This classic ambrosia salad recipe is a favorite family holiday side made with a mixture of tropical fruit, nuts, and marshmallows bathed in a sweet and tangy sour cream whipped topping.
My Grandma made this classic ambrosia salad recipe every Thanksgiving and I’ve kept the tradition alive. It’s fruity, fun, and totally nostalgic. It’s sweet enough to be served as dessert but is also savory enough to work as a side dish. And like my classic Waldorf salad, avocado, grapefruit and fennel salad, and my classic cranberry sauce, having something sweet and fruity on the Thanksgiving table adds some levity to your plate. Canned tropical fruit and marshmallows are bathed in a creamy mixture of whipped cream and sour cream. Coconut and pecans add an irresistible crunchy texture. Bonus: This ambrosia is teeming with vitamin C and fiber thanks to all the fruit! What’s not to love here? You won’t find any Cool Whip in this ambrosia salad and you won’t miss it either. Real whipped cream is a game changer here, especially when spiked with sour cream for a refreshing tanginess. It’s the perfect marriage of flavors and textures.
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The Best Ambrosia Salad Ingredients
Feel free to use different fruits in this ambrosia salad (fresh fruits like mango, bananas, strawberries, or blueberries would probably taste great). Because Grandma always made it with the simplicity of canned fruit, I do too, and it’s super delish.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this ambrosia salad:
- Canned pineapple tidbits
- Canned mandarin oranges
- Maraschino cherries
- Heavy whipping cream
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Light sour cream
- Sweetened shredded coconut
- Chopped pecans (pistachios or walnuts are other great options)
- Mini marshmallows
- Green grapes
How to Make Ambrosia Salad
With a short prep time and no baking or cooking required, this salad couldn’t be easier to make. Also, it’s especially well-suited to Thanksgiving (after all, you can only keep so many things warm!).
- Drain your fruit. Thoroughly drain the cherries, pineapple, and oranges so the salad isn’t runny.
- Whip your cream. Use a hand or stand mixer to whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy and stiff peaks form.
- Fold in the sour cream with care. Gently fold the sour cream into the whipped cream in batches.
- Stir it all together. Stir in the coconut, pecans, and marshmallows, followed by the fruit. Top with additional shredded coconut and pecans.
- Let it chill. Chill the salad in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
Why is Fruit Salad Called Ambrosia?
“Ambrosia” was the “food or drink of the gods” in Greek mythology. It’s used to describe something that has a pleasing taste or smell.
What Culture is Ambrosia From?
Ambrosia salad is thought to have originated from the Southern U.S. during the 1800s. The earliest written documentation of the recipe is from an 1867 cookbook. It wasn’t until much later though, during the 1920s, that ambrosia salad became more recognized. It especially became a common potluck dish in the 50s and 60s, during peak marshmallow popularity.
Tips for Making Ambrosia Salad
There are only two other essential parts to this recipe:
Make it easy, use canned fruit. Be sure to drain the canned fruit, really, really well so it doesn’t create a puddle of watery cream. Also, also want to be sure to rinse your cherries well or you’ll have red streaks through your salad.
Skip the cool whip and use sweetened sour cream instead. The second part is to fold your whip cream and sour cream together in 3 stages so the heavier sour cream doesn’t flatten the fluffy whip of the cream.
Can I Make Ambrosia Salad in Advance?
Yes, you can make this classic ambrosia salad recipe the night before and leave it in the bowl you made it in, or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. You won’t want to make this marshmallow salad more than a day in advance since the whipped cream tends to deflate over time.
What to Serve With Ambrosia Salad
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Glazed Carrots
- Cranberry Sauce
- The best juicy roast turkey
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Stovetop Creamed Spinach
- 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
- Easy Dinner Rolls
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
The BEST Ambrosia Salad
Ingredients
- 1 20- ounce can pineapple tidbits
- 1 15- ounce can Mandarin oranges
- 1 cup maraschino cherries , drained
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup light sour cream
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ¾ cup pecans , chopped
- 1 cup green grapes , halved
Instructions
- Place the pineapple and mandarin oranges in a strainer and set aside to drain for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain the cherries and rinse with cold water and set aside.
- Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gently fold in ⅓ of the sour cream, then fold in the next ⅓, and then the final ⅓.
- Gently stir in the marshmallows, coconut, and pecans. Gently fold in the grapes, pineapple, Mandarin oranges, and maraschino cherries. Top with a few more sprinkles of coconut and chopped pecans if desired.
- Chill for 1 hour up to overnight, then serve.
Nutrition
More Fruity Salad Recipes to Try
- Kale Salad with Apples, Cranberries, & Cheddar Cheese
- Citrus, Fennel and Avocado Salad
- Classic Waldorf Salad
- Spinach Salad with Turkey, Apples, & Butternut Squash
- Berry Delicious Fruit Salad
- Avocado, Grapefruit and Fennel Salad
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Hello Heidi, I was enjoying looking at all your recipes here seeing if different from the way I did them. The Ambrosia salad I made since the early 70s did not call for adding sugar or heavy whipped cream, and it was made the night before so all ingredients meshed together and it was a perfect combination of sweetness with the sour cream. The marshmellows picked up on all the goodness of the fruit. Now I wish I had some in front of me. Thanks for sharing with us. Happy Thanksgiving.
I’m making this for Easter dinner this year. We haven’t had it since I was a child! Just wanted to share a tip to you on how to keep your whipped cream from breaking (separating). Instead of granulated sugar in your whipping cream use 3T- 1/4cup of powdered(confectioners) sugar instead. It stabilizes the cream and it shouldn’t give you any trouble anymore. Good luck!
Who doesn’t LOVE ambrosia?!! It’s like a dessert that’s good for you! Glad to see you’re bringing it back to the table.
Love this. My mom makes an incredible one. We grew up this. Something so 70’s about this. Lol I’m going to have her make this one too. Thanks for sharing
I hope you love it!
My grandmother made a similar recipe. However, she insisted that each grape had to be peeled first. Yes, I’m serious, and that was usually my job (along with peeling all of the Mandarin segments). It seemed to take forever to peel an entire large bunch of green grapes, but I got to spend that time in the kitchen with my grandmother, so I enjoyed it. It’s also not a bad activity to help a child develop eye-hand coordination and dexterity! In any event, her Ambrosia was the most delicate, tender rendition I’ve ever had, which I feel is in line with the name of the dish, the Food of the Gods. There weren’t any crunchy or chewy ingredients in her recipe, such as nuts or maraschino cherries. However, I’m not a stickler for family tradition, and enjoy all of the many variants of this dish I’ve tried! Still, I share this tip with Ambrosia lovers who might want to put in the time and effort to experience Ambrosia in its ultimate state of silken perfection.
Wow, Hapee! I would have loved to try her version of the dish! It makes my heart happy to hear of the magic food can bring to a family. Thank you so much for sharing that awesome story!
Hapee, my aunt made this salad every Christmas, and she, too, peeled the grapes! There were no nuts and no sour cream, but it was so good!
This dessert sounds wonderful. My mouth is watering as I read the ingredients. I plan to make this in the VERY near future! Only thing I will change is to use Trader Joe’s frozen Bing cherries instead of maraschino cherries. Otherwise, it sounds absolutely luscious!
This is the best ambrosia salad ever!! I love ambrosia and have been wanting to make it the past year for my family but everyone always turns their nose up but FINALLY I made it and everyone has gone crazy for it!! I’ve made it twice in one week :D the only thing I did was swap raspberries for the cherries (I don’t like them) but this is my favorite recipe ever!!!
This was a perfect addition to our Easter brunch. I used fewer marshmallows and only about 4 cherries to decorate.
This looks amazing and so festive, I can’t wait to try it!
This is a fabulous recipe. A couple of minor changes makes it perfect. I drained the fruit the day before serving, and drained it again before mixing up the whipping cream 2 hours before serving. I made this recipe x5 for 65 people. Rave reviews!
Hi! This salad looks and sounds delicious!!
How can I replace the mandarin oranges ? I don’t think I can get them in mi city :(
Buy them in a can
Love this, my Grandmother made this every holiday, but without the sour cream. Love it.
Love you and love that you have such great memories. Your salad sounds delicious, That said, I’m anxious to try your new additions. The salad I always made and loved only had sour cream, no nuts, no grapes no cherries. I’m looking forward to the additions. I’m sure it will be a winner as usual. You’re such a creative girl and fabulous cook. Love you, ❤️ See you tomorrow!! My tastebuds are excited!!
I’m Totally In with this one Heid. But sorry, have to go sans whipped cream. Just like MJ’s version. Yours looks much prettier though.
Happy Thanksgiving!
YEEESSS! We will miss you at the table Aunt Shelley!!! XOXOXOXO I miss grandma :)
I’ve never forgotten this salad. My own mother never made it, that I recall, but I had it many times as a child.
Maria, your recipe sounds wonderful too, as I’m no longer a fan of marshmallows.
Enjoy Carole!
This looks delicious and definitely something my kids will devour!
The tangy sweetness is always a kid favorite. Enjoy Sara.
I am making this for the first time this year. Thanks for sharing!
I hope it becomes a tradition for you too!
I am so glad you posted it, Heidi! I held off for years posting one of our family’s favorite “salad” recipes because I had the same thoughts. We all have those family favorites that need to be on the table.
Ah, agreed Jamie! What’s your family favorite? Please, share!
omg. I completely forgot about this salad!! My aunt used to make it and I LOVED it as a kid. Thank you for posting this!! Running to the store today to get ingreds stat!!!
Isn’t it funny how those old-school cravings never go away? Memory is a powerful thing!
I do make a Swedish version of Ambrosia sallad, which is less sweet, with no marshmallows, no maraschino cherries, no coconut and no sweetened whipped cream. And with fresh red grapefruit, so there is no conserved fruit at al. I do not serve it for Thanksgiving, but mostly as a filling in ham roll ups for pot luck buffees in fall or winter.
That sounds delicious Maria, and a great idea for a buffet.
Maria, I’d love it if you could share the recipe. :)
This was one of my favorites from childhood too, but when my Mom passed away, our family stopped making it. It was one of her favorites. Thanks for bringing it back! It will be my new go-to addition to parties!
Celebrating through food memories is one of the best ways to celebrate those we love and loved. Don’t you think? Enjoy Becky.