This ambrosia salad 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.
In This Post
My Grandma made this classic ambrosia salad recipe every Thanksgiving and I’ve kept the tradition alive. Ambrosia salad was a common potluck dish in the 50s and 60s, during peak marshmallow popularity. It’s fruity, fun, and nostalgic. 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. What’s not to love here? You won’t find any Cool Whip here, and you won’t miss it either. It’s the perfect marriage of flavors and textures.
Why You’ll Love It
- The best ambrosia salad recipe is a total classic that makes for a versatile and festive side dish on your holiday menu
- It’s sweet enough to be served as dessert but is also savory enough to work as a side dish
- Bonus: This ambrosia is teeming with vitamin C and fiber thanks to all the fruit!
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What is Ambrosia Salad Made of
The ambrosia salad ingredients you’ll need are super simple. Feel free to use different fruits (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.
- Canned pineapple tidbits—make sure you drain your pineapple well!
- Canned mandarin oranges—drain your mandarin oranges well (you could also use mango instead)
- Maraschino cherries—These add a fun pop of color and sweetness to the ambrosia salad, and are a must!
- Heavy whipping cream—real whipped cream is a game changer here, especially when spiked with sour cream for a refreshing tanginess
- Granulated sugar—to sweeten our whipped cream mixture
- Vanilla extract—for flavor
- Light sour cream—for some tang
- Sweetened shredded coconut—for some texture, sweetness, and tropical flavor
- Chopped pecans—for crunch (pistachios or walnuts are other great options)
- Mini marshmallows—for sweetness (they’re a staple ingredient in ambrosia salad!)
- Green grapes—you could use red grapes if you wanted but I like that the green grapes are slightly tangier and help balance out some of the sweetness in the salad.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make This 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.
FAQ and Recipe Tips
- What is ambrosia’s origin? “Ambrosia” is derived from the Greek word “ambrotos,” meaning “immortal.” In Greek and Roman mythology, only gods and goddesses could eat ambrosia (fruit) which is also known as “fruit of the gods” or “nectar of the gods of Olympus.” According to mythology, gods and goddesses would eat this fruit to remain immortal.
- Why is fruit salad called ambrosia? It seems that the earliest written reference to ambrosia salad was from a Southern cookbook in 1867. There is not a lot known about its exact origin, but it did take off more in the 1800s when marshmallows were added to it, and especially during the 1950s.
- What’s the difference between ambrosia and watergate? While these two potluck salads are similar in nature, ambrosia usually features more fruit (and a larger variety of fruit) than watergate salad.
- Drain your 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 whipped cream and sour cream together in 3 stages so the heavier sour cream doesn’t flatten the fluffy whip of the cream.
Storage Tips
You can make this classic ambrosia salad recipe the night before and leave it in the bowl you made it in, or transfer it 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.
Ambrosia salad will keep in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing ambrosia salad.
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.
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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Sheree Novak
This was the hit of my bbq. I did change it a little by reading all the comments like…. Powder sugar for regular sugar and added canned pears, fresh strawberries, blueberries and bananas.
Thank you
Hayley
Thanks, Sheree—we’re so glad this was a hit!
Maria Valente
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.
Cd
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!
jeanne illenye
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.
Shari Giarraputo
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
Ashley Sorenson
I hope you love it!
Hapee
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.
Ashley Sorenson
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!
Patti Webb
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!
Lisa
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!
Lindsey
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!!!
Angie
This was a perfect addition to our Easter brunch. I used fewer marshmallows and only about 4 cherries to decorate.
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This looks amazing and so festive, I can’t wait to try it!
Gayle
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!
Rocio
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 :(
Kenna
Buy them in a can
Wanda
Love this, my Grandmother made this every holiday, but without the sour cream. Love it.
Patti
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!!
Shelley A
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 :)
carole
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!
Sara @ Last Night's Feast
This looks delicious and definitely something my kids will devour!
The tangy sweetness is always a kid favorite. Enjoy Sara.
m
I am making this for the first time this year. Thanks for sharing!
I hope it becomes a tradition for you too!
Jamie | The Kitchenarium
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!
stacy
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!
Maria
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.
Carole
Maria, I’d love it if you could share the recipe. :)
Becky
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.