Ambrosia salad is a classic Southern side dish made with canned fruits, coconut, mini marshmallows, nuts, and maraschino cherries that’s coated in a topping made with homemade whipped cream and sour cream. It takes 15 minutes to prep and an hour of chill time to meld the flavors. Serve it at cookouts, potlucks, Sunday dinners, and holiday meals for a unique salad that tastes like the South.
Easy Fruit Salad with Marshmallows
If you grew up in the South, chances are you’ve had a version of ambrosia at a Sunday dinner or potluck. It’s one of those dishes with a little twist in every family, but the essentials are always the same: marshmallows, coconut, and fruit.
This ambrosia salad recipe includes pecans for a little crunch and instead of cool whip, in just 2 minutes you can make homemade whipped cream with a touch of sour cream for a tangy finish. You can use Cool Whip if you like, but this homemade whipped topping is ten times better.
One bite and I’m back at my mother-in-laws Sunday dinner table.
This comes together so quickly! Just drain and dump all the fruit in a bowl, then mix it with the whipped cream mixture. It’s better if you can let it chill for an hour or so in the fridge to allow the flavors to meld together before serving. As long as you have drained the fruit it will not separate and will last for about 3 days in the fridge.
You might think that it should be a dessert, but it’s not overly sweet and is a great salad for basic meals like a slow cooker pot roast or with a Sunday ham. It’s a great way to bring a little tradition to your table and has that good old-fashioned flavor, just like my mother-in-law’s recipe.
If you need something a little sweet for your Thanksgiving feast, this goes great with roasted turkey and gravy.
Why Everyone’s Favorite Potluck Dish is Ambrosia
- Unique: Bits of fruit are coated in a creamy whipped cream with a hint of crunch for a unique salad so good that you’ll want to grab a second helping.
- Nostalgic: This recipe contains the same nostalgic flavors you might remember from childhood.
- Customizable: Toss any variety of fruit into the salad, use Cool Whip, or swap out the nuts to make it your own.
What Goes Into This Creamy Fruit Salad
These are the main ingredients you’ll need to make ambrosia. Make sure to check the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.
- Mandarin oranges: Canned oranges are perfect. Make sure they’re well-drained to avoid excess liquid. A lot of folks use fresh oranges, but I love the sweetness the mandarin oranges add.
- Pineapple chunks: Canned pineapple tidbits or chunks add some tropical flavor, you can use fresh pineapple if it’s available.
- Maraschino cherries: Maraschino cherries are a classic ingredient in ambrosia salad, so don’t forget them! We always fought over who got the most maraschino cherries as a kid.
- Mini marshmallows: These provide that marshmallowy sweetness and chewy texture that ties everything together.
- Coconut: Adds a soft, chewy texture with a mild tropical flavor. If you’re not a fan of coconut, you can skip it or use a small amount of finely shredded coconut.
- Pecans: These add crunch and nuttiness to contrast the sweetness of the fruit. Toast them lightly for extra flavor, or swap them with walnuts for a slightly different taste.
- Sour cream: Adds a tangy flavor to the whipped cream topping. You can omit it for a sweeter ambrosia salad.
It Takes 15 Minutes to Make Ambrosia From Scratch
Step One: Prepare the Salad Mixture
Pro tip: Make sure the fruit is fully drained, or you may end up with a puddle at the bottom of the salad. Also, drain and rinse your cherries so you don’t have red streaks running through the salad.
Step Two: Make the Whipped Cream
Step Three: Combine the Mixtures
Step Four: Chill and Serve
I’ll throw in grapes sometimes which go well with the oranges and pineapple, but not too many other fruits will go with this combination.
Ambrosia Won’t Last Long
You can store ambrosia in the fridge for up to 3 days, but after that, it gets soggy. Although, it probably won’t last that long because it’s always a hit!
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Ambrosia Fruit Salad with Marshmallows – No Cool Whip
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can mandarin oranges drained
- 20 ounce can pineapple chunks drained
- 1 cup maraschino cherries drained and halved
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- ½ cup coconut
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Add well drained fruit to a large bowl. Add marshmallows, coconut and pecans and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl add cream and beat until soft peaks form, add powdered sugar and sour cream and continue beating until combined.
- Gently fold the whipped cream mixture into the fruit mixture and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- Make sure to drain the fruit well so that you don’t get a puddle underneath the salad.
- You can make this a day ahead.
- It is best if it can chill for at least an hour after making.
Nutrition
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Shelley says
Hi
Can the marshmallows be omitted?
So happy to find a recipe that does not use cool whip. I think I will really like the addition of the sour cream!
Barbara Curry says
Yes, you can leave out the marshmallows, one of my daughters hates the marshmallows.