Name: Ambrosia Salad
Yield: 10

This Ambrosia Salad Recipe mixes pineapple, oranges, grapes, cherries, mini marshmallows, and coconut in a creamy, tangy dressing.

Ambrosia Salad in a bowl with a cherry on top.

author’s note

The Ambrosia Salad I Bring Again and Again!

Growing up in Utah, “salad” could mean a lot of things. Sometimes it had lettuce, but a lot of the time it meant something sweet, creamy, and full of fruit. I grew up eating all of them. Watergate, Snickers salad, orange fluff, and every other dessert “salad” you could imagine.

After years of trying different versions, this is the one I keep coming back to. I wanted something that still felt classic, but a little fresher and lighter. So instead of using only whipped topping, I make a fluffy whipped cream and fold in a little Greek yogurt and fresh lemon. It gives the salad a slight tang that balances all the sweetness.

This is the ambrosia salad I bring to gatherings now, and it’s always one of the first bowls to be scraped clean.

The ingredients in this recipe include pineapple, marshmallows, grapes, cherries, coconut, and oranges.

Ambrosia Salad Recipe Ingredients

Ingredient	Tips & Swaps
Mini Marshmallows	Use rainbow marshmallows for extra color.
Coconut Flakes	Sweetened coconut is best here.
Mandarin Oranges	Drain well so the salad does not get soggy.
Maraschino Cherries	Remove stems and drain well to keep the salad from turning red.
Pineapple Tidbits	Use pineapple canned in juice or water, not syrup.
Grapes	Green or purple seedless grapes work.
Heavy Cream	Whip until stiff peaks form.
Powdered Sugar	Helps the cream whip up nicely.
Greek Yogurt	Honey vanilla Greek yogurt adds sweetness without too much tang.

The ingredients in the whipped cream layer for this ambrosia salad prep include yogurt, vanilla, sugar, lemon, and heavy cream.

How To Make Ambrosia Salad Recipe

Prep Lemon: Grate the yellow part of the lemon and squeeze out the juice; keep nearby.
Mix Salad: Mix marshmallows, coconut, and fruit in a big bowl.
Whip cream: Whip cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt until stiff.
Add yogurt and lemon: Fold in yogurt, zest, and juice.
Combine: Carefully mix dressing into the salad. Cover and chill for at least 30 mins.

Quick Tip

Mandarin oranges and marshmallows are delicate. Use a spatula to gently fold the salad instead of stirring.

All the fruit and marshmallow ingredients added to a bowl.

Variations

Whipped Topping: Use an 8-ounce container of thawed whipped topping (like Cool Whip) instead of heavy cream and powdered sugar.
Add Nuts: Mix in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
Sour Cream: Use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt in this ambrosia salad recipe.
Fresh Fruit: Swap canned fruit for fresh mandarin oranges and pineapple when you can find them.
Add Bananas: Right before serving, add 1/2 cup of thinly sliced bananas.
Fruit Cocktail: Add a can of drained fruit cocktail if fresh fruit isn’t available.

Whipped cream mixture being mixed together and added to the fruit and marshmallow mix.

chelsea’s recipe tip

Here’s How I Serve This Salad

Here are some quick serving ideas for this ambrosia salad recipe:

BBQ: Serve with grilled chicken, ribs, or burgers.
Holidays: Great with ham, turkey, or roast beef.
Dessert: Enjoy chilled as a light, fruity dessert.
Brunch: Pair with muffins, quiche, or eggs.
Cakes: Use as a topping for pound cake or angel food cake.

Storage

Keep leftovers of this ambrosia salad recipe in a sealed container. It’s best to eat it the same day, but it can stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. If it separates, just stir it before eating. It will stay fresh longer if the fruit is drained well before mixing.