Ambrosia Fruit Salad
Classic Ambrosia fruit salad is an old-fashioned fruit salad recipe that consists of pineapple, mandarin oranges, Maraschino cherries nestled with whipped cream or Cool Whip, sour cream, shredded coconut and chopped pecans.
This recipe has been around a long time – like from the late 1800’s! It has somewhat evolved over the years, but this version is pretty true to authentic Ambrosia recipes.
A Southern Tradition
Many a Southerner has enjoyed this fluffy fruit parfait as a summer dessert or as a Christmas dessert.
Historians have questioned why this dish was once a popular Southern Christmas tradition, but I think the idea came about when some Southern woman had leftover fruit from making Christmas fruit cakes. But that’s just my guess.
Chances are, if you remember your great-grandmother, grandmother or favorite aunt makng this, you’ve probably had Lime Pecan jello, Watergate Salad or some version of a congealed salad.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- You can make this with homemade whipped cream or a whipped topping, like Cool Whip®
- Pineapple chunks or tidbits
- Mandarin oranges
- Maraschino cherries – remove any stems first
- Sour cream – or you can use plain Greek yogurt
- Shredded coconut – get sweetened shredded coconut
- Chopped pecans – this is optional, but it gives the Ambrosia a little texture
- Mini marshmallows – I like using the pastel colored marshmallows to give the dish a little color
Recipe Notes
- Drain the canned fruits well
- For best results, cover with plastic wrap and let the Ambrosia chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes
- Don’t add the marshmallows in until you’re ready to serve; otherwise, they get mushy
- If you’re serving at an outdoor event, place the serving bowl on ice
Serve Ambrosia fruit salad along with Strawberry Goat Cheese dip or homemade chicken salad at your next luncheon or shower!
Ambrosia Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 20 ounces pineapple chunks, drained
- 15 ounces mandarin oranges, drained
- 10 ounces Maraschino cherries, drained and stem removed (add more if you love cherries:)
- 1 cup Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
- 1 cup mini marshmallows , the pastel colored ones look best in this salad
- ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Drain all the fruits and place in a large mixing bowl20 ounces pineapple chunks, drained, 15 ounces mandarin oranges, drained, 10 ounces Maraschino cherries, drained and stem removed
- In a second mixing bowl, combine whipped cream topping, sour cream and coconut1 cup Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
- Fold the whipped cream mixture into the fruit bowl; use a spatula and combine well; cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes
- When ready to serve, fold in marshmallows and chopped pecans and scoop into pretty parfait glasses1 cup mini marshmallows, ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
