The Best Ambrosia Salad Recipe (2024)

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This Ambrosia Salad recipe is a classic old-fashioned favorite. While many versions use artificially-flavored store-bought whipped cream, today we’re improving upon the flavor by making our own homemade whipped cream and tweaking this recipe to dessert salad perfection!

The Best Ambrosia Salad Recipe (1)

A Better Ambrosia Salad Recipe

Throwback to an old-fashioned favorite today! A recent favorite for me. Growing up, I honestly always avoided Ambrosia Salad. There was something about the fact that it was called a salad but that it also had marshmallows!? in it that I just couldn’t seem to get behind.

As far as unconventional, non-lettuce-based “salads” go, potato salad and macaroni salad were about as far as I ever ventured. Dessert salads like Ambrosia salad were often on the menu, but never on my plate.

Oh, was I ever missing out.

If you’ve ever had Ambrosia Salad in the past, chances are it was made with Cool Whip. Sure, Cool Whip is easy to use and works in a pinch, but the (artificial) taste simply doesn’t compare to making our own homemade, from-scratch whipped cream. This simple switch in ingredients changed me forever from a dessert salad skeptic to an Ambrosia Salad fan(atic).

The Best Ambrosia Salad Recipe (2)

What You Need

  • Heavy Cream — rather than using Cool Whip, as so many Ambrosia Salad recipes do, we are making our own homemade whipped cream. It’s going to make the flavor so much better (and only takes 5 minutes)!
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Sour Cream — This ingredient is key for adding a great depth of flavor to this Ambrosia salad recipe and keeps it from being too sweet!
  • Mandarin oranges
  • Maraschino cherries— remove any stems.
  • Pineapple tidbits — If you can’t find “tidbits” then pineapple chunks will work, just cut each piece in half so the pineapple doesn’t overwhelm things. Alternatively you can chop up your own fresh pineapple into small bite-sized pieces!
  • Sweetened shredded coconut
  • Mini marshmallows — regular, white, classic mini marshmallows will work just fine in this recipe, but personally I prefer the fruit flavored marshmallows.
  • Nuts— optional! I don’t care for nuts in ambrosia salad, but if you are a fan then feel free to add ¾ cup of coarsely chopped nuts in with the marshmallows.

The Best Ambrosia Salad Recipe (3)

How to Make Ambrosia Salad

  1. Start by making a simple homemade whipped cream by using an electric mixer to beat together heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
  2. Stir in sour cream. It might seem like an odd combination, but give it a taste test. The sour cream adds such a nice depth of flavor (just like it does with my cheesecake).Soooo good.
  3. Stir in fruits and marshmallows, tossing everything together until completely combined.
  4. Cover and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

The Best Ambrosia Salad Recipe (4)

How Far In Advance Can I Make Ambrosia Salad

I recommend making Ambrosia Salad 1-24 hours before you intend to serve, for best flavor and texture. However, Ambrosia Salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (make sure to store in an airtight container). I do not recommend freezing as the quality degrades when thawed.

Enjoy!

More Old Fashioned Favorites

  • Rice Krispie Treats
  • Buckeyes
  • Potato Candy

I originally shared this recipe for Ambrosia Salad over on Real Housemoms!

Oh, and hey! Today’s new video was filmed in my brand new kitchen! I’m working on a post to show you everything we had done to the new space, so stay tuned, but I hope you enjoy today’s sneak-peek 🙂

The Best Ambrosia Salad Recipe (5)

Best Ambrosia Salad Recipe

An easy homemade Ambrosia Salad Recipe! Sweet and so simple, no Cool Whip required!

Be sure to check out the quick how-to video below the recipe!

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 301kcal

Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

  • ¾ cups (180 ml) heavy cream
  • ¼ cup (35 g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120 g) sour cream
  • 11 oz (312 g) can mandarin oranges well drained
  • 10 oz (¾ cup) maraschino cherries without stems
  • 1 8 oz can pineapple tidbits well-drained
  • 1 ½ cups (120 g) sweetened shredded coconut
  • 4 cups (200 g) mini marshmallows¹

Instructions

  • Combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat until mixture is thick, billowy, and the consistency of Cool Whip.

    ¾ cups (180 ml) heavy cream, ¼ cup (35 g) powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Stir in sour cream.

    ½ cup (120 g) sour cream

  • In a separate bowl, stir together oranges, cherries, pineapple, coconut, and mini marshmallows.

    11 oz (312 g) can mandarin oranges, 10 oz (¾ cup) maraschino cherries, 1 8 oz can pineapple tidbits, 1 ½ cups (120 g) sweetened shredded coconut, 4 cups (200 g) mini marshmallows¹

  • Add whipped cream/sour cream mixture and stir until completely combined.

  • Cover bowl and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes

¹I like to use the rainbow/fruit flavored mini marshmallows for more of a tropical flavor, but classic white mini marshmallows work just as well!

Nuts?

Some people like to add nuts to their ambrosia salad. ¾ cup of coarsely chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts would make a great addition.

Storing Ambrosia Salad

I recommend making Ambrosia Salad 1-24 hours before you intend to serve, for best flavor and texture. However, Ambrosia Salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (make sure to store in an airtight container). I do not recommend freezing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 769IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Sam

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Tami! 🙂

      Reply

  1. Audrey Cortez

    I can’t wait to make this nostalgic salad tomorrow for my brother’s birthday! It’s so difficult to find in delis nowadays. I’d like to make enough so that he has plenty for himself, as well as to share. I was wondering how much this makes? I think I’ll double the recipe just to be sure. Thank you so much for literally making my younger brother’s birthday so much sweeter!

    Reply

    • Sam

      Hi Audrey! It makes about 10 servings, but of course that depends how big you like a serving to be. You can never have enough if you ask me! 🙂

      Reply

  2. Renee San Marco

    Love the receipt but way too sweet. Next time I will cut the powdered sugar by at least half and maybe 2/3.

    Reply

  3. Meena Maharaj

    The best Ambrosia

    Reply

    • Dee

      The Best Ambrosia Salad Recipe (7)
      Sam, I had never had ambrosia, so like you I realized I had been missing out. I followed your recipe without changing a thing and it came out delicious! Brought some to my mom who has a picky palate and she loved it too!

      Reply

      • Sam

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Dee! 🙂

  4. Seth

    The Best Ambrosia Salad Recipe (8)
    I’m so glad I came across your recipe! It Turned out amazing!!! Thank you for sharing

    Reply

    • Sam

      I’m so glad you enjoy them so much, Seth! 🙂

      Reply

    • Joyce Leftridge

      Do you have a recipe for Waldorf salad ?

      Reply

      • Sam

        Hi Joyce! Unfortunately I do not. 🙁

  5. Laura

    What about lemon extract instead of vanilla?

    Reply

    • Sam

      If you like the flavor combination that will work fine. You will want to use less though as lemon extract is much more potent than vanilla. 🙂

      Reply

      • Mary

        Do I not drain the maraschino cherries? It does say to drain the mandarin oranges, but nothing about the cherries. I want to make sure. Looking forward to making this salad. TIA

      • Sam

        Hi Mary! You do not want to add the liquid from the cherries. 🙂

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The Best Ambrosia Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the ingredients in ambrosia? ›

Ingredients
  • 1 can (15 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained.
  • 1 can (8 ounces) pineapple tidbits, drained.
  • 1 cup miniature marshmallows.
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut.
  • 1 cup sour cream.
Dec 4, 2023

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.

Why is it called ambrosia salad in USA? ›

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 is ambrosia in culinary? ›

a dessert made of various fruits and often topped with shredded coconut (sometimes includes marshmallows) type of: afters, dessert, sweet. a dish served as the last course of a meal.

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 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.

What is the origin of the ambrosia salad? ›

It's said that the ambrosia salad was invented as a three-ingredient salad (coconut, oranges and sugar) so that people in the US' southern states could utilise an abundance of oranges. Variations eventually morphed the salad into the lustrous five-cup salad plus so-called exotic fruits to signal class and money.

What are some interesting facts about ambrosia? ›

The word “ambrosia” means delicious or fragrant. Ambrosia was also the magical fruit of the gods in ancient Greek mythology. The gods on Mount Olympus ate ambrosia to maintain immortality and without it, they became weak. In Homer's Iliad, the gods bathed in ambrosia and used it as perfume.

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.

Why is ambrosia so good? ›

For everyone else, the thinner skin just makes eating an Ambrosia apple that much more enjoyable. The love of Ambrosia apples is not only skin deep. The flesh of Ambrosia apples is firm and crunchy. Occupational therapists often recommend chewing crunchy foods because it helps to keep you calm and find focus.

Who made Ambrosia salad? ›

Oranges & Coconuts: The Original Ambrosia

The earliest written reference to the dish that I've been able to find is in an 1867 cookbook entitled Dixie Cookery: or How I Managed My Table for Twelve Years, which was written by Maria Massey Barringer of Concord, North Carolina.

What is milk of ambrosia? ›

In the ancient Greek myths, ambrosia (/æmˈbroʊziə, -ʒə/, Ancient Greek: ἀμβροσία 'immortality') is the food or drink of the Greek gods, and is often depicted as conferring longevity or immortality upon whoever consumed it.

What does taste of ambrosia mean? ›

ambrosia • \am-BROH-zhee-uh\ • noun. 1 a : the food of the Greek and Roman gods b : the ointment or perfume of the gods 2 : something extremely pleasing to taste or smell 3 : a dessert made of oranges and shredded coconut.

What does ambrosia taste like? ›

Its flavor is best described as refreshing with floral notes and a pleasant crisp, fine-grained flesh. It's very sweet with very little acidity. Ambrosia is an apple that naturally doesn't brown quickly after being sliced, making it perfect for snacks or salads. You can cook with it too!

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 does ambrosia liquor taste like? ›

It's on the sweeter end of the bittersweet style, with an emphasis on aromatics and flavorings including blood orange, cantaloupe and a variety of botanicals. This drink was developed in 1908 when “Don Ciccio & Figli” was a family living in a small village near Naples.

Are ambrosia apples baking or eating? ›

While they are exceptional for fresh eating due to their sweetness and texture, Ambrosia apples can also be used in baking. Their lower acidity and sweet flavor can reduce the need for added sugar in recipes.

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