Ambrosia salad is an easy, creamy fruit dessert that features Cool Whip, pineapple, mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries, mini marshmallows, and more! It's a delightfully refreshing dish to bring to your next potluck, family gathering, or party with your friends. Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or need a simple dessert to make in a pinch, this fruit salad recipe is sure to be a hit with adults and kids alike!
Classic Ambrosia Salad Recipe
If you are looking for a vibrant and delicious dessert to make for your next get-together or potluck, look no further than ambrosia salad! This colorful medley of mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries, juicy pineapple tidbits, tender coconut flakes, and flavored mini marshmallows is a true crowd-pleaser!
It's all tied together with a sweet and tangy cream sauce made out of sour cream and Cool Whip. With its simple preparation and visually stunning appearance, this recipe is sure to quickly become a new family favorite!
🥘 Ambrosia Salad Ingredients
This short list of basic ingredients is easy to find at your local grocery store if you don't have all of them already. You can substitute the fruit to your preferences, just aim to maintain a variety of colors and textures for the best experience!
- Cool Whip - 8 ounces of Cool Whip that's thawed.
- Sour Cream - ½ cup of sour cream, or you can use plain Greek yogurt or any of these sour cream substitutes.
- Mandarin Oranges - 11 ounces of mandarin oranges that are drained.
- Pineapple - 15 ounces of pineapple tidbits drained
- Cherries - 10-12 ounces of maraschino cherries that are drained, patted dry, and halved - reserve some whole cherries for garnish if desired.
- Mini Marshmallows - 1 cup of mini marshmallows. I like to use multi-colored fruity marshmallows, or you can use regular ones.
- Coconut - 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut. You can use up to 1½ cups if desired.
- Walnuts or Pecans (optional)- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans if you want a crunchy texture.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make An Ambrosia Salad
Ambrosia salad is a delicious dessert that's so incredibly easy to prepare, and anyone can make it! Take out a mixing bowl, measuring cups, a cutting board, a chef's knife, and a silicone spatula set to get started.
This recipe will make around 6 servings! You can easily scale up the ingredients if you are feeding a larger crowd.
- Combine ingredients. Combine the thawed 8 ounces of Cool Whip topping and ½ cup of sour cream in a large mixing bowl.
- Add ingredients. Add the drained 11 ounces of mandarin oranges, 15 ounces of pineapple tidbits, sliced 10-12 ounces of maraschino cherries, 1 cup of mini marshmallows, 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut, and optional ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans if using. Fold the fruit into the whipped cream mixture.
- Chill salad. Cover the bowl with plastic cling film and chill for at least one hour before serving. I prefer to chill the ambrosia for at least 4 hours, giving the flavors more time to marry while the fruit salad chills.
- Serve salad. Serve with additional coconut (toasted coconut is a nice touch), additional cherries on top, and/or some extra marshmallows if desired.
A simple ambrosia salad can be served with just about anything! I like to make it with summer classics like my bacon cheeseburgers or BBQ beef short ribs. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- For the canned fruits (mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, tidbits, or crushed pineapple), you just need at least 1 cup of each fruit once well drained of liquid.
- If your creamy salad is too runny, add a bit more shredded coconut or some more of the crushed nuts to balance out the mixture, then chill before serving.
- For a homemade Cool Whip recipe, see my stabilized whipped cream. My tasty chantilly cream is a great alternative too.
- You can substitute the Cool Whip or sour cream with your favorite dairy-free alternatives if you'd like for this salad to be dairy-free.
- If you're not a fan of marshmallows or want a healthier alternative, you can try using Greek yogurt. Keep in mind this will change the texture and taste of the salad.
- If you'd like to make this dessert in advance, you can prepare it up to a day in advance. In fact, some people prefer it after it's been allowed to chill and the flavors meld together
🥡 Storing
Store your leftover ambrosia salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. However, keep in mind that the texture may change slightly as the fruits release moisture over time. It's best to consume it within the first day or two for the freshest taste and texture.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes, fresh fruit can be used in place of canned fruit. However, the overall sweetness of the salad may be reduced and additional prep time will be needed to clean and cut the fruit.
Unfortunately, I would not recommend freezing Ambrosia salad because the texture of the fruits and the whipped cream can change upon thawing. For the best results, eat any leftovers within 3 days after storing them in your fridge in an airtight container.
Ambrosia Salad is a classic American dessert that includes canned or fresh fruit, mini marshmallows, and coconut with whipped cream, sour cream, or yogurt. It's a creamy fruit salad that's popular at potlucks, holiday dinners, or family picnics.
🍰🍨 More Tasty Dessert Recipes
- Chocolate Loaf Cake - A moist dessert cake that only takes a few basic ingredients and 10 minutes to prepare!
- Chocolate Cookies - If you are a fan of easy chocolate treats, these decadent cookies will quickly become a new favorite!
- Cranberry Crumble Bars - These delicious dessert bars combine the sweet and tangy flavors of cranberries with a buttery crust!
- Almond Brownies - If you love brownies as much as I do, then these fudgy brownies with crunchy almonds will be a new favorite!
- Cherry Blossom Cookies - This recipe combines cherry-flavored dough with sweet chocolate candies to make a classic cookie everyone will love!
- Butter Crunch Cookies - Thick and chewy cookies packed full of toffee bits then sprinkled with sea salt!
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📖 Recipe Card
Ambrosia Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz Cool Whip (thawed)
- ½ cup sour cream (or use plain Greek yogurt)
- 11 oz mandarin oranges (drained)
- 15 oz pineapple tidbits (drained)
- 10-12 oz maraschino cherries (drained, patted dry, halved - reserve some whole cherries for garnish if desired)
- 1 cup mini marshmallows (use multi-colored fruity marshmallows or regular)
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (up to 1½ cups)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Combine the thawed 8 oz Cool Whip topping and ½ cup sour cream in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the drained 11 oz mandarin oranges, 15 oz pineapple tidbits, sliced 10-12 oz maraschino cherries, 1 cup mini marshmallows, 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, and optional ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans if using. Fold the fruit into the whipped cream mixture.
- Cover the bowl with plastic cling film and chill for at least one hour before serving. I prefer to chill the ambrosia at least 4 hours, giving the flavors more time to marry while the fruit salad chills.
- Serve with additional coconut (toasted coconut is a nice touch), additional cherries on top, and/or some extra marshmallows if desired.
Notes
- For the canned fruits (mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, tidbits, or crushed pineapple), you just need at least 1 cup of each fruit once well drained of liquid.
- If your creamy salad is too runny, add a bit more shredded coconut or some more of the crushed nuts to balance out the mixture, then chill before serving.
- For a homemade Cool Whip recipe, see my stabilized whipped cream. My tasty chantilly cream is a great alternative too.
- You can substitute the Cool Whip or sour cream with your favorite dairy-free alternatives if you'd like for this salad to be dairy-free.
-
- If you'd like to make this dessert in advance, you can prepare it up to a day in advance. In fact, some people prefer it after it's been allowed to chill and the flavors meld together.
- To store: Store your leftover ambrosia salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. However, keep in mind that the texture may slightly change as the fruits release moisture over time. It's best to consume it within the first day or two for the freshest taste and texture.
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