Frog Eye Salad

What Is a Frog Eye Salad?

Frog eye salad is a sweet dessert salad or side dish, like ambrosia or Snickers salad. Traditional recipes, like this one, use a mix of small, round pasta (the “frog eyes”) with pineapple, mandarin oranges, mini marshmallows, shredded coconut, and Cool Whip. As they say: Don’t knock it ’til you try it! And I urge you all to give this classic potluck salad a try. Frog eye salad has been a staple at my church potlucks, barbecues, and block parties for years, and with its quirky name and unique ingredients, it always gets people talking.

Why This Sweet Pasta Salad Belongs at Your Next BBQ

Originating in the 1960s, frog eye salad’s magic lies in its blend of textures and flavors. Here’s why this recipe is worth making:

• Use what you have. As with most retro desserts, the ingredients in frog eye salad are pantry-friendly or easy to find. It’s a cinch putting them together to make the salad.
• Cool and creamy. Every bite of this frog eye salad is super creamy, refreshing, and flavorful. The combination of tender pasta mixed with sweet, creamy dressing and juicy bursts of fruit wins everyone over.
• Fruit salad, with a twist. I like to think of frog eye salad as the intriguing, fun-loving cousin of your typical fruit salad. It looks right at home next to the potato salad and five cheese bake at summer gatherings.

Ingredients in Frog Eye Salad

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to make a classic frog eye salad. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredient list.

• Pineapple Juice – You’ll make a quick pineapple custard by cooking off the juice with sugar and egg yolks.
• Sugar – Granulated sugar works best.
• Egg Yolk – It’s easier to separate the egg while it’s cold from the fridge.
• Cornstarch – To thicken the custard.
• Pasta – Traditional frog eye recipes use acini di pepe or ditalini pasta. Choose the smallest pasta shape you can find.
• Pineapple – I use a combination of drained crushed pineapple and pineapple chunks or tidbits. I’ll usually save the drained juices for the custard.
• Mandarin Oranges – These can also be canned or jarred, and drained.
• Shredded Coconut – Feel free to omit the coconut or replace it with crushed nuts, like pecans or walnuts, if preferred.
• Mini Marshmallows – I like to add these for more variety in the salad. Optional, but so fun!
• Cool Whip – One full container, thawed before you start. You could substitute Cool Whip with homemade stabilized whipped cream if you’d like.

What Pasta Should I Use for Frog Eye Salad?

Most recipes that I have see over the years include acini di pepe, also called pastina pasta. These days, pastina can be difficult to find, so I used ditalini, which is readily available in most grocery stores. Note that you are free to use whatever pasta you’d like, though keeping the shape round helps the salad stick to the “frog eye” theme!

How to Make Frog Eye Salad

Ready to make this fun, creative summer side dish recipe? These are the steps.

• Make the custard. In a small saucepan over medium heat whisk pineapple juice, sugar, egg yolk, salt, and cornstarch together. Cook this until it comes to a low boil and thickens up. Set it aside to cool while you prep the remaining ingredients. 
• Cook the pasta. Simply boil the pasta according to the package directions, but don’t salt the water. Cook until al dente and drain and cool the pasta completely. 

• Mix together the cooled pasta and custard. Refrigerate this and allow it to set for at least 2 hours, or overnight it great too. This step is great to do in advance. The pasta and custard will thicken, creating a nice base for the salad.

• Assemble. In a large bowl, stir the pineapple chunks, crushed pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, and marshmallows in to the chilled pasta mixture until evenly combined. Fold in the cool whip and either serve immediately, or chill until ready to serve. 

Variation Ideas

There are some common ingredients that I’ve seen in variations of this salad recipe. Here are a few ideas for additional add-ins:

• Other kinds of fruit. I recommend maraschino cherries or sliced grapes.
• Chopped nuts. Like pecans or walnuts.
• Orange zest or lemon zest. Both of these options would amp up the citrus vibe.
• Instant Vanilla Pudding. If you want to skip the homemade custard step.
• Homemade whipped cream. You can use this instead of Cool Whip if you prefer! 

Can I Make Frog Eye Salad In Advance?

Yes! This is a great dish to make in advance. You can prep the custard and pasta mixture in advance, or prep the whole salad up to 1 day ahead of serving. Store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

What to Eat With Frog Eye Salad

This is the ultimate BBQ summer side dish recipe. I love it in the warmer temperatures because of the tropical flavors, like pineapple and coconut. Pair it with grilled Hawaiian huli huli chicken and corn on the cob, with buckeye brownies for a sweet treat. However, frog eye salad works as an accompaniment to any holiday table, even Thanksgiving or Christmas!

How to Store

Store any leftovers of this salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this salad.

More Summer Side Dish Recipes

• Spicy Frito Corn Salad
• Mediterranean Couscous Salad
• Rainbow Crunch Salad