Looking for a sweet and refreshing side dish or dessert?
This Ambrosia Salad recipe is just the thing, it combines pineapple, coconut, mandarin oranges, and mini marshmallows in a creamy base.
What is Ambrosia Salad?
Ambrosia means ‘food of the gods,’ and this version is a family favorite.
- Despite its name, ambrosia salad is a a sweet fluff salad that is dessert-like and often served as a side for Easter, Thanksgiving or at potlucks.
- This salad, aka 5-cup salad needs just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep.
- It’s perfect for holidays and potlucks since it’s best made ahead of time.
Ingredients for Ambrosia Salad
- Yogurt/Sour Cream – The creamy base starts with either sour cream or Greek yogurt. Our family has always used sour cream, which is sweetened by the marshmallows. Feel free to try vanilla yogurt or whipped topping (such as Cool Whip) in place.
- Fruit – Our family’s recipe for Ambrosia Salad has coconut shreds, mandarin oranges, and pineapple, but you can mix things up with fruit cocktail or canned peaches. For a fresh flavor, stir in fresh fruit like grapes, bananas, blueberries, or strawberries.
- Additions – While this recipe is delicious on its own, you can add other ingredients. Try adding maraschino cherries or nuts like walnuts or pecans to give it a bit of extra crunch and flavor.
How to Make Ambrosia Salad
Ambrosia Fruit Salad is a great side to whip up if you are short on time!
- Drain the pineapple and oranges (per the recipe below).
- Add all ingredients except oranges and mix well. Gently fold in oranges.
- Let chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Tips for Ambrosia Salad
- Be sure to make this salad ahead of time to blend the flavors and soften the marshmallows.
- Drain the canned fruit so the dish isn’t watery.
- Gently fold in the mandarin oranges last, as they can be fragile and break apart.
More Dessert Salads
Easy Ambrosia Salad
This ambrosia salad recipe is so easy to make, perfectly fluffy and a great holiday side dish!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream or plain or vanilla yogurt
- 1 cup mini marshmallows fruit flavored or white
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup canned pineapple tidbits well drained
- 1 cup canned mandarin orange segments well drained
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, marshmallows, coconut, and pineapple tidbits.
- Gently fold in mandarin oranges.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve chilled.
Video
Notes
- Make this salad ahead and store in the fridge to blend the flavors and soften the marshmallows.
- Drain all fruit well so the dish isn’t watery.
- Gently fold in the mandarin oranges last, they can be fragile and break apart.
- Use Greek yogurt or plain yogurt, or sour cream for the base. I prefer sour cream.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 150 | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 296IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert, Salad, Side Dish
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This is the same Ambrosia I grew up eating and have made many times myself. Just a heads up – always use the pastel colored marshmallows if you can. The flavor is just not quite the same with the plain white. Good without the coconut if you have non-coconut fans. Also, fantastic with sliced bananas added right before serving, although less nice if you have leftovers since the bananas don’t hold up well. I’ve never understood the cool whip versions – this is more than sweet enough with sour cream and a very different flavor. Really not a fan of cool whip though, so there’s that. I made this while living in Germany to a neighborhood potluck, and it confused my German neighbors because they emphatically thought it was a dessert, not a salad. So really, don’t be afraid of the sour cream!
I made this and added maraschino cherries( just before serving) and I also added 1/2 cup Cool Whip topping. It was delicious , this was our Easter dessert! In addition I also made your crock pot ham, and made the glaze in the recipe, can you say second helpings! Also your scalloped potatoes were a big hit with all the family , everyone went back for more. Thank you Holly for making easy to follow recipes that also taste delicious!!!
Thank you for the kind words Carol, I am so happy to hear all of the Easter recipes were a hit!
Interesting with the yogurt or sour cream.
Our Family always used “Cool Whip” BUT we also always added dry instant pudding (pistachio was always the favorite) to the mix and let that sit in fridge over night. I think also a cousin used to added dry jell-o to the mix for flavor and color.
The pistachio pudding and cool whip is how we make our Watergate salad! Also delicious; there are so many variations!
I love this! I was randomly craving this out of nowhere and I made it using half of the amount of ingredients since it was just for me. I couldn’t remember how my Nana made it (she passed away a couple months ago) so I used half sour cream and half homemade whipped cream since I had some heavy whipping cream left in the fridge. I probably added more coconut than most people would like but that’s my favorite part! Drained both cans of fruit and it was the perfect consistency. Took a “chef bite” before putting it in the fridge and it was already amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe, gave me some nostalgia and I’m sure my Nana would be proud!
Thank you so much for sharing Carrie! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe and am so happy to hear you felt it honored your Nana.
Thank you so much for replying back! I’m sure my Nana was smiling down from Heaven! I patiently waited and let it sit overnight in the fridge and maaaann, oh man was it delicious!! My coconut hating boyfriend sure missed out! I love your recipes and I have tried several so far since I stumbled across this site! Keep up the great work!