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When it comes to vintage dessert salads, Frog Eye Salad is the talk of the party.
Its unique name and even more unique combination of ingredients make it a beloved classic at family gatherings, holiday dinners, and potlucks.
This delicious side dish combines tiny pasta balls, mandarin oranges, and pineapple chunks in a sweet and creamy dressing that’s bound to satisfy your sweet tooth.
If you love the timeless and nostalgic feel of sweet side dishes like Ambrosia Salad or Watergate Salad, you’ll surely love this recipe too!
Reasons to Make This Frog Eye Salad
As with all of my recipes, I put my own personal spin on classic recipes that you know and love.
- A Perfect Side Dish: Frog Eye Salad is a versatile side dish that pairs well with a variety of main courses. Its sweet and fruity flavor complements savory dishes like hot dogs, barbecue, or Italian wedding soup, making it a great addition to any meal.
- Great for Large Crowds: This recipe can be easily scaled up to feed a large crowd at gatherings or potlucks. Its vibrant appearance and sweet flavor make it a crowd-pleaser that’s sure to disappear quickly.
- A Piece of Culinary History: Frog Eye Salad has been a part of family favorite recipes for generations. It’s a classic recipe that harkens back to the era of jello salads and fruit-based desserts. Sharing it with your loved ones can be a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
- A Delicious and Unique Flavor: The combination of pasta, fruits, and creamy pinapple-infused egg custard creates a unique flavor profile that’s both refreshing and satisfying. It’s a delightful departure from more common side dishes, adding variety to your meals.
Ingredients Needed
To make this recipe, you will need acini di pepe pasta, canned crushed pineapple in juice, canned pineapple tidbits in juice, granulated sugar, egg, salt, cornstarch, canned mandarin oranges, heavy whipping cream, and powdered sugar.
Shredded sweetened coconut and mini marshmallows are optional, but recommended.
How to Make Frog Eye Salad
The recipe takes time because it’s best if given time to chill, but you will see it is definitely worth the wait!
Drain and chill fruit
Using a fine mesh sieve over a bowl, add the crushed pineapple and press down with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Transfer the drained crushed pineapple to a bowl. Do the same with the pineapple tidbits and transfer the drained fruit to the bowl with the crushed pineapple.
Measure out 1 cup of the reserved pineapple juice.
Use the sieve to drain the mandarin oranges and combine the drained oranges with the drained pineapple. Cover and refrigerate the fruit overnight.
Prepare pineapple custard
In a medium saucepan over medium heat combine the reserved pineapple juice, sugar, egg, salt, and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
Prepare pasta and pineapple custard
Cook the pasta al dente in a large pot of boiling water. This should take about 6 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse it with very cold water. Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl and refrigerate.
Cook until the pineapple juice mixture comes to a low boil and thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to fully cool in the refrigerator.
Combine pasta and custard
Combine the chilled cooked acini di pepe and the thickened pineapple custard in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare the salad
When you’re ready to make the salad, add the drained fruit to the pasta mixture.
Stir in the coconut and mini marshmallows, if using.
Mix in whipped topping
In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream and sugar together until stiff peaks form. Fold the fresh whipped cream into the acini di pepe mixture.
Serve the frog eye salad immediately or refrigerate to serve at a later time.
FAQs About Frog Eye Salad
Yes, Frog Eye Salad can be made in advance and refrigerated. In fact, it often tastes better the next day as the flavors meld together.
Frog Eye Salad is a classic vintage dessert salad. One of the standout features of Frog Eye Salad is the use of acini di pepe pasta, which are tiny pasta balls about the size of couscous. These little pasta pearls are cooked until they’re al dente, creating a delightful contrast to the fruity flavor of the salad. Their small size also mimics the appearance of actual frog eyes, adding a touch of whimsy to the dish.
No, mini marshmallows and shredded coconut are optional additions that can enhance the texture and sweetness of the salad, but the salad is delicious without them.
While canned fruit is traditional in Frog Eye Salad, you can experiment with fresh fruit if you prefer a different texture or flavor.
Frog Eye Salad typically stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days when stored in an airtight container.
While acini di pepe pasta is traditional, you can substitute other small pasta shapes, but the texture may be slightly different and it will no longer have that “frog eye” shape.
Frog Eye Salad is a versatile dish that can be served as both a side dish and a dessert. It pairs well with a variety of main courses or can be enjoyed on its own as a sweet treat.
Recipe Tip
While standard mini marshmallows work great in this recipe, I actually used dehydrated mini marshmallows (similar to what you would find in packaged hot chocolate mix).
While they’re not as easy to find, they add the same great flavor but with an added crunch that really compliments the recipe.
In the world of vintage dessert salads, Frog Eye Salad stands as a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of cooks from generations past. Its quirky name may be the worst part about it, but its taste is truly ambrosial.
So, grab your ingredients, follow the recipe, and whip up this creamy, sweet, and fruity delight for your next family gathering or holiday dinner.
It’s a side salad that will make you the talk of the party and leave everyone craving those tiny little frog eyes.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup acini di pepe pasta
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple in juice
- 20 ounce can pineapple tidbits in juice
- 1 cup reserved pineapple juice see instruction
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 11-oz cans mandarin oranges Trader Joe’s recommended
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut optional
- 1/2 cup mini marshmallows optional, mini dehydrated marshmallows recommended
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Cook the pasta al dente in a large pot of boiling water. This should take about 6 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse it with very cold water. Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl and refrigerate.
- Using a fine mesh sieve over a bowl, add the crushed pineapple and press down with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Transfer drained crushed pineapple to a bowl. Do the same with the pineapple tidbits and transfer the drained fruit to the bowl with the crushed pineapple.
- Measure out 1 cup of the reserved pineapple juice.
- Use the sieve to drain the mandarin oranges and combine the drained oranges with the drained pineapple. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Any remaining juice can be discarded or used for something else.
- Make the pineapple custard: In a saucepan over medium heat combine the pineapple juice, granulated sugar, egg, salt, and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
- Cook until mixture comes to a low boil and thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to fully cool in the refrigerator.
- Combine the chilled cooked acini di pepe and the thickened pineapple custard in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- When you're ready to make the salad, add the drained fruit to the pasta mixture. Stir in the coconut and mini marshmallows, if using.
- In a separate bowl beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar together until stiff peaks form. Fold the fresh whipped cream into the acini di pepe mixture. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Noticed you did not differentiate which sugar used where. I assume you used powdered in the whipped topping.
I updated the recipe to indicate where/when to use the granulated vs powdered. You were correct. Thanks for pointing that out!