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Grandma’s 5 Cup Creamy Fruit Salad Recipe

Name: Grandma’s 5 Cup Creamy Fruit Salad Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 11 ounces mandarin oranges (1 can, drain well); 8 ounces crushed pineapple (1 can, drain well); 2 cups miniature marshmallows; 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut; 1 cup sour cream

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Published: December 5, 2018Updated: April 8, 2021Author: Camille Beckstrand

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Only 5 ingredients are needed to make our Grandma's 5 cup creamy fruit salad: pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, marshmallows and . . . SOUR CREAM. While not a typical fruit salad, it's a timeless classic that we grew up with and all love. And it comes together in a matter of minutes!

This Grandma’s 5 Cup Creamy Fruit Salad recipe comes straight from our Grandma!

Our sweet grandma is an amazing cook. Every holiday, we would head over to her house for a delicious dinner and this salad made an appearance all the time.

It’s so simple to make – you just dump it all in a bowl, stir it together, and you’re done!

This dish can also be doubled or tripled if you need to feed a crowd.

I never thought to ask what the ingredients were in this recipe – 2 cups of fruit, 1 cup of coconut, 1 cup of marshmallows, and 1 CUP OF SOUR CREAM.

I couldn’t believe it – SOUR CREAM?!

Well, you better believe it!

I don’t typically care for the taste of sour cream, but you would NEVER know that is what holds this salad together! I think that the sweetness of all the fruit, coconut, and marshmallows offsets the sour of the cream. It’s the perfect combination!

I would highly recommend making this the day you plan on eating it, but make it at least 2-3 hours before serving. Let it chill in the fridge, and the sour cream will soak up all the sweetness of the fruit. That’s what makes it taste delicious and so sweet and creamy.

What if I don’t like sour cream in my cup fruit salad?

I get it – it really is a strange ingredient in a fruit salad.

But – don’t knock it until you try it. Seriously. Just try it and see how it goes.

However, if you really don’t want to use sour cream, you could swap it out for Cool Whip, vanilla yogurt, or Greek yogurt. You could even try and do a 1/2 cup of sour cream and a 1/2 cup of one of the above mentioned substitutes.

Grandma's 5 Cup Creamy Fruit Salad Recipe in glass dishes

Other variations of this 5 Cup Creamy Fruit Salad

If there is an ingredient that you don’t like (such as coconut), feel free to leave it out and substitute it for something else.

There are lots of ways that our readers have shared about how they make this salad. Here are some of their ideas below:

add in chopped walnuts or pecans for added crunch
to make it sweeter, stir in a little powdered sugar – it will also offset the tartness from the sour cream
add in a small jar of diced maraschino cherries
add in a can of drained fruit cocktail
add in dried cranberries and a dash of cinnamon
stir in 2 Tablespoons of instant lemon pudding powder for a lemon-taste
use Pina Colada flavored yogurt in place of the sour cream
top with corn flakes for an added crunch
add diced apples (if you don’t like coconut, apples are a great alternative because of the crunch)
add grapes (red or green) that have been halved
add sliced bananas
add some marshmallow creme in with the sour cream to sweeten it up

To make our Grandma’s 5 cup creamy fruit salad you will need:

Canned Mandarin Oranges
Crushed Pineapple
Miniature Marshmallows
Coconut
Sour Cream

Be sure to have these items on hand for this creamy fruit salad:

Mixing Bowl (You will love THIS 4 piece set)
Large mixing spoon (THIS one is a favorite)

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It’s time to make Grandma’s 5 cup creamy fruit salad, and here’s how:

In a large bowl combine the drained oranges, pineapple, marshmallows, coconut, and sour cream.

Stir until completely mixed together.

You could serve it immediately after mixing together, but we recommend that you refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours so that the sour cream can be sweetened by the fruit.

Here are some fun variations that are delicious in this fruit salad: chopped nuts for some added crunch, add in a little powdered sugar for sweetness, add in some diced maraschino cherries, add in various fruits – both canned or fresh. The options are endless with this salad.

Grandma's Cup Creamy Fruit Salad in glass dish

Other tips on making our 5 Cup Creamy Fruit Salad:

If you are using canned fruit, but sure to drain it VERY well! If you don’t you will have a soggy salad by the time you are ready to eat it. Some people even blot the canned fruit with a paper towel to get off the excess liquid (I have never needed to do this – just make sure that it’s very thoroughly drained).
I do not recommend making this salad more than a few hours before serving, otherwise the marshmallows tend to get soggy and it’s not quite as good.
However, if you do have leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days. Excess liquid will gather at the bottom of the dish, so you can either drain that before eating OR add in some extra marshmallows to absorb it and add some life back into the salad!)

Serves: 6