Ambrosia Salad

Ambrosia salad might just happen to be my favorite fruit salad of all time. Even though I love berry fruit salad in the summer and winter fruit salad when its cold, ambrosia salad is a perfect year round salad!

Have you ever had ambrosia salad before? It’s something I remember being drawn to as a kid. I mean, as a kid I loved the creamy fruit, but my favorite thing was all the marshmallows. As an adult, I’m still all about the marshmallows! I’ve made a few small changes to the classic recipe to create my own version of this salad. Sometimes when I want a more elegant presentation, I get a similar effect by serving a fresh fruit platter with a cream cheese fruit dip. I love that this light, refreshing and can be made ahead of time which makes it perfect for parties and potlucks. Some of my other favorite make ahead pot luck salads are three bean salad and Italian pasta salad. But, if you just want more fruit salads, take a look at my list of 20 amazing fruit salad recipes!

How do you make ambrosia salad?

I start with a combination of fresh and canned fruit. You can use all fresh or all canned, but I like the flavor and texture combination of both. I’m using pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries and fresh sliced grapes.

The dressing for this ambrosia salad couldn’t be any easier – it’s simply a combination of fresh whipped cream and vanilla Greek yogurt. Now, I know that whipped topping is a more traditional ingredient, I just prefer the flavor of real whipped cream. You can absolutely use whipped topping instead, and I’ve made a note of how much to substitute in the recipe. I use the Greek yogurt because it adds a bit of tang that cuts through the sweetness of the fruit, but sour cream also works if you prefer that. The fruit gets tossed in the dressing and then coconut and mini marshmallows are folded in. You can add nuts if you like, walnuts or pecans are a great choice.

What goes in ambrosia?

The basis of ambrosia salad is fruit. Typically you’ll find oranges, pineapple and cherries in ambrosia salad, although you’ll sometimes find other fruit such as strawberries, apples or bananas. Other additions include coconut and marshmallows, and you’ll sometimes find nuts such as pecans.

How long can you keep ambrosia salad in the fridge?

After your salad is finished, you can serve it immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days The maraschino cherries may add a pink tint to the salad, you can reduce the chance of this happening by drying them well before they get added to the salad.

Can you freeze ambrosia salad?

I wouldn’t recommend freezing this salad, as when it thaws it will become watery and soggy. Ambrosia salad is best when made fresh and served within 3 days. I like to decorate the top of my ambrosia salad with additional fruit, marshmallows and mint sprigs. This salad is a real crowd pleaser that’s ready in 10 minutes! I’ve included a video to demonstrate just how easy it is to make! Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!