Easy Ambrosia Salad with Cool Whip and Sour Cream
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Light and fluffy Ambrosia Salad is a classic dessert made with Cool Whip and sour cream tossed with fruit, coconut, and marshmallows.
Ambrosia Salad is a classic southern dessert. I can still remember it, or sometimes Watergate salad or Cranberry Fluff being a part of every holiday dinner or potluck gathering when I was growing up.
It’s a light and fluffy marshmallow fruit salad made with sweet mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, fruity marshmallows, bright maraschino cherries, and sweetened, shredded coconut tossed with a mix of Cool Whip and sour cream.
It’s an easy, make-ahead fruit salad that you can make the night before. In fact, you SHOULD make it the night before so it has time to absorb all the many flavors and is ready to serve when your guests arrive.
What is Ambrosia Salad?
Ambrosia Salad is a marshmallow fruit salad that is a classic southern dessert with many variations. Some use Cool Whip, or whipped cream, while others have sour cream, yogurt, pudding, or cream cheese. All have fruit and most include pineapple, mandarin oranges, and sweetened coconut. Other ingredients can include maraschino cherries, bananas, strawberries, and nuts like chopped pecans or almonds.
However you make it, it’s a delicious fruit salad. Much like cranberry fluff or Watergate salad, this can be used as a side dish or a dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and summer potlucks.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cool Whip – You can sub this with homemade whipped topping if you wish.
- Sour cream – You can sub this with Greek yogurt, pudding, or cream cheese.
- Fruit-flavored marshmallows – Adds a nice pop of color to your dish
- Shredded coconut – Gives your dish a hint of coconut and a great texture.
- Pineapple tidbits – You can sub this with crushed pineapple if necessary, just make sure you drain your pineapple well.
- Maraschino cherries – Not just sweet and delicious, but gives bright bursts of red in your dish.
- Mandarin oranges – The perfect amount of citrus to make your dish stand out.
- Pecans – The nuts are optional or you can sub with your favorite nut.
Some people also choose to add grapes, blueberries, or peaches.
Instructions
Step 1 – Combine Cool Whip and sour cream – In a large bowl stir together your Cool Whip and sour cream until combined.
Step 2 – Fold in additional ingredients – Gently fold in fruit-flavored mini marshmallows, shredded coconut, well-drained pineapple, maraschino cherries, and pecans (if using).
Step 3 – Add oranges – Add mandarin oranges last and gently fold in.
Step 4 – Cover and chill – Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight before serving. This allows all the many flavors to really set in and blend.
Step 5 – Serve – Serve chilled.
Tips for the Best Ambrosia Salad
- Drain the fruit really well. Let the pineapple, cherries and mandarin oranges sit in a strainer for a few minutes, then pat them dry with paper towels. Extra juice is what makes ambrosia watery.
- Fold, don’t stir. Gently folding keeps the mandarin oranges whole and the Cool Whip fluffy.
- Chill it overnight. The marshmallows soften and soak up the flavors as it sits.
- Keep it cold on a buffet. Set the serving bowl inside a larger bowl of ice if it’ll be out for a while.
Can I use Whipped Cream Instead of Cool Whip?
Yes! If you would like, you can make homemade whipped cream and fold it into the salad in place of Cool Whip.
Can Ambrosia Salad Be Made the Day Before?
Yes! We actually recommend it. It allows the dish to set and brings out the many flavors.
When to Serve Ambrosia Salad
Ambrosia salad is great served any time of year. It’s a wonderful addition to anything from Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner to Easter brunch or a backyard BBQ.
Just pull it out of the fridge and serve it immediately.
Can You Freeze Ambrosia Salad?
Technically, yes. However, once it is frozen it needs to stay frozen. You cannot defrost it as it will become mushy. You will need to serve it frozen, like an ice cream treat.
How to Store It
You can store your ambrosia fruit salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
You can also freeze it, but once you do you will have to serve it frozen like ice cream.
Want More Southern Dessert Recipes?
- Watergate Salad
- Hummingbird Cake
- Creamy Cranberry Salad {Cranberry Fluff}
- The BEST Coconut Cake
- Sour Cream Pound Cake
- Sock It To Me Cake
- Lemon Icebox Pie
- Grandma’s Blackberry Cobbler
- Easy Cookie Salad Recipe with Fudge Stripe Cookies
- Easy Lemon Cookie Salad
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Ambrosia Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Cool Whip
- 1/2 cup Sour cream
- 2 cups Fruit-flavored marshmallows
- 1 cup Shredded coconut, sweetened
- 20 ounces Pineapple tidbits, drain and pat dry Note: you can substitute with crushed pineapple if needed
- 10 ounces Maraschino cherries, drain and pat dry
- 11 ounces Mandarin oranges, drain and pat dry
- 3/4 cup Pecans, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine Cool Whip and sour cream, stirring until combined.
- Gently fold in fruit-flavored marshmallows, shredded coconut, pineapple, and maraschino cherries, and pecans (if using).
- Add mandarin oranges last and gently fold in.
- Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours preferably overnight before serving.
- Serve chilled.
Notes
- Pat the drained fruit dry
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge; can be frozen but must be served frozen
Nutrition
I have made this recipe twice now. So easy and family loves it. Hard to keep hands out of the rainbow colored marshmallows. Also used all low fat/fat free, no one knew .
Nice and simple! I made this for a church event and it was a hit! Thank you! I’ll definitely make it again!
My Granna used to make this fruit salad every holiday. I absolutely love it too.
Approximately how many people will this recipe serve? I would love to make this, Sunday, for Easter & there will be about 25-30 guests at my mother’s-in-law.
I’d say it serves 10-15 as a side or small dessert. If you double it I’m sure you will have enough!
This salad was really delicious and light! I will definitely make this again.