Name: Granny's Ambrosia Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces Cool Whip; 1/2 cup sour cream; 11 ounces mandarin oranges (drained); 20 ounces crushed pineapple (drained); 10 ounces maraschino cherries (drained); 1 cup shredded coconut; 2 cups fruity rainbow marshmallows; 3/4 cups crushed pecans (optional)

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A classic Ambrosia Salad recipe, just like Grandma made it! Fluffy, sweet, and absolutely divine!

Classic Ambrosia Salad Recipe

My husband pokes fun at me, but I just love those classic fruit “salads” that my Granny use to serve with holiday dinners. You know the ones that everyone pretends they don’t like, but somehow they always get eaten?

My two favorites are Pistachio Salad and Ambrosia Salad, so today I am sharing an easy Ambrosia Salad recipe – just like you’ll find at country restaurants and church picnics!

(Stay tuned for a Pistachio salad recipe to come later this year!)

This ambrosia salad recipe is inspired by the dishes my Granny used to make at our family dinners. I’m sure her original recipe is much better (somehow Granny works magic with even the most ordinary ingredients) but hopefully we did it justice!

Related: This layered Jello Ribbon Salad is also a classic recipe that’s perfect for picnics and holidays!

So What IS Ambrosia Salad?

Ambrosia salad is a type of fruit salad, with add-ins to make it creamy (traditionally sour cream and/or whipped topping).

Fruit-wise, it usually contains pineapple and mandarin oranges, though you might also see bananas, strawberries, and maraschino cherries in some variations (I’m partial to cherries!) Shredded coconut is also a must.

The word “ambrosia” is a Greek word that means “immortality,” and was used to refer to the food of the gods (source). It’s also the name of a pretty groovy 70s rock band.

I think it’s a pretty fitting name — Ambrosia salad is absolutely heavenly!

Classic Ambrosia Salad Ingredients

8oz Cool Whip
1/2 cup sour cream
11 ounces mandarin oranges
20 ounces crushed pineapple
10 ounces maraschino cherries
1 cup shredded coconut
2 cups fruity rainbow marshmallows
3/4 cup crushed pecans, optional

A free printable copy of this recipe is available at the bottom of the post.

Keep reading for photo step-by-step instructions and prep tips or click here to jump to printable recipe.

How to Make Ambrosia Salad

First, watch this 1-minute video demo to see how we made our classic ambrosia salad recipe, then keep reading for photo step-by-step directions and printable recipe card.

Click video to play:

Drain all of your fruits and separate into their own bowls.

Mix cool whip and sour cream in a large mixing bowl until completely incorporated.

Stir in the drained mandarins and pineapple, followed by the coconut and rainbow marshmallows.

Add chopped pecans, if using. I prefer without nuts, but to each their own! 🙂

Press your drained maraschino cherries between two paper towels to remove all remaining liquid, then stir into your Ambrosia salad. Take care with this step to prevent bruising the cherries.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, as it’s best served cold.

TIP: You can prepare your Ambrosia salad the night before to save time. Be sure to thoroughly drain all fruit to prevent the salad from becoming too liquid-y. Keep covered in the fridge until ready to serve.

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A classic Ambrosia Salad recipe, just like Grandma made it! Fluffy, sweet, and absolutely divine!

Print Recipe

4.75 from 8 votes

Granny's Ambrosia Salad

A classic Ambrosia Salad recipe, just like Grandma made it! Fluffy, sweet, and absolutely divine!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time1 min

Total Time2 hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Ambrosia, fruit, fruit salad, side dish

Servings:

Calories: 358kcal

Author: Stacey aka the Soccer Mom

Ingredients

8 ounces Cool Whip
1/2 cup sour cream
11 ounces mandarin oranges drained
20 ounces crushed pineapple drained
10 ounces maraschino cherries drained
1 cup shredded coconut
2 cups fruity rainbow marshmallows
3/4 cups crushed pecans optional

Instructions

Fold together cool whip and sour cream in a large mixing bowl until completely incorporated.
Stir in the drained mandarins and pineapple, followed by the coconut and rainbow marshmallows.
Add in the pecans, if using.
Drain and press the cherries between two sheets of paper towel, then carefully stir into the ambrosia salad to prevent bruising.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Video

Notes

Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate only; actual values will vary based on the exact ingredients used and amount of recipe prepared.

Nutrition

More of our favorite summer salad recipes:

Artichoke & Hearts of Palm Salad

Asparagus & Dill Chicken Salad

Author
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Stacey aka the Soccer Mom

Stacey is the creator of The Soccer Mom Blog, a Houston Texas mom blog that focuses on positive living for women and families. She loves to share real food recipes, money-saving tips, parenting encouragement, kids activities, DIY tutorials, home hacks, fitness, and so much more! To get to know Stacey even better, click here.

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