Ambrosia salad is an homage to your Southern grandma’s cookbook. Creamy tropical fruit salad layered with shredded coconut, fresh fruit, and mini marshmallows. My husband’s family always serves this at holidays, so I thought I’d put my own spin on this no-bake dessert. It’s fresh, creamy, and made in just 10 minutes.
This classic fruit salad is one of my favorite easy desserts, combining a creamy whipped topping and sour cream base with tropical flavors. Juicy pineapple, mandarin oranges, and shredded coconut add sweetness, while maraschino cherries, mini marshmallows, and chopped nuts bring fun texture and flavor in every bite.
Ambrosia Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip), For dairy-free use So Delicious CocoWhip
- 1/2 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
- 1/2 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.
Notes
- 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.
- If you are not a big fan of whipped topping, you can just use sour cream, yogurt, or make your own homemade whipped cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Ambrosia Salad Step by Step
Gather the Ingredients: Gather all the ingredients together.
Mix the Base: Grab a large bowl and mix together 8 oz Cool Whip (or whipped topping of choice) and ½ cup sour cream.
Fold in Ingredients: Next, use a spatula to fold in 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut, 1 11 oz can of mandarin oranges (drained), 1 20 oz can of pineapple (drained), 1 16 oz jar maraschino cherries (drained and rinsed), ½ cup chopped pecans, and 2 cups gluten-free mini marshmallows.
Chill and Serve: Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve in coupe glasses or ice cream dishes, and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
I always make ambrosia salad ahead of time because it tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge. Letting it sit allows the flavors to meld and the marshmallows to soften, creating the perfect creamy texture. It’s an easy make-ahead dessert—just whip it up in the morning, and it’s ready to serve after a holiday dinner like with ham and my green bean casserole. I love scooping it into small bowls or parfait glasses for a pretty presentation, and a sprinkle of extra chopped nuts or toasted coconut on top adds a nice finishing touch.
Storage Instructions
If you have any leftovers (we usually don’t), just place it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Can you make this just using cool whip? No sour cream or yogurt? How much cool whip would you use?
Hi Barbara, we haven’t tested that, but it should work. The salad will likely be a bit sweeter and lighter in texture, though. We recommend adding an extra 1/2 cup.
I made the Ambrosia and it was delicious I was asked for the recipe I used walnuts and 1 bag of marshmallows, vanilla yogurt
my sister used this recipe many time for light dessert and GF option
delicious and I made it in memory of my ate sister Marion Krokenberger
This is delicious! Light, fluffy and easy to make. Great side for a summertime party.
just made the dairy free, gluten free version, as I am bringing this to a potluck that has a person attending that has a severe dairy version, and I am not disappointed. It tastes sooo good! It was also something my 4 year old son could help me make, so, that’s a win too! Love me some ambrosia salad.
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)!