
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! It’s a great recipe to have on hand for your summer picnics, serving big crowds, or bringing to family gatherings.
This dish can also be doubled or tripled if you need to feed a crowd. It’s similar to our 5 Minute Ambrosia Salad here!
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 sweet 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 (it won’t hold up as well the next day), 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. It’s such a simple fruit salad but makes for the perfect sweet treat!
What if I don’t like sour cream in my 5 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 whipped cream, 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 mentioned substitutes. No matter what you choose to do, it’s a great dish that the entire family will love.

Other variations of this 5 Cup Creamy Fruit Salad
If there is an ingredient that you don’t like (such as coconut flakes), 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 bit of 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 (drained)
- add in dried cranberries and a dash of cinnamon
- stir in 2 Tablespoons of instant lemon pudding mix 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 halved grapes (red or green)
- 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
- Mini Marshmallows
- Coconut
- Sour Cream
Be sure to have these items on hand for this creamy fruit salad:

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It’s time to make Grandma’s 5 cup creamy fruit salad, and here’s how:
In a large mixing 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.

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 in an airtight container. 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!)

Grandma’s 5 Cup Creamy Fruit Salad Recipe
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
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the oranges, pineapple, marshmallows, coconut, and sour cream.
- Stir until completely mixed together.
- You can eat it immediately after mixing, but we recommend that you refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before serving so that the sour cream can be sweetened by the fruit.
Video
Notes
- add in chopped walnuts or pecans for an 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 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 diced bananas
- add some marshmallow creme in with the sour cream to sweeten it up
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Large Mixing Spoon
Recipe Details
This post was included in our 10 of the EASIEST Thanksgiving Side Dishes video – for more inexpensive and delicious recipes like this one, click here to check it out!

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