Southern Ambrosia Salad is a must-have at any gathering! Whipped topping, pineapple, grapes, mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries and sweetened coconut flakes!
CREAMY, SWEET SOUTHERN AMBROSIA SALAD
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 FRUIT SALAD, ORANGE FLUFF, THE BEST 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!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
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.
No. You can leave the shredded coconut out if you absolutely can't stand coconut but it is a traditional ingredient in ambrosia.
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.
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.
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.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- whipped topping (Cool Whip)
- sour cream
- pineapple tidbits
- mandarin oranges
- green seedless grapes
- sweetened coconut flakes
- mini marshmallows
- maraschino cherry halves
- chopped pecans
HOW TO MAKE SOUTHERN AMBROSIA SALAD:
In a medium bowl, combine whipped topping and sour cream.
Stir in coconut flakes, marshmallows and nuts (if using.)
Gently fold in pineapple, mandarin oranges, grapes and maraschino cherries.
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.
Then serve!
WANT MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS? GIVE THESE A TRY!
SOUTHERN AMBROSIA SALAD
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) tub of whipped topping thawed
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits, drained well
- 1 (15 oz) can mandarin orange segments, drained well
- 1 cup red or green seedless grapes, sliced in half
- 1 ½ cups sweetened coconut flakes
- 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows
- 1 10 oz jar of maraschino cherry halves, drained very well
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine whipped topping and sour cream.
- Add in coconut flakes and marshmallows.
- Then gently fold in pineapple, mandarin oranges, grapes and maraschino cherries and nuts (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
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.
Nutrition
Originally published: January 2012
Updated & republished: June 2021
Great update on the one I have made for years
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.
Mmmmmmmmm!!
First time making Ambrosia. So glad I found this recipe!! It's absolutely delicious
This is the best Ambrosia I've ever had and so easy to make!! This is a keeper. Really delicious!
I make this with vanilla yoghurt instead of whipped topping.
make this often but yours taste much better with the grapes and cherries
make this all time but yours is more tastier thanks
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!
I love this recipe, thanks for sharing!
Thank you Anita!
Love this! I made it today and cant stop eating it
Ha!! Love hearing that! Thanks so much Laura!!
We make this alot and it is yum yum yummy!
Nothing like it, right? Thank you Cindy!
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:)
Sounds so good Meghan!! Love all the variations!
I followed the recipe it came out fabulous! Thank you for sharing
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.
Easy and Delicious!
I made this minus the nuts and I used fresh pineapple and mandarin oranges. It was SO delicuous! Making this for Easter too.
What do you think you could sub the coconut for? To help with the consistency, maybe a noodle?
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.
Instead of using sour cream i use 1 pkg. softened cream cheese.
I made this without the nuts - it was delicious!
Thanks so much Suzy! I appreciate you coming back to let me know!
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 ..
I have not had this in years...will make this week
I hope it brings back some good memories for you Susan!
My mother used to make this as a treat for us when we were young and boy did we love it. I think she used fruit cocktail. A rather cheap treat back in the day. I had a hankering for some last year and nobody could remember how she made it. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you for sharing your special memory with me!
I was looking for my grandmothers for ambrosia salad this is it ty for sharing
I like sliced banana in mine. I love Ambrosia salad.
Will it still be just as good if I leave the sour cream out?
Hey there Amy, you sure did make my day! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and everyone enjoyed the Ambrosia Salad.
I love your blog,whenever i'm looking for a recipe i go straight to your blog.You make recipes simple and easy and i like that.I'm making your ambrosia salad for Xmas dinner.Merry,Merry Xmas to you and your family and please,please never stop with your posts.
My husband's 103-year old grandmother always makes a big bowl of "rice" for Christmas. He just loves it! She dotes on him and he adores her. The recipe includes white rice, Cool Whip, fruit cocktail, marshmallow fluff, and sometimes, pecans. It is very airy and easy to eat. I don't want to know how many calories are in a portion!
Try cooked rice and a can of cherry pie filling, marshmallows and sliced bananas, cool whip and nuts...yum
I use the flavored mini marshmallows and use drained crushed pineapple instead of the bits. For some reason, using the flavored marshmallows cut the sweetness and more people enjoy it!
Thank you for posting up this recipe. My mom made this growing up, and I never really knew what she put in it. Not many references for it online either.
Looks tasty. Am going to make some for Christmas. Thanks. Mother used to make an ambrosia but she used cooked rice as a base and hand whipped cream, cocoanut and M. cherries, pecans,oranges, can't remember what other fruits...I was often in trouble because I snuck in the fridge a lot, just for a bite. 🙂
I usually put marshmallows--(I like to use fruity pastel colored), coconut and sour cream in bowl over night. The next day, I add pineapple, fresh cut apple pieces, grapes, diced peaches-(drained), mandarin oranges, fresh diced pears, diced apricots(drained) and sliced bananas along with a small tub of cool whip, I accent with red maraschino cherries. Oh, yum! It doesn't last long, that's for sure!
I have been making this Ambrosia salad for years but we don't use cool whip in ours, My family looks for it every year at Thanksgiving and we use fruit cocktail. we just love it.
I love it, but people I make it for doesn't like coconut in it.....and I am beginning to dislike it too, seems the more you chew, the bigger the coconut gets and it never goes away 🙂 I used to eat MOUNDS candy bars and love them, so I bought some the other day, and same thing with the coconut.....you could not chew it up enough,I've heard others say the same thing....could it be the coconut ? Does anyone know.....I think I used to buy CHOPPED coconut, but all I see now is SHREDDED.....that may be the problem.....or may have to buy a fresh coconut.....any ideas here?
So refreshing and good. Thanks! Pinned it!
Just made this for our small group and church and it was really good! A big hit! Most recipes I've tried from Pinterest have gone in the garbage but this one is going in the recipe box! Thanks!
Can this be made a day in advance?
I was given this recipe as a bride 50 years ago. However, the one I use is named 5 Cup Fruit Salad and only has five ingredients. It does not have the cool whip.......but then, Cool Whip was not around that long ago.....LOL.
my mom used to make ambrosia all the time at Christmas, but she used peeled oranges, bananas, apples and cherries, layered then she would put coconut all over the top and sprinkled lots of sugar on top and then cherries on top. My brother and I always called it embroidery instead of ambrosia. I love my mom's but I think I would also like this. This is similar to watergate salad which I also love. I will certainly try this. Thanks.
Is it still ambrosia if you skip the marshmallows?
Had to double take the jello for flavouring post as I'd forgotten that jello is powdered in America. Here, in Britain, it comes in a slab of already made up dense jelly (fun to eat like soft gumis) which is melted in boiling water (sucking up melting pieces is fun too, like eating hot boiled sweets/hard candy)diluted and poured into a mould.
Oh I could put chopped up into marshmallow sized bits jelly, hmmmm.
Just wondering though. Is no sugar fruit an American thing I have missed?
I created a diabetic version of this for my husband who loves sweets. I use a box of White Chocolate instant pudding and mix it with enough water to loosen the mix...about a cup. Then I wisk in 8 oz. sour cream and wisk til smooth. Fold in 8 oz. cool whip and a can of mandarin oranges drained and a can of well-drained fruit cocktail packed in juice. I add pecans for texture and he loves it. I substitute fresh fruit if I have it on hand.
Ambrosia is a simple and delicious dessert with many variations. We usually substitute small curd cottage cheese for the sour cream, as it adds texture, but I've also had it with cream cheese or plain Greek yogurt. We add any fresh fruits we have on hand and supplement with canned fruits as needed. You can add a box of any flavor jello for flavoring if you like. Chopped pecans, mini marshmallows and coconut add flavor and texture if you like them. Chopped apples hold up well in this fruit salad. If adding fresh strawberries or bananas, you probably want to eat it within a couple of days. Grapes (I prefer red) and either mandarin oranges or clementines are a must. Here in the south, just about anything goes. Enjoy!
Laurie in Tennessee 🙂
Do you think it would taste the same or as good if I used homemade whipped cream (it's all I ever eat) & substituted greek yogurt for the sour cream?
Actually, I'm going to try that out this weekend!
🙂
Love the movie, and this desert looks yummy, I am from Saint Albert, Canada, and I am always checking out your page
My Dad made a simple version of this. He only used fresh coconut, ground it himself, sugar, caned manderine oranges and fresh cut navel oranges. layered in the "Ambrosia Dish" (only thing that dish was used for once a year at Christmas) with sugar and the coconut milk from the fresh coconut. This one looks great though. Fresh coconut is too much trouble.
I read the book the help first, then went to see the movie. I loved them both! The movie followed the book fairly closely, but I love to read the book before seeing the movie. My family is coming home for Thanksgiving, and I am going to make this. I am allergic to wheat, and I am always looking for gluten free recipes. Thank you
Looks very refreshing! I will try this Holiday season.Thanks!
love this loved the movie bf didnt cant please everyone .Im going to do this for his family for thanksgiving thank you for breaking this down
I like to add a little brown sugar to mine.
We always just called this fruit salad when I was growing up. The marshmallow fruit was always my favorite part. 🙂
I have been looking for this recipe for years! I had it and made it a couple of times and then lost it. I love this stuff. Thanks for sharing!
I love this stuff...really takes me back 🙂
Thanks for a great recipe! Growing up, we always had Ambrosia at Thanksgiving. As an adult, I used to fix it for our Thanksgivings, but no one ever ate it but me. So the past few years, I quit making it. Your post has inspired me- it's back on the Thanksgiving menu, even if I'm the only one who ever eats it. 🙂
Brandie, I just popped over from Twitter for a closer look at this Ambrosia. Admittedly, I'm not as familiar with this dish as I am a Waldorf salad—something my Mom used to make (she's from Bedford, by the way). While there are similarities between the two, I'm intrigued by the flavors represented in the Ambrosia. Love the lower sugar options too, because with all the cake sampling in my house, I've got to conserve calories somewhere! 😉
Im watching The Help now (love it) & Aibileen's ambrosia looks delicious! Though I've never had the pleasure of eating it, I'm planning to make some for Memorial Day. My family isn't big on coconut but I plan to use its milk & substitute it w/other fresh fruit such as apples, bananas, or mango. Hope it turns out alright!
I think I just found my side dish for Easter. Thanks can't beat a classic like Ambrosia!
When I make ambrosia especially at Easter I use the pretty multicolored marshmellow they make the salad look so festive. Like easter eggs. I use the mini marshmelliws
That makes it SO special! Love it!
looks like *heaven* thanks for sharing
Yummy! I love ambrosia, but have never added grapes to mine! Will next time though 🙂 Thanks for sharing at Church Supper, Brandie! Have a blessed week. ~EMM
Oh, I LOVED The Help!! Wow, it really made me think 🙂 LOVE your ambrosia recipe too, looks YUMMY!!
Oh I wanna come over and have a bite! I LOVE this kind of dish...hubby doesn't care for pineapple unless it's baked, so I don't make this kind of thing unless I'm taking it somewhere. I could eat it all myself for sure...and will be making a smaller batch soon. LOVED "The Help"...I even went to see it alone and cried and laughed myself silly.
You could just leave out the pineapple, and maybe substitute fresh cut apple pieces, other drained fruits (peaches, apricots), banana slices if you're going to use it soon.
My Italian grandma always made ambrosia, so it always makes me think of her. I don't know why I've never made it. I used to hate, hate, hate coconut, but I've hopped over the fence now. 🙂 Oh, and to add to the list of things that I love: The Help. I could watch it over and over. Thanks for the recipe, Bran! I hope to make this sometime soon.
Mmmm, could go for some of this right now!
I saw the movie and enjoyed it very much~ especially because I went to school with Viola Davis......she was a year ahead of me but we had home ec and gym together! I can say I knew her when!! 😉
Oh, yum! I love ambrosia! Can't wait to try this on the hubs!:)
I love ambrosia and just about any fruit salad in the winter - it helps get you through those dark, dreary days. LOVED The Help, and took my kids to see it too. Great message - it's a movie I'll always remember.
Wow..Yummy one...Thanks for posting
Aarthi
http://yummytummy-aarthi.blogspot.com/
I love ambrosia! Sometimes Mom will make it without the "creamy ingredients" and it's still so delicious--especially with fresh coconut cake at Christmas. Yum! Your pictures here look delicious.
It sounds like you live in a lovely state. I live in Western Ky. and somehow haven't made it over to Virginia yet! Kinda crazy, I know!
Also, I loved that movie! 🙂
Blessings,
Leslie
I used to eat bowls of this when the dorm cafeteria served it in college...of course, the metabolism was much better back then! YUM!
Your ambrosia is heavenly. I used to make a similar dish called 5 Cup Salad, because it just had 5 ingredients, 1 c sour cream, 1c coconut, 1 c pineapple chunks, 1c mandarin oranges, 1 c miniature marshmallows. I love your expanded recipe, and will have to try it soon.
I haven't made this recipe in years, so thanks for jogging my memory.
My family for many many many years from the south made 5 cup salad. Coconut, sour cream, Mandarin oranges, pineapple , miniature marshmallows and in the 50's my grandmother started putting marichino cherries cut in half in it, been a staple in the family for 80yrs plus, and yes we are Southerners. I love this stuff..yum
I loved the movie! I saw it with my Aussie husband and he missed the meaning of a few things but I was enthralled.
I love ambrosia. We don't have whipped topping in Australia so I just use whipped cream but everyone here loves it. Especially me!
I haven't seen the movie yet -- but I sure was engrossed in the book. (Got a recipe for caramel cake, too?) Love ambrosia. "You is kind."