This light and fluffy ambrosia salad is a creamy fruit salad with marshmallows, pineapple, mandarin oranges, cherries and coconut. Made in one-bowl and ready in under 15 minutes, this timeless classic is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser!

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Why We Love This Ambrosia Salad Recipe
This ambrosia salad recipe is a family favorite. My mom has been making it for years! Light and fluffy with tons of fruity bites, this old-school classic is always one of the first to disappear from everyoneโs plates. It’s kind of like my other favorite, frog eye salad – a salad that’s sweet and studded with mini marshmallows. Here’s why it’s such a timeless classic:
- Quick and Easy: Itโs as simple as mixing a few ingredients, making it perfect for a busy day like Easter or Christmas!
- No-Bake: Just chop, mix, and you’re ready to serve.
- Nostalgic: Everyone from the littlest kids to the great grandparents love this classic ambrosia salad recipe!
- Picture Perfect: Vibrant, fluffy ambrosia salad with mini marshmallows always stuns when it’s served. It’s just so pretty!
Have any leftover mini marshmallows? Use them to make tasty treats like no-bake stained glass cookies and rolo ritz marshmallow treats.
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for ambrosia salad.ย Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Whipped Topping: AKA Cool Whip! Just let it thaw from frozen before using.
- Sour Cream: This may seem a bit odd, but trust me. It makes the consistency thick and creamy while adding a subtle tang to help cut through the sweetness with a little tang.
- Fruit: Mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits or crushed pineapple, and maraschino cherries add vibrant colors and sweet flavor to the salad. While these are the traditional fruits to use, you can swap it up as you see fit.
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut: Feel free to use unsweetened if preferred.
- Mini Marshmallows: We like to use the colored ones for a pop of color! You can use plain white ones if that’s what you have on hand.
- Chopped Nuts: Walnuts are our favorite, but you could also use pecans.
How to Make Ambrosia Salad
This creamy fruit salad recipe couldn’t be easier to make. Below is a quick recipe overview, but pleaseย scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.
- Combine cool whip and sour cream: In a large bowl, fold together the whipped topping and sour cream until they are smooth.
- Add fruits: Fold in the pineapple tidbits, maraschino cherries, and mandarin oranges.
- Add everything else: Next, fold in the marshmallows, nuts and coconut.
- Mix and chill: Mix it all together, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Tips & Variations to Try
- Chop your nuts well: Choose your favorite nut for this recipe, but make sure you chop them into small bits. Large bites of nuts will ruin the overall texture.
- Use any fruit, but don’t skip the oranges and cherries: You can add in any of your favorite fruits or whatever fruits you have at home, but cherries and mandarin oranges are not optional in my Ambrosia. They give your salad that classic taste.ย
- Always serve this salad chilled: It really is best right out of the fridge! Which makes it a wonderful make-ahead recipe!
- Donโt skimp on the mini marshmallows: They are what gives it that cloud-like texture!
Storing
- Storing: Have any leftovers? Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing.
What to Serve with Ambrosia Salad
- Holiday: Ambrosia salad is always perfect to serve on Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving – you name it! Pair it with holiday staples like spiral ham or Thanksgiving turkey.
- Summer Parties: Celebrate the 4th of July or a backyard bbq with mains like crockpot pulled pork or grilled steak kabobs.
- Potluck Salads: Be the host with the most when you offer even more salads at your party/potluck like tropical fruit salad, cucumber tomato salad, and three bean salad.
Ambrosia Salad
Ingredients
- 1 container, 8 oz whipped topping, thawed
- ยฝ cup sour cream
- 1 can, 11 oz mandarin oranges, drained well
- 1 can, 20 oz tidbits pineapple, drained well – or use crushed pineapple
- 1 jar, 10 oz maraschino cherries, drained, rinsed, cut in half
- 1 cup sweetened coconut
- 2 cups mini marshmallows, white or multi-colored
- 1 cup chopped nuts – walnuts or pecans
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Instructions
- In a large bowl, fold together whipped topping and sour cream until smooth. Fold in oranges, pineapples, cherries, marshmallows, nuts and coconut until well blended.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, before serving. Store any leftovers in refrigerator.ย
Nutrition
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This salad is perfect! It is the right combination of flavors and amounts! My husband and I devour it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Made this for our little family bbq today and it was so good! Kids LOVED it!