Ambrosia Salad Recipe

Ambrosia Salad is a creamy American fruit salad with miniature marshmallows. The dessert salad is a staple of family gatherings, such as potlucks and holiday parties. 

When you are looking for a no bake dessert to bring to the cook-out, look no further, this easy ambrosia salad is sure to be a big hit!

Ambrosia salad truly is a sweet treat of vintage origins. The earliest known printed example of the dessert is in the 1867, Southern cookbook, Dixie Cookery. It was likely around earlier though.

How to Make Ambrosia Salad with Cool Whip

Let's prepare this ambrosia fruit salad recipe! Here I will walk you though preparation step-by step with pictures. Hop down to the printable recipe card if you don't need all that.

The recipe makes 7 one cup servings.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Chill Time: 4 hours

Ingredients for Ambrosia Salad

• 8 oz Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed
• 8 oz plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 20 oz can pineapple tidbits or chunks, drained or 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
• 15 oz canned mandarin oranges, drained if you prefer fresh fruit 1 ½ cups of peeled sectioned mandarin oranges
• 10 oz bag fruit flavored mini marshmallows
• 10 oz jar maraschino cherries, drained
• 1 ¼ cup sweetened coconut flakes

Directions

In a large bowl, fold together the Cool Whip and yogurt (or sour cream).

Fold in the remaining ingredients until they are evenly distributed and well coated in the cream mixture. Set a few of the Maraschino cherries aside to garnish the top of the salad with.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Chill for a minimum of 4 hours for the flavors to meld together, or even overnight.

Serve the ambrosia salad chilled. 

Tips:

Here are a few tips to ensure you get the best results when making this classic dessert salad:

• Make sure to drain the canned fruit and jar of cherries well. Remaining liquid can ruin your dessert, by making the creamy dressing watery.
• Be patient for best results. Don't cut the chill time short.

Variations on the Recipe

There are many different versions of this classic recipe. here are a few suggestions to jazz yours up or help you best match a lost family recipe.

• Swap the whipped topping for stabilized whipped cream. Make this by creaming together 4 ounces of softened cream cheese with ⅓ cup powdered sugar. Beat 1 cup of heavy cream until peaks form, then fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream.
• Use white marshmallows rather than the mini fruit flavored marshmallows if you prefer.
• Switch out the yogurt/sour cream with cottage cheese.
• A box of instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounce package) can also be exchanged for the yogurt or sour cream.
• Use drained fruit cocktail or tropical fruit medley in place of the canned pineapple in the recipe.
• For texture and crunch add some nuts like chopped pecans or chopped walnuts.
• Add fresh fruit, such as grapes or peaches. A wide array of fruits can by used in a fluffy salad, see my Strawberry Fluff salad.
• Rather than plain, make the dressing with a vanilla yogurt.

Storing Ambrosia Salad

Store the creamy fruit salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for 3-4 days at most. After that the texture will not be pleasing anyway.

I hope you enjoy the Ambrosia Salad. It is as at home as fun side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter dinner, as it is on a paper plate at a casual outdoor BBQ.