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!
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: (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
HOW TO MAKE AMBROSIA:
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!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Originally published: January 2012
Updated & republished: June 2021
Southern Ambrosia Salad (+Video)
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
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
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.
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 postingAarthi
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."