Creamy, fruity, and easy Ambrosia Salad loaded with tangerines, pineapple, grapes, coconut, cherries, marshmallows, and chopped pecans. It’s the perfect dessert for any occasion. Sweet, tangy, and heavenly! Indeed, one of the easiest salads you’ll ever make in your whole life. All it takes is just 10 minutes or less prep time. Wow!
Look how amazing this ambrosia salad is in that bowl! You’ll pick up the fresh fruit’s sweetness and the sour cream’s tang (yes, yogurt works fine, too), while your mouth savors every nuance of texture there is in every bite. From the soft, gooey marshmallows and creamy dressing to the crunchy toasted pecans — aaaahhh — how can I even describe it?
What is Ambrosia Salad?
You’ll usually find this creamy, fruity salad served on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. In fact, there are many versions of this heavenly fruit salad. Aside from pineapples, oranges, marshmallows, and coconut, other ingredients include maraschino cherries, strawberries, bananas, grapes, and pecans.
Ambrosia salad can also have whipped cream, sour cream, yogurt, mayo, jello, pudding, and cottage cheese. Oh my!!!
But I love mine to be as colorful as possible with different textures as you bite in. Its versatility makes this salad truly stand out!
Ambrosia Salad Recipe Ingredients
This creamy Ambrosia Salad here is not only perfect for the holidays, but it also makes a great side dish and dessert fit for any occasion.
I love it mainly because it’s so easy to make and super customizable with your favorite fruits and nuts. Just mix them with sour cream and whipped cream, and bammmm, it’s done! Effortlessly delicious, indeed! ❤
- Whipped Cream and Sour Cream – Since fruit is already sweet, I like to balance it out with the creaminess of homemade whipped cream and the slight tartness from the sour cream. Yogurt and cream cheese also make great additions and substitutes. Here are some Sour Cream Substitutes that work just as well.
- Fruit – What’s great about this fruit salad recipe is that you can add any fruit you like. You can even use canned ones, such as pineapples and peaches. Just be sure to drain them first (you can save the syrup for another recipe). My recipe includes clementines, grapes, Maraschino cherries, and pineapples. But you can always add more fruits like mango, apple, strawberry, and papaya. Oh yeah!
- Coconut – This dish would be just a plain fruit salad without shredded coconut or coconut flakes. The coconut somehow completes its identity. 😁
- Maraschino Cherries – Aside from their luscious fruity taste, they also add bright and vibrant deep red color to our fruit salad. The variety of colors makes it as beautiful as it is fabulicious.
- Mini Marshmallows – I highly suggest using the colorful ones because not only are they so cute, but they are also more fun for the kids.
- Toasted Pecans – I love pecans, especially the crunchy texture it adds to our fruit salad here. But you can skip this one if you’re not a fan of nuts.
Recipe Variations
- More Fruity Additions – This ambrosia recipe has no specific rules. Just about any fruit goes great in this creamy salad. Berries, tropicals, exotics, melons, and more; just take your pick. 😉
- Vegan-Approved – Since it’s generally made of fruit, all you need to swap out is the dressing. Coconut cream, vegan whipped cream, and vegan yogurts are great substitutes.
- Low-Carb and Keto-Friendly – Who says you can’t enjoy Ambrosia Salad when you’re on a diet? There are actually plenty of lower-carb fruits to choose from, such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and avocado. And for the dressing, you can go for any combination of cream cheese, plain yogurt, Greek yogurt, heavy cream, and homemade whipped cream (you can make it without sugar). And, of course, skip the marshmallows!
- Paleo Version – Just use fresh fruits and coconut cream, and you’re good to go!
- Ambrosia Cake and Cheesecake – Add fruits, nuts, marshmallows, and nuts to your cream cheese or whipped cream frosting on top of your vanilla or yellow cake, and you’re in for a special treat. You can also add it to your cheesecake filling before baking (or as a topping later). Yum!
Tips and Tricks
- Want more colors? Try using those colored marshmallows instead.
- I find it more enjoyable when it’s chilled.
- Don’t forget to drain all the syrup if you’re using canned fruits.
- Always add the mandarins last and fold them gently so they won’t break apart.
- Toss your fresh fruit in pineapple, lime, or lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.
Serving and Storage Instructions
The beauty of this ambrosia salad is you can serve it immediately or let it sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving it.
If you’re bringing this to a potluck or serving for a special occasion, you can mix it all ahead and let all the flavors settle down after you pop it in the fridge.
- Make-Ahead – This is a great make-ahead salad. You can make it a day or two before you plan on serving it with just one difference. Store it in the fridge without the marshmallows. Just wait until you’re ready to serve your beautiful Ambrosia Salad to mix them in so that they don’t melt.
- Refrigerate – You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3-5 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer – I really don’t recommend freezing this salad because the texture might be a little gritty. However, if you still want to freeze the leftover, it can be stored in the freezer for up to six months.
Pro Tip: Don’t completely thaw it before serving if you decide to freeze your Ambrosia Salad. Then, you can use an ice cream scoop to serve your salad and enjoy it like ice cream. 😋
FAQs
Ambrosia comes from the Greek word Ambrotos, which means immortal. It’s also called the food of the gods because, according to Greek and Roman mythology, only immortals can eat Ambrosia salad.
Back in the day, the ingredients for Ambrosia salad were considered rare, luxurious, and hard to find. So, they were only served on special occasions.
These two salads are related because of their similar ingredients like marshmallows, nuts, pineapple, and whipped cream. However, Watergate salad has a green color because of pistachio pudding and pistachio nuts. On the other hand, ambrosia salad usually contains pecans, coconut flakes, and more fruit, like mandarin oranges and grapes.
In my honest opinion, I can say that ambrosia salad is healthy since it primarily consists of fresh fruits and nuts. Additionally, coconut flakes, sour cream, and heavy cream are considered healthy because they contain healthy fats.
However, you can always make it even healthier by using only fresh fruits and skipping the marshmallows, and using unsweetened yogurt or Greek yogurt for the dressing.
What to Serve with Ambrosia Salad?
You don’t have wait to wait for the holidays to enjoy this easy, over-the-top ambrosia salad. You can also serve it as an everyday dessert with these equally amazing recipes below:
- Smoked Turkey Breast
- Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
- Cajun Salmon One Sheet Pan
- Blackened Catfish with Shrimp Sauce
- Baby Back Ribs
More Refreshing Fruit Salad Recipes to Try
How to Make Ambrosia Salad
Make the Dressing and Add the Fruits
- Whisk and Set Aside – Whisk together whipped cream and sour cream. Set aside. (Photo 1)
- Combine – Combine tangerines, pineapple, grapes, coconut, maraschino cherries, and marshmallows in a large bowl. (Photo 2)
- Fold – Then gently fold in whipped cream mixture until fully combined. Sprinkle with toasted pecans. (Photos 3-4)
- Chill and Serve – Cover with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour or until ready to serve.
Watch How To Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”WS8zmjk9″ upload-date=”2021-11-25T03:18:13.000Z” name=”Ambrosia Salad” description=”Creamy, fruity, and easy Ambrosia Salad loaded with tangerines, pineapple, grapes, coconut, cherries, marshmallows, and chopped pecans. It’s the perfect dessert for any occasion. Sweet, tangy, and heavenly! Indeed, one of the easiest salads you’ll ever make in your whole life. All it takes is just 10 minutes or less prep time. Wow!” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]
This blog post was first published in September 2018 and has been updated with an additional write-up, and a video.
Ambrosia Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whipped topping, thawed
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) sour cream
- 1-1½ cup clementine orange, tangerine, or mandarin segments
- 1½ cup fresh pineapple, diced (or replace with 8 ounces canned pineapple)
- 1 cup grapes, seedless (halved)
- 1½ cup freshly grated coconut (1 cup coconut flakes)
- ½-1 cup maraschino cherries, drained
- 2-3 cups mini marshmallows
- ½-1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Instructions
- Whisk together whipped cream and sour cream. Set aside.
- Combine tangerines, pineapple, grapes, coconut, maraschino cherries, and marshmallows in a large bowl.
- Then gently fold in whipped cream mixture until fully combined. Sprinkle with toasted pecans.
- Cover with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour or until ready to serve.
Tips & Notes:
- Want more colors? Try using those colored marshmallows instead.
- I find it more enjoyable when it’s chilled.
- Don’t forget to drain all the syrup if you’re using canned fruits.
- Always add the mandarins last and fold them gently so they won’t break apart.
- Toss your fresh fruit in pineapple, lime, or lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
CJ says
How many servings will this prepare?
ImmaculateBites says
About 5-6 servings
Molly says
I have had this at office potlucks, but never had a recipe. Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Happy to help