
There are lots of different versions of Ambrosia Salad, but this is the way that my mom made it when we were growing up.

This recipe is very similar to our Grandma’s 5 Cup Fruit Salad, but this one has the addition of maraschino cherries and Cool Whip.
Other additions that you could make to this Ambrosia salad:
- substitute vanilla yogurt for the sour cream
- substitute cream cheese for the sour cream
- substitute fruit-flavored marshmallows for the regular marshmallows
- add in chopped pecans or walnuts
- leave out the cherries
- add diced apples
- add sliced strawberries
- use homemade whipped cream in place of cool whip
This makes a perfect fruit side dish or even dessert!

Ingredients needed to make our 5 Minute Ambrosia Salad:
- 8 ounces Cool-Whip frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 20 ounces canned pineapple tidbits, drained well
- 22 ounces canned mandarin oranges, drained well
- 1 cup maraschino cherries, drained well and cut in half
- 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
You will only need 5 Minutes to make this 5 Minute Ambrosia Salad:
In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients.
If needed, you can serve this right away but I highly recommend covering it with plastic wrap and chilling in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
Can I make this fruit salad ahead of time?
If you wanted to, you could even make this the night before you plan on eating it and let it chill overnight.
Stir before serving. I wouldn’t recommend making this any more in advance than the night before.
If you do have leftovers, you will notice that the juices from the fruit can cause this salad to get runny.
When that happens, I just throw in another handful of marshmallows and stir it up – this helps absorb all the extra juice and not make them so juicy!
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5 Minute Ambrosia Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Cool Whip Whipped Topping thawed
- ½ cup sour cream
- 20 ounces pineapple tidbits drained well
- 22 ounces canned mandarin oranges drained well
- 1 cup maraschino cherries drained well and cut in half
- 1½ cups miniature marshmallows
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients.
- If needed, you can serve this right away but I highly recommend covering it with plastic wrap and chilling in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. If you wanted to, you could even make this the night before you plan on eating it and let it chill overnight. Stir before serving
Notes
-
I wouldn’t recommend making this any more in advance than the night before.If you do have leftovers, you will notice that the juices from the fruit can cause this salad to get runny. When that happens, I just throw in another handful of marshmallows and stir it up – this helps absorb all the extra juice and not make them so juicy!
Nutrition
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Wooden Spoon
Recipe Details
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