Ambrosia salad is a retro dessert recipe! This traditional ambrosia salad recipe takes just 7 ingredients and 5 minutes to make.
Ambrosia salad is a classic recipe for a reason! This easy dessert salad is the perfect mix of colorful fruit in a light and creamy fluff base. It’s an easy marshmallow fruit salad, like Watergate salad, but it’s made without pudding mix.
Not only is this simple ambrosia fruit salad recipe made with simple ingredients, but this dessert salad mix up in minutes, and it keeps well in the fridge for days. So, it’s a perfect side dish for family gatherings or holiday dinners and is especially popular at Easter dinner.
This delicious fruit salad can also easily be customized. You can use different fruit to change it to your tastes. I’ve included some suggestions for tweaks in the “recipe tips” section below.
How to make ambrosia salad
Step 1: In a large bowl, stir together the crushed pineapple, mandarin oranges, and maraschino cherries.
Step 2: Add the whipped topping, marshmallows, sour cream, and coconut.
Step 3: Using a rubber spatula, stir to combine the fruit into the whipped topping mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.
Recipe Tips!
- Pineapple: To drain the pineapple, I place it in a fine wire mesh colander and squeeze it out. I do this because it helps to avoid a salad that gets weepy and runny as it sits.
- Maraschino cherries: Feel free to use a 16 ounce jar if you like more cherries in your salad. Also, I don’t use the juice in the salad, but you can add as much, or as little, as you like.
- Frozen whipped topping: You can use Cool Whip, Tru-Whip, CocoWhip, or any brand of frozen whipped topping that you like.
- Marshmallows: Either white miniature marshmallows or fruity marshmallows will work in this recipe.
- Sour cream: I don’t recommend fat-free sour cream in this recipe. Light or full-fat will work. Also, fat-free (or 2% or whole-milk) plain Greek yogurt will work. If you’re looking for a sweeter salad, you can use vanilla Greek yogurt.
How to store
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Ambrosia Salad
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple drained
- 15 ounce can mandarin oranges drained
- 10 ounces maraschino cherries destemmed, pitted, and quartered
- 8 ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the crushed pineapple, mandarin oranges, and maraschino cherries.
- Add the whipped topping, marshmallows, and sour cream.
- Stir to combine.
- Stir in the coconut.
- Cover and chill until ready to use.
Notes
- Pineapple: To drain the pineapple, I place it in a fine wire mesh colander and squeeze it out.
- Maraschino cherries: Feel free to use a 16 ounce jar if you like more cherries in your salad. Also, I don’t use much if any of the juice in the salad, but you can add as much, or as little, as you like.
- Frozen whipped topping: You can use Cool Whip, Tru-Whip, CocoWhip, or any brand of frozen whipped topping that you like.
- Sour cream: I don’t recommend fat-free sour cream in this recipe. Light or full-fat will work. Also, fat-free (or 2% or whole-milk) plain Greek yogurt will work. If you’re looking for a sweeter salad, you can use vanilla Greek yogurt.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
JoAnna says
This recipe is amazing!! I love that it is not too sweet due to using sour cream. I did slice up two bananas and threw them into it too with some lemon juice and a also a cup of pecans! The coconut I used is shredded larger pieces and is delicious!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Kate says
Thank you!
Terry says
Great recipe! Very easy and tastes great.
Kate says
Thank you! =)
ANN MARIE says
I have made this ambrosia salad many many times just the way you made it Kate it is my all time favorite salad all tho I call it my desert very good
Kate says
I love it, too! I’ve made it twice just this past week. =) We eat it as a dessert, too.