The Best Ambrosia Salad Recipe (2024)

By Sam 49 Comments

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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

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

  1. KIM DILUGLIO

    Sam,
    I was wondering if I could use cream cheese instead of sour cream for the whipped cream?
    Thoughts?

    Reply

    • Sam

      Hi Kim! Cream cheese would certainly change the flavor and I’m not sure how well it would combine into the whipped cream mixture. It could end up deflating your whipped cream.

  2. Tami Olson

    The Best Ambrosia Salad Recipe (6)
    I just made this version with homemade whipped cream. So delicious. May add a few nut before I serve for dinner tomorrow.

    Reply

    • Sam

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

      Reply

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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! 🙂

  6. 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. 🙁

  7. 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 are the ingredients for an ambrosia salad? ›

The best Ambrosia Salad recipe is made with pineapple, mandarin oranges, yogurt, mini marshmallows, coconut and whipped cream. This easy side dish has a delicious tropical sweetness and is always a crowd favorite!

What was ambrosia made 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 the USA? ›

“There's so many different ways to do it,” Pelosi said of ambrosia salad. “I make it the way that my family made it, which doesn't have marshmallows because we didn't like them.” Ambrosia was so named for the food of the Greek and Roman gods. Its region of origin is lost to history.

What is the difference between ambrosia and watergate? ›

Ambrosia Salad Tastes Like Coconut, Watergate Salad Tastes Like Pistachio. One of the first things that sets ambrosia and Watergate salads apart is the flavor profile of each dish. Watergate salad uses a pistachio instant pudding packet and often calls for additional garnishings of pistachio on top.

How to make homemade salads taste good? ›

Do This to Make Restaurant-Quality Salads at Home
  1. Use the freshest ingredients. Pre-bagged salads may make life easier, but they taste kind of blah. ...
  2. Choose the right lettuce. ...
  3. Add some crunch. ...
  4. Add color. ...
  5. Include protein. ...
  6. Give it some bulk. ...
  7. Mix sweet with savory. ...
  8. Add herbs.
Jun 27, 2023

What exactly is ambrosia? ›

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.

Why do people eat ambrosia salad? ›

The once hard-to-find ingredients were considered luxurious and exotic. The salad was a treat reserved for holidays and other special occasions, and named “ambrosia” after the food of the Greek and Roman gods.

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.

Where do people eat ambrosia salad? ›

For many Southerners, ambrosia salad is a dish often associated with holiday potlucks or aunts and grandmothers. It occasionally gets a bad rap, along with the often-maligned fruitcake, but when prepared correctly it can be light and delicious.

Why is it called a Watergate salad? ›

Syndicated household advice columnists Anne Adams and Nan Nash-Cummings, in their "Anne & Nan" column of October 9, 1997, reported that name came from the similar "Watergate Cake" (which shares most of the same ingredients): "The recipes came out during the Watergate scandal.

What does ambrosia taste like? ›

When eaten, ambrosia normally tastes like a pleasant food enjoyed by the consumer. For Percy, it was warm chocolate chip cookies, while for Piper it was the black bean soup her father used to make her.

What is the meaning of candle salad? ›

Candle salad is a vintage fruit salad that was popular in America from the 1920s through to the 1960s. The salad is typically composed of lettuce, pineapple, banana, cherry, and either mayonnaise or, according to some recipes, cottage cheese.

Who invented pistachio pudding? ›

Pistachio pudding is a green pudding made from pistachio nuts and occasionally contains small chunks of almonds. Jell-O also sells boxed pistachio pudding mix. Boxed pistachio pudding was developed by Kraft Foods in 1975.

What is the nickname of the Watergate source? ›

Bob Woodward first describes his source, nicknamed "Deep Throat", in All the President's Men, as a "source in the Executive Branch who had access to information at CRP (the Committee to Re-elect the President, Nixon's 1972 campaign organization), as well as at the White House." In the book, Deep Throat is described as ...

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 kind of alcohol is ambrosia? ›

Fill an 8-oz. glass with ice. Stir in rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, and a splash of grenadine.

Is ambrosia good for you? ›

Phytonutrients have been linked to general disease prevention, improved digestive health, reduction of inflammation, increased cognitive health, and overall longevity. Ambrosia apples contain several phytonutrients in the form of polyphenols and flavonoids (often celebrated for their antioxidant properties).

References

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