This Ambrosia Salad is a nostalgic throwback to the 1950s, the kind of classic fruit salad you'd find at grandma's holiday table for Easter, Christmas, or Thanksgiving. It's sweet, creamy, and bursting with tropical flavor from pineapple, mandarin oranges, and maraschino cherries-a true old-fashioned favorite that never goes out of style.
Why This Recipe is the Best
We tested this the traditional way, with Cool Whip, sour cream, and well-drained fruit, to get that perfect creamy texture without being soggy. The pecans add the ideal crunch, balancing the sweetness and tying everything together for the best homemade ambrosia salad you'll ever taste.
For more Christmas and holiday side dishes try our Christmas Deviled Eggs, Christmas Salad, and Christmas Punch.
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Key Ingredients
This tasty marshmallow fruit salad hits the spot with these sweet ingredients.
- Sour cream- To compliment all those sweet components, we use sour cream in our Ambrosia salad instead of yogurt or cream cheese. Don't worry, we also add in whipped cream to give that sweet and creamy taste.
- Canned Fruit- The heart of this salad is well drained canned fruit. It's crucial you drain the fruit well so the salad doesn't become soggy! We love adding pineapple, mandarin oranges, and maraschino cherries.
- Marshmallows- You can't make Ambrosia Sald without marshmallows. We found the mini marshmallows work best.
- Pecans- We've cracked the code on keeping those nuts fresh and crunchy, add them in just before serving
How to make Ambrosia Fruit Salad
Learn how to make Ambrosia Fruit Salad with these easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions.
- Begin by draining all of the fruit. Take the time to blot dry with a paper towel. Try to remove as much excess water and juice as possible
- Add the sour cream and cool whip to the canned fruit.
- Gently mix the fruit with the sour cream, whipped cream, shredded coconut, and marsmallows. Don't over mix so the fruit doesn't break apart.
- Just before serving, gently mix in the chopped pecans. Serve and enjoy!
Hint: Don't add the pecans when you add in the marshmallows and shredded coconut. This will help give the salad all the fun textures you love.
Common Mistakes
The biggest mistake is not draining your fruit well enough-extra liquid makes the salad watery and ruins the texture. We also found that adding the pecans too early can soften them, so stir them in right before serving for the best crunch.
Top tip
Let your fruit sit in a colander for at least five minutes, or blot it gently with a paper towel to remove extra liquid. This one step makes all the difference between a soggy salad and a perfectly fluffy, creamy one.
Recipe
Ambrosia Salad
Ingredients
- 4 ounces sweetened whipped topping I used Cool Whip
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 20 ounce can pineapple drained very well, see note 1
- 15 ounce can mandarin oranges drained very well
- 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows
- ¾ cup shredded sweetened coconut
- ¾ cup pecans see note 2
- ¾ cup maraschino cherries plus more, sliced in half to garnish with
Instructions
- Drain the pineapples and mandarin oranges very well.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, fold together the whipped topping and sour cream. Add the drained pineapple, mandarin oranges, marshmallows, shredded coconut, cherries and pecans then fold to combine. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour or more before serving. Chop a few maraschino cherries in half and place on top to garnish. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I like to let mine sit and drain for at least 5 minutes. If you're short on time, blot with a paper towel to soak up as much remaining liquid as you can.
- Feel free to use walnuts. I know nuts aren't always popular, and you can leave them out. However, All of our taste testers preferred this with the pecans rather than leaving them out. They all said the pecans tie it all together and add the perfect crunch and make the salad so much better.
- This is a recipe you can make your own! If you like less pineapple and more mandarins, feel free to adjust to your preferences.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It won't "go bad" for about a week, but it starts to separate after about 2-3 days, so we recommend eating within 2 days.
Nutrition
Storing
Store your ambrosia salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It keeps for up to 5-7 days, but the texture is best within 2-3 days as it starts to separate over time.
Variations and Substitutions for Mandarin Orange Salad
- Nuts: Use walnuts instead of pecans, or leave them out if you prefer nut-free. The salad is still delicious but less crunchy.
- Fruits: Adjust to taste-less pineapple and more mandarin oranges work beautifully. You can also add chopped strawberries (¾ cup) or chopped apples (¾ cup) for a fruity twist.
- Pistachio Ambrosia: Stir in a few tablespoons of pistachio pudding mix to turn it into a fun green ambrosia salad-a nod to the 1950s pistachio "Watergate" version.
- Cottage Cheese or Yogurt: Swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for a tangier, protein-packed version.
- Hawaiian Style: Add fresh tropical fruit or fruit cocktail for a Hawaiian-inspired ambrosia salad.
FAQ
Ambrosia Salad became popular in the Southern United States in the late 19th century and reached peak popularity in the 1950s as a staple of holiday tables and church potlucks.
Frog Eye Salad uses acini de pepe pasta with fruit and a creamy custard sauce, while Ambrosia Salad skips the pasta and is made with Cool Whip and sour cream for a fluffier, fruit-forward dessert.
Yes! It's actually better made ahead so the flavors can meld. Just wait to stir in the pecans until right before serving.
Freezing isn't recommended-the whipped topping separates and the fruit becomes mushy when thawed.
Traditional versions include whipped topping, pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, marshmallows, maraschino cherries, and pecans. Variations might include pistachio pudding, strawberries, or apples.
Ambrosia Salad is a classic Southern fruit salad made with whipped topping, coconut, and canned fruit like pineapple and mandarin oranges. It was especially popular in the 1950s and 60s and often served at holidays and potlucks.
Simply fold together Cool Whip, sour cream, and your drained fruit-pineapple, oranges, cherries-then stir in coconut, marshmallows, and pecans. Chill for at least an hour before serving.
Andrea says
Easiest Ambrosia recipe! And it tastes so good.