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Southern Ambrosia Salad (+Video)

Southern Ambrosia Salad is a must-have at any gathering! Cool Whip, pineapple, grapes, mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries and sweetened coconut flakes!

A CREAMY, SWEET AMBROSIA RECIPE

Fruit salads really signal the beginning of summer to me. I start making them a lot! Some of my favorites are this Ambrosia Salad, Orange Creamsicle Salad, Orange,  Mixed Fruit Salad, or even an Orange Chicken Pasta Salad. It’s the best time of year for all of these salads that are perfect to take to a cookout. Folks always love when they see a good fruit salad sitting on the table!

two bowls stacked with the top bowl showing a serving of ambrosia salad with a marsaschino cherry on top.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Do you taste the sour cream in ambrosia salad?

The answer is no. You really don’t. It does cut the overall sweetness so you don’t break a tooth – ha. But you don’t taste it as a separate ingredient.

Do I have to use coconut?

No. You can leave the shredded coconut out if you absolutely can’t stand coconut but it is a traditional ingredient in ambrosia.

Can I use sugar free options?

There are natural sugars in the fruits themselves. However, if you want to cut the sugar then try to find the canned fruit that is packed in sugar-free juice. You can also buy sugar free whipped topping.

What are some other fruit options?

There really is no wrong answer here. You can pretty much add most of your favorite fruits. Raspberries, sliced bananas, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, pomegranate seeds all work here.

How do I store leftovers?

Ambrosia is always best the day it’s made or the day after. After that it starts to break down and lose its consistency as the fruits release their juices. Store covered and in the refrigerator. Eat within a day.

Southern Ambrosia Salad recipe from The Country Cook, a white and blue bowl stacked on top of each other, a serving of ambrosia salad shown in top bowl with a maraschino cherry on top and a bunch of green grapes in the background.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

  • whipped topping (Cool Whip)
  • sour cream
  • pineapple tidbits
  • mandarin oranges
  • green seedless grapes
  • sweetened coconut flakes
  • mini marshmallows
  • maraschino cherry halves
  • chopped pecans
ingredients needed: whipped topping, sour cream, pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, green seedless grapes, sweetened coconut flakes, mini marshmallows, maraschino cherry halves, chopped pecans.

HOW TO MAKE AMBROSIA:

In a medium bowl, combine whipped topping and sour cream.

sour cream and whipped cream in a large glass bowl.

Stir in coconut flakes, marshmallows and nuts (if using.)

mini marshmallows, chopped pecans, shredded coconut added to sour cream and cool whip in a large clear bowl.

Gently fold in pineapple, mandarin oranges, grapes and maraschino cherries.

mandarin orange slices, sliced maraschino cherries, pineapple tidbits and sliced green grapes added to a large clear bowl with cool whip.

Once combined, put some plastic wrap on it or put it in a bowl with a lid and refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

a large white bowl with ambrosia salad in it with a glass of iced tea in the background.

Then serve!

a serving of ambrosia fruit salad shown in a small white bowl with a maraschino cherry on top with a bunch of green grapes on the side.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Originally published: January 2012
Updated & republished: June 2021

Southern Ambrosia Salad (+Video)

Southern Ambrosia Salad is a must-have at any gathering. Whipped topping, pineapple, grapes, mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries and sweetened coconut flakes!
4.91 from 44 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 8 ounce tub of whipped topping (thawed)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 ½ cups sweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows
  • 20 ounce can pineapple tidbits (drained well)
  • 15 ounce can mandarin orange segments (drained well)
  • 1 cup red or green seedless grapes (sliced in half)
  • 10 ounce jar of maraschino cherry halves (drained well)
  • ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine8 ounce tub of whipped topping with 1 cup sour cream.
  • Stir in 1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes and 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows.
  • Then gently fold in 20 ounce can pineapple tidbits (drained well), 15 ounce can mandarin orange segments (drained well), 1 cup red or green seedless grapes (sliced in half), 10 ounce jar of maraschino cherry halves (drained well) and 1/2 cup chopped pecans (if using).
  • Once combined, put some plastic wrap on it or put it in a bowl with a lid and refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • You can easily switch out most of these ingredients for sugar-free options.
  • You can leave the shredded coconut out if you absolutely can’t stand coconut but it is a traditional ingredient in ambrosia.
  • You can pretty much add most of your favorite fruits. Raspberries, sliced bananas, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, pomegranate seeds all work here.
  • Ambrosia is always best the day it’s made or the day after. After that it starts to break down and lose its consistency as the fruits release their juices. Store covered and in the refrigerator. Eat within a day.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Sodium: 133mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 68g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Recipe Rating




84 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Best Ambrosia I have EVER tasted!!! I do leave out coconut as I hate it but everyone still loves it and always asks me to make it for family gatherings.

  2. 5 stars
    Made this today to eat during the football game…and oh so good! This recipe is simply delicious. It’s a keeper. Thank you for sharing!

  3. 5 stars
    I use sugar blended with heavy whipping cream. I prefer to only use mandarin oranges, pineapple, diced peaches, mini marshmallows, strawberries, and now that I saw maraschino cherries I’m gonna use those too!
    My grandma used to make the same thing, but she added green apples, bananas, and halved grapes and sliced almonds on top for color and decoration:)

  4. 5 stars
    I use instant vanilla pudding, buttermilk instead of sour cream & a can of fruit cocktail in mine instead of grapes. Fresh strawberries & or banannas is tasty too..strawberry jello is also an alternative. It also gives it a pretty color.

  5. 5 stars
    I made this minus the nuts and I used fresh pineapple and mandarin oranges. It was SO delicuous! Making this for Easter too.

    1. Just don’t use the coconut. Please do not use noodles. This is a fruit salad, not a pasta. You might cut back half a cup on your sour cream, since the coconut is one of the sweeteners. I am not an expert by any means, but I have been cooking for 63 years. Hope this gives you some ideas what to do.

  6. Been making this for years .. however , we call it overnight salad ., no coconut or nuts.. and instead of cool whip and sour cream I use 1/2 cup miracle whip folded into fresh whipped heavy whipping cream .. then fold fruit and marshmallows in and refrigerate overnight ..