Frog Eye Salad

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This Frog Eye Salad is a retro salad recipe from the 1960s that's still popular in potluck culture today. I love that I can make it ahead of time, even the day before, for a sweet, light and creamy tropical flavor, almost like rice pudding!

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time3

Course: Dessert, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: holiday, holidays

Servings: servings

Calories: 269kcal

Ingredients

Pasta and Dressing

1 1/2 cups acini di pepe pasta dry
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups pineapple juice reserved from cans below
2 large eggs beaten
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix-Ins

20 ounce can crushed pineapple drained (reserve juice)
20 ounce can pineapple tidbits drained (reserve juice
11 ounce can mandarin oranges drained
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup maraschino cherries drained and halved
16 ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed (or homemade whipped cream see note)

Instructions

Cook the acini di pepe pasta according to package directions until just al dente. Drain well, rinse with cold water, and set aside to cool completely.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, flour, and salt. Add the beaten eggs and pineapple juice and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 8–10 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the butter, lemon juice, and vanilla. Allow the custard to cool completely to room temperature before proceeding.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cooled custard dressing, drained crushed pineapple, pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, marshmallows, coconut, and maraschino cherries. Stir until combined.
Gently fold in the whipped topping until everything is light and evenly combined. Do not overmix.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 more hours before serving to let the flavors meld. Garnish with extra maraschino cherries and marshmallows on top if desired. Serve cold.

Notes

Expert Tips

Drain and rinse the pasta well to stop the cooking. Similarly to pasta salad, you don't want to overcook the pasta or it will be mushy. By running it under cold water this will stop the cooking to keep the texture and thicken the salad correctly.
Make sure the pudding mixture thickens correctly. This is the base that forms the texture of the salad, so if you don't cook it enough on the stovetop to start, it will be too thin after stirring all the ingredients together.
Cool the custard before stirring it with the pasta. Make sure you cool the custard before tossing it with any other ingredients or it will continue to cook or melt and not allow the salad to set.
Don't over-mix the salad after adding the whipped topping. You don't want to deflate it, so it's best to gently fold to keep every bite light and airy.

Storage:

Store any leftover Frog Eye Salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I don't recommend freezing the salad as it will change the texture and become watery once it thaws.

It's the perfect dish to make in advance since it needs many hours to chill in the fridge for the best flavor. I like to make it a full day in advance to make sure I have enough time for the custard to set.

Nutrition

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