Ambrosia Salad

Honeys, don’t y’all dare show up to a Southern potluck without this Ambrosia Salad recipe. This marshmallow fruit salad is as classic and iconic as they come. It’s made with juicy pineapple, mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries, fluffy mini marshmallows, and a heap of whipped cream making the whole thang a taste of heaven boos. Ambrosia Salad is refreshing and so delish whether you serve it up while entertaining like my Southern big mama did or indulge in it as a snack. Regardless of how you serve it, this ambrosia salad is the real thang.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

Listen, my folks are from Mississippi so we know a good Ambrosia when we taste one. This classic has been around forever, and my big mama used to serve it whenever she would entertain. That’s because folks in the South love them a good Ambrosia salad recipe. It’s great for a church function and also perfect for throwing together when unannounced guests pop on by. The best part is the whole thing is a no sweat recipe that even the kids can help make.

What is Ambrosia?

An Ambrosia Salad is about as classic Southern American as it gets. They even serve it up in the movie “The Help”. Think of it as the eccentric second cousin to the basic fruit salad with a whole lot more personality. It combines the fruit salad with marshmallows, coconut and creamy ingredients. It’s all folded together then chilled before serving it up. Folks love to serve it at a large gathering because its such a fan fave.

The burst of acidic fruit juice, the chewy marshmallows, the creamy cool whip, and toasted coconut all come together to create something so uniquely delish and satisfying.

The Lowdown on this Southern Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe

• Cuisine Inspiration: Southern American Classic
• Primary Cooking Method: Simple Mixing
• Dietary Info: Gluten-Free, Can be made Vegetarian if you remove the marshmallows
• Key Flavor: Sweet, Fruity and Creamy boos!
• Skill Level: Beginners Rejoice! No sweat, fam!

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make this Ambrosia Recipe

• Pineapple and Mandarin Oranges– This is gonna give this Southern ambrosia salad tropical vibes and brightness from the citrus. Make sure you completely drain so the salad doesn’t get watered down.
• Maraschino Cherries- Just one bite of one of these babies, and you are going to get that perfect pop of juicy cherry flavor and bright red color.
• Cool Whip- Grab this at the store for convenience boos. It has such a light, fluffy and airy texture.
• Sour Cream- Now this is where I remix the original just a bit. Adding just a smidge of sour cream provides a bit of tang that balances out the sweetness.
• Mini Marshmallows- I love these little sweet puffs. You can’t have a classic ambrosia recipe without it.
• Shredded Coconut- Let’s get tropical with it. Adding in that sweet yet nutty crunch gives it a little something extra.
• Pecans- Texture is everything, and this extra nutty crunch provides just that.

How To Make Ambrosia

1. Drain the Fruit: Thoroughly drain the pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, and cherries. Make sure you get out as much liquid as humanly possible. You can even pat the fruit dry with paper towels if you’d like. Watery ambrosia ain’t it y’all!
2. Fold Creams: In a large bowl, gently fold the whipped cream and sour cream together.
3. Mix It Up: Slowly add the drained fruit, marshmallows, coconut, and pecans to the bowl, carefully folding in each addition. It’s best to add everything to the creamy mixture in increments of 3. You want to keep the texture airy so make sure you fold and not stir.
4. Chill for at least an hour, then serve.

PRO TIP: If you wanna make it cute, reserve some maraschino cherries to garnish the top of your salad.

How to Serve Southern Ambrosia Salad

• BBQ: This is great on a hot summer day served with grilled mains like rib tips and honey bbq wings along with some potato salad, fried corn and baked beans.
• Brunch: Creating a vast brunch spread can be a ton of work so throwing in ambrosia can definitely lighten up the load. I love to serve this up with chicken and waffles, grits, drop biscuits and strawberry preserves or even a lovely bacon quiche.
• Picnic: Pack up a nice picnic with this ambrosia recipe, cold fried chicken, some sweet tea, a tomato sandwich, cut veggies and dips and a few cosmic brownies.
• Dessert Buffet: When you are serving up all the heavy treats like tea cakes, cream cheese pound cake and chess pie, lighten it up with this ambrosia.

Recipe Substitutions

• Fruit: This ambrosia recipe can be adapted based on what you like. Do you boos! Want to use fresh fruit that’s in season? Do it! Just make sure you completely pat dry that fruit to remove that extra water.
• Cream Base: Use homemade whipped cream if you ain’t down for the grocery store variety. You can also swap out the sour cream for Greek yogurt for something lighter.
• Nuts: Replace the pecans with almonds or walnuts. It’s a super easy swap.
• Marshmallows: You can remove them all together to cut down the processed sugar or add a little honey or agave in place of them. You won’t get the texture but you will get some of the sugar back, just naturally.

Recipe Variations and Additions

• Vegetarian and Vegan: Substitute the sour cream and whipped cream with a non-dairy alternative, such as coconut cream or almond milk or oat milk based yogurt. Grab vegan marshmallows as well since regular marshmallows usually use egg whites and gelatin.
• Fruit Switch: Try swapping out pineapples for apples, grapes or pears. Even berries like strawberries and raspberries with a few kiwi and mango in the mix are a nice addition. Change up the mandarins for grapefruit.
• Booze it Up: This ain’t for the kiddos. Add a little rum or a delish liqueur like coconut or amaretto to make those flavors pop for the grown ups.
• Spice: If you want to add a flavor note that just jazzes up the original ambrosia recipe slightly, throw a dash of spice like nutmeg, cinnamon or even cardamom. It will warm that baby up and add more complex flavor.

Expert Tips for Making Ambrosia

1. Room Temp: Making sure your ingredients are room temperature will help make sure your ambrosia salad doesn’t clump up or seize.
2. Taste as you go! That way you can adjust sweetness and other flavors to your liking. That’s how the pros make sure its just right!
3. Mix Gently: Remember don’t just toss everything together in a hurry. Take your time and truly fold the ingredients together so the texture stays light and airy.
4. Toast the coconut: If you have a little more time, toast up the coconut. It will give a much richer flavor. Just add your coconut flakes to a dry skillet over medium heat and stir frequently for about 3-5 minutes until they toast up.
5. Let is Set! Throw that bowl in the fridge for a bit to let those flavors really set up. You want to let it chill at the very least an hour.

How to Store this Ambrosia Salad Recipe

• Fridge: Fresh ambrosia salad can be kept in the fridge up to 3 days. Just be sure to keep it in an airtight container! The liquids might separate and pool at the bottom but don’t worry, it should still be ok. 
• Freezer? Nope: It’s a no go boos. The whipped cream won’t retain that light texture once thawed. Ambrosia salad is best served chilled and fresh. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Check Out These Salad Recipes on Grandbaby Cakes

• Potato salad 
• Baked Potato Salad
• Egg salad 
• Shrimp Caesar Salad
• Cobb Salad with Jerk Shrimp
• Vinegar Coleslaw
• Cornbread Salad
• Harvest Salad