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    Home » Desserts

    Ambrosia Salad

    Published: Apr 6, 2020 · by Audrey

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    Ambrosia Salad Pinterest pin 2

    An easy recipe for Ambrosia Salad. A creamy dessert fruit salad made with tropical fruit. This Ambrosia fruit salad recipe is naturally gluten-free and has a dairy-free option.

    ambrosia salad in a bowl with cherries and two servings in the background

    Ambrosia Salad

    Ambrosia Salad is a creamy fruit salad that is a Southern favorite to serve on holidays and at special gatherings. My husband’s family always made Ambrosia salad for holiday dinners and family get-togethers.

    What Is In Ambrosia Salad?

    This classic fruit salad is often served as a dessert. The base of the fruit salad is made with whipped topping and sour cream.

    There is a combination of tropical fruit that includes canned pineapple, canned mandarin oranges, and shredded coconut. The fun part of this dessert is the addition of maraschino cherries, mini marshmallows, and chopped nuts.

    This no-bake dessert can be made in just 10 minutes! You can see just how easy it is to make Ambrosia in the recipe video.


    ingredients for ambrosia salad

    How To Make Ambrosia Salad

    • In a large bowl, stir together the whipped topping and sour cream (or yogurt). (photo 1)
    • Using a spatula, carefully fold remaining ingredients into whipped topping mixture. (photo 2)
    • Chill at least 1 hour before serving. (photo 3)
    • Store leftovers in an air-tight container and refrigerate.

    ambrosia salad recipe steps photo collage

    Do I have To Use Whipped Topping?

    I have always made Ambrosia Salad with a whipped topping like Cool Whip or CocoWhip. If you are not a big fan of whipped topping, you can just use sour cream, yogurt, or make your own homemade whipped cream.

    spoonful of ambrosia salad with bowl of ambrosia in the background

    Do I Have To Use Nuts In The Recipe?

    If you are not a big fan of nuts, you can just leave them out. I personally like the crunch the nuts add to the salad.

    What is great about this fruit salad is that you can customize it to your flavor likings. I have seen it made with the addition of grapes or sliced bananas.

    Can I Make It Ahead of Time?

    Absolutely!  Ambrosia salad needs to let sit for at least a few hours before serving. So it can be easily made in the morning and then served as dessert after dinner.

    How Long Will It Keep?

    If you have any leftovers, just place it in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

    bowl of ambrosia salad with cherries in the background

    Easy Dessert Salad

    Ambrosia salad is a super easy dessert to make! Not only is this no-bake dessert easy to make, but it is also budget-friendly and is made with easy to find ingredients. The ingredients are naturally gluten-free and there are also dairy-free options for the recipe as well.

    With just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up this dessert in less than 10 minutes. Ambrosia salad is perfect for holiday dinners, parties, and bringing to potlucks.

    More Dessert Recipes To Try!

    • Gluten-Free Mini Cheesecakes
    • Gluten-Free Coconut Cream Pie {Dairy-Free Option}
    • Gluten-Free Lemon Bars {Dairy-Free Option}

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    ★Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below in the comments!★

    ambrosia salad in a blue bowl with cherries in the background
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    Ambrosia Salad

    An easy recipe for Ambrosia Salad. A creamy dessert fruit salad made with tropical fruit. This Ambrosia fruit salad recipe is naturally gluten-free and has a dairy-free option.
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Keyword Ambrosia fruit salad, Ambrosia salad
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 0 minutes
    chilling 1 hour
    Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 160kcal
    Author Audrey from Mama Knows Gluten Free

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip) For dairy-free use So Delicious CocoWhip
    • ½ cup sour cream or dairy-free vanilla yogurt
    • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
    • 1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
    • 1 20-ounce can pineapple tidbits
    • 1 16-ounce jar maraschino cherries, drained and rinsed
    • ½ cup chopped pecans
    • 2 cups gluten-free mini marshmallows

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, stir together the whipped topping and yogurt.
    • Using a spatula, carefully fold remaining ingredients into whipped topping mixture.
    • Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
    • Store leftovers in an air-tight container and refrigerate.

    Video

    Notes

    • For the dairy-free option I used dairy-free use So Delicious CocoWhip and dairy-free vanilla yogurt. 
    • Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 
    • Mama says, "check all of your labels!"

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 18IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
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    © MAMA KNOWS GLUTEN FREE. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please link back to this post for the recipe.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. MRT says

      March 28, 2021 at 9:36 pm

      Wow, until I stumbled across this recipe, I had completely forgotten that my Memere always made ambrosia at Easter! Now have to make it for our DF GF crew. I just need to get dye-free maraschino cherries (thankfully I know where to find them)!

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    Audrey Roberts in a white kitchen for a profile photo

    I'm Audrey Roberts, a busy mama of four and I love sharing the recipes that I make for my family. I make gluten-free family-friendly recipes that are simple and delicious that you can too! I use easy to find ingredients that won't break your budget. You will also find dairy-free options and Paleo recipes. I am also the author of  The Everything Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Cookbook, which is an Amazon Best Selling Cookbook in the US and Internationally. Living gluten-free since 2010. I hope by me sharing my journey it may help you with yours.  Read More…

     

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