What Is Ambrosia Salad?
This classic fruit salad reminds me of my grandma’s dinner table on holidays or birthdays. She always had a big bowl of ambrosia salad waiting! If you’re not familiar with it, ambrosia salad is essentially a fruit salad that’s made with variety of fruit, including pineapple, mandarin oranges, grapes, and maraschino cherries. Coconut and pecans round out the flavor of the salad and give lots of texture. Everything is tossed in a creamy dressing made with whipped topping and sour cream. The tanginess of the sour cream balances the sweetness of the Cool Whip. It’s a light and fluffy dressing which is so good! I adore how easy ambrosia salad is to make! Quite literally, it’s a one bowl recipe that’s ready in 5 minutes. Whether you want to make this as a last-minute side dish for Easter, Mother’s Day, summer holidays, picnics, potlucks, or set a bowl of it out at your next Christmas party, it’s always a crowd favorite. Make this classic recipe for ambrosia salad for your next get together!
Ambrosia Salad Ingredients
To make classic ambrosia fruit salad with Cool Whip and coconut, you’ll want to get out the following ingredients:
Whipped toppingSour creamMiniature marshmallowsPineapple tidbitsMandarin orangesGrapesMaraschino cherriesShredded coconut Pecans
How to Make Ambrosia Salad
This is easiest side dish ever! For all of us lazy cooks who are trying to impress family and friends with zero work, this is the recipe for you! To make ambrosia fruit salad add everything to one big bowl, stir, and serve! I love how the combination of Cool Whip and sour cream in this ambrosia salad recipe creates a tangy-sweet dressing that perfectly balances out the fresh fruit.
Tips for the Best Ambrosia Salad
Make sure to drain the pineapple and mandarin oranges very well before you add it. Extra juice will make your ambrosia salad which isn’t good. Along the same lines of the Cool Whip situation as I mentioned above, you also need to use the sour cream that’s called for in the recipe. You perhaps could use Greek yogurt but I have not tested it so I can’t say for sure if it would give you a traditional ambrosia fruit salad taste. For all other ingredients, if you don’t like something or your family doesn’t or there is an allergy to something, simply omit it. Specifically, I am thinking the pecans or coconut here. However if you don’t like mandarin oranges, add bananas instead. Can’t find good green grapes? Use red instead. Although with that being said, if you do omit something as classic as the coconut in ambrosia fruit salad, this side dish will have a different flavor, texture, and won’t be like traditional ambrosia salad. But always suit your own taste preferences! Garnishing the salad with a couple extra mandarin orange segments and a maraschino cherry for a pop of color is always a nice touch.
What to Serve with Ambrosia Salad
This classic fruit salad with coconut pairs well with all of your favorite potluck dishes! Serve the homemade ambrosia salad with one of more of the following:
Amish Pasta SaladGerman Potato SaladBroccoli SaladSlow Cooker Baked BeansPesto Chicken Caprese SaladGrilled Pork ChopsBlack Bean Burgers
More Potluck Salad Recipes:
Tropical Fruit Salad — This tropical fruit salad features fresh fruit that’s tossed in pineapple juice, coconut and almond extracts, and piña colada mix. Don’t worry, this easy fruit salad is non-alcoholic! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Vanilla Fruit Salad – The easiest fruit salad ever thanks to a secret ingredient! Make it for your next party and watch it disappear! Potato Salad with Bacon — This no mayo Potato Salad with Bacon is ready in just 30 minutes! It’s a vinegar potato salad the whole family will love. Pink and Purple Potato Salad — Move over, boring potato salad! Have this PRETTY one made with purple potatoes instead!! NO MAYO makes it healthier and perfect for picnics, parties, potlucks and events!! Warm German Potato Salad — A classic potato salad made with tender red potatoes, bacon, onions, and a tangy vinegar dressing! This no-mayo potato salad is a family favorite side dish that’s perfect for parties, picnics, and potlucks!!
