As delicious as it is spooky, this Monster Mash Recipe makes an adorable Halloween dessert! It combines marshmallows and sweet mandarin oranges for a fluffy and satisfying treat.
Bring this along to any Halloween party or scary movie marathon and serve with cookies for dipping or just eat it by the spoonful! However you choose to enjoy it, this super easy and festive dessert will become a fall must-make.
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🩵 About This Recipe
For a fun Halloween dessert that's more unique than your typical candy, this 5-ingredient monster mash is the way to go!
Perfect for costume parties, scary movie marathons, or a festive treat throughout October, this dessert features soft marshmallows and tangy orange flavor!
Serve this recipe alongside some Peanut Butter Mummy Cookies or just eat it with a spoon. You'll love it either way! Pair it with one of these 10 Spooktacular Halloween Decorations for some extra flair.
What readers are saying...
We used it as a dip for chocolate chip cookies, and it was a HUGE hit! Thanks! We’ll definitely be making this again!
- Designing Danu
🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- whipped topping - Cool Whip is the brand you're probably most familiar with, but a store brand whipped topping works just as well.
- mandarin oranges - these sweet and tangy orange slices have the perfect amount of citrus flavor!
- orange gelatin - I used Jello brand but like the whipped topping, any brand will work fine.
- mini marshmallows - add sweetness and gooey texture.
- mini chocolate chips - I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips over milk chocolate chips so this recipe isn't overly sweet.
🔪 Let's Make this Monster Mash Recipe!
(Or click here to jump right to the recipe card with measurements!)
Mix Gelatin
In a large mixing bowl, combine the whipped topping, gelatin powder, and mandarin oranges.
Add Marshmallows
Pour the marshmallows into the bowl with the gelatin mixture.
Fold Together
Use a spoon or spatula to fold together. Transfer to the fridge for 2 hours.
Add Chocolate
Transfer to a serving dish and top with mini chocolate chips and additional marshmallows.
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Drain the oranges well to prevent the dessert from becoming thin or watery.
- Fold together the whipped topping and the gelatin gently to prevent the whipped topping from losing its airiness.
- For a fun presentation, transfer the monster mash to a decorative bowl or a food-safe plastic cauldron!
- Another great option is to decorate little individual plastic cups with some googly eyes, or let your kids draw their own monsters with some markers.
- Add an extra spooky touch with some candy eyeballs, sprinkles, candy corn, or gummy worms.
❔ FAQs
This Halloween dessert combines marshmallows with gelatin, mandarin oranges, chocolate chips, and Cool Whip for a simple no-bake treat.
Most typical gelatin packets are not vegan and contain animal products. There are certain kinds of special gelatin that are vegan, but you'll have to go out of your way for them.
A special kind of orange, these are smaller than the typical fruit and are often used in fruit salads or enjoyed on their own. They also tend to be sweeter than regular oranges, and other varieties like tangerines and clementines are actually specific kinds of mandarins!
📝 Substitutions and Variations
- For even more fruity flavor, add some crushed pineapple. I just choose to omit it because my kids don't like the texture!
- Give this recipe a bit of crunch by adding a sprinkle of crushed graham crackers or your favorite cereal just before serving.
- The orange gelatin can be substituted with lime or grape to make different colors of monster mash. You can really make this recipe fit any holiday if you use the right flavor of jello and type of fruit!
Kristin’s Kitchen Tip
This is a great no-fuss no-cleanup recipe -- you can even serve it in the bowl you mixed it in!
🥡 Storage
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. Don't add the chocolate chips until it's time to serve.
Keep It Handy
Don't have time for this monster mash recipe right now? Click on or tap the heart icon on the BOTTOM RIGHT of the screen to save it for later!
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Pair with cookies such as vanilla wafers or Matcha Cookies.
It can also be fun to add it to a Halloween charcuterie board and include spooky and fun treats like candy corn, or gummy worms, or these Cinnamon Pretzels and Peanuts to balance out the sweetness.
😋 More Halloween Recipes You'll Love
- Witch Hat Cookies - No baking is needed to make these fun and spooky cookies shaped like witch hats!
- Pumpkin Brownies with Oreos - A slightly better-for-you brownie with a sandwich cookie baked right in.
- Pumpkin Truffles - For something a little more elegant but just as indulgent, make a batch of these homemade truffles.
- Halloween Dirt Cup Pudding Shots - This fun and boozy recipe from Cocktails and Appetizers turns the classic childhood treat into an adult dessert!
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Halloween Monster Mash Dessert
⭐ Did you make this recipe? Awesome! I would love to hear from you. Please give it a star rating and review below! 👇
📋 Recipe Card
Monster Mash
Ingredients
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping (aka Cool Whip), thawed
- 15 ounces mandarin oranges (1 can), drained and roughly chopped
- 3 ounces orange gelatin dessert (aka Jello) (1 box)
- 4 cups mini marshmallows (reserve a handful for garnish when serving)
- ¼ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate morsels
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the whipped topping, the mandarins, and the packet contents of the instant gelatin dessert.8 ounces frozen whipped topping (aka Cool Whip), thawed, 3 ounces orange gelatin dessert (aka Jello), 15 ounces mandarin oranges
- Add the mini marshmallows and mix well.4 cups mini marshmallows
- Refrigerate in a covered container about 2 hours or until ready to serve.
- When serving, spoon the Monster Mash onto your serving dish, then sprinkle with the mini morsels and reserved mini marshmallows.¼ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate morsels
Notes
- Many recipes for this type of dessert include crushed pineapple. I omitted it because, in my experience, most kids don't like the texture of the pineapple in this recipe.
- Make sure the mandarin oranges are thoroughly drained to avoid excess liquid.
- When combining the whipped topping and gelatin, fold the ingredients gently to avoid deflating the whipped topping.
- This can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Avoid adding the chocolate chips or any other topping until serving time.
- Top the Monster Mash with candy eyeballs for a spooky Halloween touch.
- Add some crushed graham crackers or cereal (like Rice Krispies or cornflakes) on top to add some crunch and texture to the creamy mix.
- Try swapping the orange gelatin for lime or other flavors to change up the colors and taste for different holiday vibes.
Additional Serving Suggestions:
- Serve this Monster Mash in a small decorative cauldron for a spooky effect.
- Serve in individual plastic cups with googly eyes stuck on the side for everyone to have their own monster.
- Garnish with gummy worms, candy corn, or colored sprinkles for even more Halloween-themed fun!
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in October 2014, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in September 2024.
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Designing Danu says
With the summer drawing to an end, the kids and I were feeling “spooky”, so I started looking for a special snack. This recipe popped up, and it looked perfect! We were far too impatient to wait for a trip to the store, so we made substitutions with what we had on hand, and ended up using peach Jello (with a few drops of yellow food coloring to get an orange hue, instead of the pale pink the peach created), and crushed pineapple instead of mandarin oranges. We used it as a dip for chocolate chip cookies, and it was a HUGE hit! Thanks! We’ll definitely be making this again!
Kristin King says
Oh nice! So glad you liked this! 🙂
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
Yikes - I'm so far behind! But I wanted to make sure I thanked you for sharing at our What's for Dinner party! Hope you bring more deliciousness this Sunday! Have a great weekend.
Amy says
This is a really cute twist on what I call cool whip salad. Such a fun idea. Thank you for sharing at Friday Features.
Ann says
This would be a wonderful treat for a Halloween party! Thank you for sharing at Party In Your PJs!
Rhonda Gales says
This sounds like a sweet treat for a school party. Thanks for sharing on Sunday's Best.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
What a fun dessert! Thanks for sharing on the What's for Dinner link up!
Wilhemina says
Good info. Lucky me I discovered your website by chance (stumbleupon).
I have book marked it for later!