Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe - Meatloaf and Melodrama (2024)

Ambrosia Fruit Salad recipe with sour cream, pineapple, mandarin oranges, mini marshmallows and coconut is a classic dessert salad. This creamy fruit salad is perfect for family dinners and special occasions!

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Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe - Meatloaf and Melodrama (1)
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  • Ingredients
  • How to Make Ambrosia Salad with Sour Cream
  • Variations
  • How to Store
  • Recipe
  • Reviews

It's that time of year again when you start to see fruit salad recipes popping up all over. But, that's good, right? If you're looking for an easy summer side dish, you'll love this classic ambrosia salad!

I found this gem in my mom's recipe collection. You all know my soft spot for retro recipes, and this one definitely jumped out at me! Since we're heading into summer potluck season, it's perfect timing.

This ambrosia salad is your basic recipe for fruit salad with sour cream and marshmallows or a marshmallow salad with sour cream. You can also call it 5 cup salad, although this particular recipe doesn't have exactly one cup of everything.

The Hubs grew up with an ambrosia recipe that called for whipped cream or Cool Whip, but this one only has sour cream. And it doesn't have nuts, which is perfect since my kids hate salads with nuts!

I think every family has their own version of ambrosia, and that's totally fine. You really can't go wrong with any of them!

Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe - Meatloaf and Melodrama (2)

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients for this classic ambrosia salad recipe. What you don't already have at home should be easy to find online or at your local grocery store.

  • Canmandarin orange slices, drained
  • Canpineapple tidbits, drained
  • Mini marshmallows
  • Shredded coconut
  • Sour cream
  • Lime zest -- optional

How to Make Ambrosia Salad with Sour Cream

This recipe is so easy that I turned it over to the kiddos. They love helping out in the kitchen, and I have one less dish to make. Works for me!

First, you just drain your pineapple tidbits and mandarin oranges, and then you add them to a large bowl.

Don't skip this step! Draining the cans of fruit prevents the salad from becoming too wet and watery.

Then, you add some mini marshmallows and a little shredded coconut flakes. One of my kids hates coconut, but she didn't complain about it at all in this recipe!

It really blends in well, so don't skip it, even if you're not a coconut lover.

Try it first, and if you still don't like it, you can leave it out next time -- K?

Stir it the sour cream, and that, my friends, is it. I added a little bit of lime zest to the top -- just for a little color and a zip of flavor.

This is totally optional, though.

This ambrosia salad is cool, creamy and just sweet enough. No wonder it's named after the food of the gods in Greek mythology

Variations

There are a couple ways to customize this delicious fruit salad to your liking.

Add or leave out any salad ingredients you want. In addition to pineapple and oranges, I like to add maraschino cherries and green grapes. You can also use canned fruit co*cktail for more fruit variety.

For some extra texture, sprinkle some chopped nuts into your salad. You can use different nuts, but crunchy pecans and walnuts tend to go best.

Instead of sour cream, use plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, depending on what flavor you're going for. For a sweeter variation of ambrosia salad, use whipped cream.

This is meant to be a super easy salad recipe, but you can use fresh fruit of you want. Just cut up some fresh pineapple chunks and orange slices.

If you like fruit salad recipes, try my Marshmallow fruit salad, Strawberry Jello fruit salad, Orange Jello fruit salad or Tropical fruit salad.

How to Store

Store leftover easy ambrosia fruit salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it'll keep for 2 to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing leftovers.

Enjoy any extra fruit salad straight out of the refrigerator, adding any toppings you might want!

Recipe

Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe - Meatloaf and Melodrama (6)

Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe

Published by Dee

Ambrosia Fruit Salad recipe with sour cream, pineapple, mandarin oranges, mini marshmallows and coconut is a classic dessert salad. This creamy fruit salad is perfect for family dinners and special occasions!

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Refrigerate 1 hour hr

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 160 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 15-ounce can mandarin orange slices, drained
  • 1 20-ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • ½ cup shredded coconut
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • lime zest, optional

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, add the mandarin oranges, pineapple, mini marshmallows and coconut

  • Stir in sour cream, and mix well

  • Top with fresh lime zest, if desired, and refrigerate for one hour or until ready to serve

Notes

Be sure to drain the cans of fruit well. This prevents the fruit salad from becoming too wet.

Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.

Nutrition

Calories: 160kcal

Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate it! Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

Recipe published in 2018 and updated in 2022.

Easy ambrosia salad is my favorite version of this classic recipe, and it's always a big hit at summer barbecue and family gatherings!

If you're a fan or ambrosia salad recipes with sour cream, I hope you enjoy our best ambrosia salad as much as we do!

For more great recipe ideas, no bake dessert recipes, and perfect side dish salads, subscribe to the newsletter and follow me on social media!

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Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe - Meatloaf and Melodrama (2024)

FAQs

What are the main ingredients in ambrosia salad? ›

Ambrosia is an American version of fruit salad that dates back to the late 19th century and it seems as though everyone's family has their own recipe or spin on it. At its core, however, it traditionally contains pineapple and oranges (either fresh or canned), miniature marshmallows, and coconut.

What did ambrosia consist of? ›

Most ambrosia recipes contain canned (often sweetened) or fresh pineapple, canned mandarin orange slices or fresh orange sections, miniature marshmallows, and coconut. Other ingredients might include various fruits and nuts: maraschino cherries, bananas, strawberries, peeled grapes, or crushed pecans.

What is a creamy fruit salad made of? ›

Beat cream cheese and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Mix in whipped topping on high speed until incorporated. Fold in pineapple, fruit co*cktail, bananas, apple, coconut, pecans, raisins, and cherries. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Why is ambrosia salad called ambrosia salad? ›

Ambrosia was so named for the food of the Greek and Roman gods. Its region of origin is lost to history. Its ties to the South are strong, though some believe it began in Vermont or elsewhere in New England.

What kind of fruit is an ambrosia? ›

Ambrosia is an attractive medium-sized apple, with a pink-tinged orange/red flush over a yellow background. As such it is very much in tune with the modern preference for "bi-coloured" apples.

What is a fancy name for a fruit salad? ›

A fruit salad is sometimes known as a fruit co*cktail (often connoting a canned product), or fruit cup (when served in a small container). There are many types of fruit salad, ranging from the basic (no nuts, marshmallows, or dressing) to the moderately sweet (Waldorf salad) to the sweet (ambrosia salad).

What country does ambrosia salad come from? ›

Ambrosia began appearing in cookbooks in the late 1800s when citrus fruit became more prevalent in markets across the United States. These early recipes were very simple, usually including only orange slices, coconut, and sugar layered in a glass dish.

What does ambrosia mean in the Bible? ›

Ambrosia means a thing giving immortality, hence the food. of gods. It. corresponds exactly to. the fruit of the tree.

Is ambrosia good for you? ›

Ambrosia apples are part of a healthy diet but they also have specific properties that help to boost the immune system. For example, Ambrosia contain Quercetin. This flavanoid, like other antioxidants, supports immune efficiency by fighting off free-radicals.

What kind of dressing is best for fruit salad? ›

A nice light poppy seed dressing is easy and sweet and sour. Or you can do a fruit salad with a side of fruit yogurt mixed with Cool Whip. Kinda just a fluffy fun side sauce. You could use a mayo based dressing, a honey lime dressing, or a yogurt dressing.

How do you keep fruit salad from getting watery? ›

The acidity in the lemon and the orange will keep the fruit from turning brown and keep it crisp and refreshing. This will also concentrate the juice and give it a thicker, syrupy consistency, instead of a thin, watery consistency.

What is a fun fact about ambrosia salad? ›

Whitman & Son of Philadelphia encouraged home cooks to include marshmallow whip in ambrosia salad. By the late 1920s, whole marshmallows were introduced, creating the fluffy ambrosia salad that many of us recognize today.

Why is ambrosia so good? ›

Furthermore, participants in the study deemed red and yellow apples (like Ambrosia) to be associated with sweetness, freshness, juiciness, and natural. We are conditioned to reach for the freshest looking food by nature. That's why a freshly cut apple with juicy, white flesh will be eaten before one that's oxidized.

What does ambrosia taste like? ›

When eaten, ambrosia normally tastes like a pleasant food enjoyed by the consumer. For Percy, it was warm chocolate chip cookies, while for Piper it was the black bean soup her father used to make her.

What is the main ingredient which forms the foundation of the Waldorf salad? ›

The original recipe consisted only of diced red-skinned apples, celery, and mayonnaise. Chopped walnuts were added later to this now American classic.

What is ambrosia also known as? ›

Ambrosia (plant), a genus of flowering plants in the Asteraceae commonly known as ragweed. Ambrosia beetle, beetles which live in nutritional symbiosis with ambrosia fungi. Ambrosia fungi. Bee bread, also known as ambrosia or bee pollen.

What is a traditional Greek salad made of? ›

A traditional Greek salad consists of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, green bell pepper, red onion, olives, and feta cheese. This classic combination is delicious, so I stick to it, just adding a handful of mint leaves for a fresh finishing touch.

What is the salad that are usually sweet and may contain fruit gelatin? ›

Dessert salads are usually sweet and often contain fruits, sweetened gelatin, nuts, cream, and whipped cream. Waldorf salad is a popular dessert salad.

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