This creamy orange fruit salad is loaded with an easy combination of mandarin oranges, crushed pineapple, coconut flakes, and an orange-flavored cool whip mixture that's topped with maraschino cherries.
Place the crushed pineapple in a strainer and drain out the pineapple juice. Pineapple retains a lot of liquid, which needs to be eliminated as much as possible so that leftover fruit salad doesn’t become watery. Use a spoon and press down on the crushed pineapple to squeeze out more juice, toss and repeat several times. Transfer the crushed pineapple to paper towels to allow a little more moisture to be absorbed.
Use the same strainer to drain the mandarin oranges, don’t use a spoon to press down on them, these strain more easily. Place the oranges on a paper towel as well.
Mix the orange jello, cottage cheese, and coconut flakes until well combined. Use a silicone spatula and gently mix in the drained pineapple and oranges. Finally, gently mix in the Cool Whip.
Transfer the fruit salad to a large serving bowl, or several portion-sized bowls or glasses. Garnish with maraschino cherries and chill until ready to serve.