Southern Ambrosia Salad
This sweet and tangy Southern Ambrosia salad is full of sweet fruit , coconut , pecans and marshmallows. This is a southern potluck staple that will make appearances during the holidays and even summer cookouts .
Growing up in the 1970 and 80’s Ambrosia was a staple at any event . It was always on the holiday tables so I always thought it was fancy . It was easy enough to make so occasionally we would have it at our summer events . One thing for sure was if a bowl of Watergate salad wasn’t on the table , Southern Ambrosia Salad was. If you like this recipe check out my Pina Colada Fluff .
What you will need to make Southern Ambrosia Salad :
- Cool Whip – This is the sweet base for this fruit salad
- Sour Cream -this adds a slight tanginess to the dressing
- Pineapples – any pineapple variety can be used , I used the tidbits
- Mandarin Oranges
- Shredded sweetened coconut
- cherries
- pecans
- mini marshmallows
- Large mixing bowl
- plastic wrap -If your bowl doesn’t have a lid
- rubber spatula
- serving bowls -Click here for something similar to mine
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Let’s make some salad !
Start off by mixing together the cool whip and sour cream in a large bowl .
Gently fold in the pineapple , mandarin oranges and cut cherries . Careful not to break apart the oranges .
Gently fold in the shredded coconut , chopped pecans and mini marshmallows .
Cover and chill for 2-3 hours .
Serve with a little extra coconut , pecans and a cherry on top .
If you like this recipe check out these :
Southern Ambrosia Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz Whipped Topping Thawed
- 1 cup sour cream
- 20 oz canned Pineapple tidbits drained
- 15 oz canned mandarin oranges drained
- 10 oz jar maraschino cherries drained , rinsed and cut in half
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl mix together the whipped topping and sour cream
- Gently fold in the pineapple , oranges and cherries .
- Gently fold in the coconut , marshmallows, and pecans
- Cover and chill for 1-2 hours before serving . This is ready after chilling for an hour but even better chilled over night .
- Optional -garnish with coconut, pecans and a cherry
Video
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Ambrosia Salad :
This can be made a few hours in advanced but it is even better if it chills overnight
This is good in the fridge for about 3 days
Yes you swap out the canned fruit for fresh fruit . My mother made this different all the time . Sometimes she would add bananas, diced strawberries , fresh oranges and apples . The sky is the limit .
This recipe was so yummy, just like I remember as a little girl! My grandma used to make one similar to this!
It does bring back memories , I am so glad you liked it .
What a lovely and nostalgic dessert! I love a recipe that can be made in advance, so it is ideal that this can be prepared the night before. I love the idea of adding fresh fruit to it also, like your Mom sometimes did.
Fresh fruit is always a bonus.
What a fun pudding, I love anything with a cherry on the top. I like the addition of the coconut and pecans, a crunchy contrast to the soft fruit and cream. Waiting to make this when I have family round.
I brought this ambrosia salad to a pot luck and everyone loved this nostalgic dessert. Thanks for the recipe!
I am so glad everyone loved it !!
Whipping up this recipe and then savoring the first bite, drew me back to childhood when my great grandma used to make it for holidays!
This is such an interesting dessert and one I wasn’t familiar with. I have to say it was really good and I loved how easy it is to make too!
This is one of my favorite desserts. As a kid we had ambrosia at every holiday and party. So good!
This ambrosia salad is so delicious! It has the perfect balance of sweetness and tang from the sour cream. Great recipe!
I used to buy ambrosia salad all the time from my local grocery store deli, but I am so glad I found this recipe! Saves so much money, thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Wow, I will make it for my guest this coming weekend as I will be entertaining. This looks like really fun to make and delicious desserts not you can go wrong with. Thanks for the inspiration.