• ▢ 2 15 oz cans fruit cocktail, drained
• ▢ 1 cup mini marshmallows
• ▢ 1 cup shredded coconut flakes, (sweetened or unsweetened)
• ▢ 1½ cups cold heavy whipping cream
• ▢ ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla
• ▢ piped whipped cream, for serving, optional
• ▢ maraschino cherries, for garnish, optional

Instructions 

• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add the dry Acini di pepe pasta and cook for 10 minutes, then immediately drain and rinse under cold water. Shake gently to get any excess water out.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the instant vanilla pudding mix powder, sugar, milk, and reserved pineapple juice. Beat vigorously with a whisk or with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
• Add drained pasta to the mixture and gently fold together until incorporated. Cover tightly and chill in the fridge for at least a few hours (or overnight.)
• Place fully drained crushed pineapple, pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, and fruit cocktail in an airtight container and chill for a few hours (or overnight), as well.
• Once everything is chilled, add all the cold fruit, mini marshmallows, and coconut flakes to the pasta mixture.
• In a separate bowl beat together cold heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until it reaches stiff peaks (you should have about 3 cups.)
• Fold the fresh whipped cream into the fruit/pasta mixture and gently fold to combine.
• Serve in a trifle dish, large bowl, or individual dessert cups. (If serving in dessert cups, consider topping with a bit of piped whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, if desired.)

Video

Notes

Acini di pepe. This is a tiny pasta similar to couscous and often used in soups and salads. It’s pretty common at most grocery stores, but if you can’t find it, substitute with Israeli-style large pearl couscous or large tapioca pearls, keeping in mind that cooking times can vary.

Swap the fruit cocktail. Feel free to replace the fruit cocktail with more pineapple tidbits and mandarin oranges, if preferred.

Use Cool Whip instead. The whipped cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla can be replaced with an 8 ounce tub of (thawed) Cool Whip, if preferred.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

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How To Make Frog Eye Salad Step By Step

Gather your ingredients.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add in 1 cup dry Acini di pepe pasta and cook for 10 minutes, then immediately drain and rinse under cold water. Shake gently to get any excess water out.


In a large mixing bowl, combine a 3.5-ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix powder, ½ cup sugar, 1½ cups milk, and ¼ cup reserved pineapple juice. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.


Add drained pasta to the mixture and gently fold together until incorporated. Cover tightly and chill in the fridge for at least a few hours (or overnight.)

Place fully drained 8 ounces crushed pineapple, 20 ounces drained pineapple tidbits, 11 ounces drained mandarin oranges, and 2, 15 ounce cans drained fruit cocktail in an airtight container and chill for a few hours (or overnight), as well.


Once everything is chilled, add all the cold fruit, 1 cup mini marshmallows, and 1 cup coconut flakes to the pasta mixture.


In a separate bowl beat together 1½ cups cold heavy whipping cream, ¼ cup powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until it reaches stiff peaks (you should have about 3 cups.)


Fold the fresh whipped cream into the fruit/pasta mixture and gently fold to combine.

Serve in a trifle dish, large bowl, or individual dessert cups. (If serving in dessert cups, consider topping with a bit of piped whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, if desired.)

Serving Suggestions

Frog eye salad can either be served in a trifle dish or large bowl, where everyone can scoop a spoonful or two for themselves, or in individual dessert cups. I usually go with the trifle dish option for potlucks. When serving them in dessert cups, I like to add a bit of piped whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.

How To Store Leftovers

Leftover frog eye salad will last for up to 3 days in the fridge. Just keep it tightly covered with plastic wrap or transfer it to another airtight container. This salad does not freeze well.

More Sweet Salad Recipes

• Ambrosia Salad
• Grape Salad
• Creamy Waldorf Salad
• Delicatessen Fruit Salad
• Walking Strawberry Pretzel Salad

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