Ambrosia Fruit Salad

My ambrosia salad recipe is quite classic, with all of the traditional hallmarks of grandma’s ambrosia like marshmallows and ruby-red maraschino cherries. I added a few extras, like a little Greek yogurt (ambrosia was the food of the Greek gods, after all) and crisp apples for crunch. 

Especially if you grew up in the south, it’s likely you have feelings about ambrosia salad. This colorful, creamy fruit salad has a long history and for many of us, it’s not Christmas without a bowl of ambrosia fruit salad on the table. 

When I was doing research for this recipe, I stumbled across a Reddit thread that opened with the question “What the hell is ambrosia salad and why does it exist?” I’d like to just throw it out there that ambrosia salad is exactly the kind of quirky, playful, historical recipe that I (and many of us!) truly get a kick out of. It’s the Lucky Charms of the side dish spread! What’s not to love?

I personally love it so much that I make it year-round, and I love bringing ambrosia salad to summer parties, as much as to holiday gatherings! It’s a sweet and delicious addition to any side dish table, whether it’s a summer BBQ or Thanksgiving dinner.  

Ambrosia Ingredients and Substitutions

There are many ways to make this recipe your own! Use canned fruit, like I do, or use fresh fruit to make it a little less sweet and more refreshing. The exact ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

• Coconut: Sweetened, shredded coconut is my favorite, and you can toast it if you want a deeper, richer coconut flavor. 
• Mandarin oranges: Sweet, canned mandarin oranges are one of my favorite things and definitely one of the MOST classic ambrosia salad ingredients. 
• Pineapple: I like to use canned pineapple for ease, but fresh is terrific if you don’t mind all the chopping. 
• Maraschino cherries: Not just for cocktails! I love these little baubles, and my kids do, too. That said, if you’ve got fresh cherries, it’s fine to use them. Just be sure to pit them!
• Mini marshmallows: A lot of people use the pastel ones, but regular white is fine, too. 
• Apple: This is my little extra addition. I love the crunch it adds. 
• Heavy whipping cream: Yes, you can use Cool Whip if you want a short cut! However, I much prefer the flavor and texture of freshly whipped cream. 
• Powdered sugar: Just a little!
• Greek yogurt: I use vanilla yogurt, but if you want a less-sweet ambrosia salad, use plain. 

How To Make Ambrosia Salad, Step By Step

1. Whip the cream. 
2. Very gently fold the yogurt into the cream. 
3. Put all the remaining ingredients into a big serving bowl. 
4. Carefully stir the whipped cream into the fruit.
5. Chill the ambrosia salad for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Tips For Success + FAQs

• To make ambrosia ahead of time: Prep the whole salad the night before you plan to serve it and store it, covered, in the fridge. But….
• Add marshmallows right before you serve the salad, or they’ll get soggy! 
• Be sure to drain all of the canned fruit very well! Excess liquid will make the ambrosia salad watery. 

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