American · Salad · Easy
Ambrosia Salad
Clouds of whipped cream, juicy citrus, pineapple, cherries, and coconut, straight from the church cookbook era. Sweet, nostalgic, and always the first bowl emptied by the kids' table.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Ambrosia Salad, in 5 ideas
- Drain the fruit almost obsessively. Extra juice is what makes ambrosia soupy.
- Fresh orange segments in place of mandarins make it taste brighter and more grown up.
- A little orange zest folded into the cream wakes up the whole bowl.
- Make it the night before. This is one dish that truly improves with a rest.
- Serve it in a glass bowl. The colors are half the charm.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 can (15 oz) mandarin oranges, well drained
- 1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits, well drained
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup maraschino cherries, halved and drained
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
How to make it
Directions
- Whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
- Fold in the sour cream gently until the mixture is smooth and cloudlike.
- Fold in the marshmallows, mandarin oranges, pineapple, and coconut, keeping the fruit as whole as you can.
- Fold in the cherries last so their color does not streak the whole bowl pink.
- Cover and chill at least 2 hours, or overnight, so the marshmallows soften into the cream.
- Scatter the pecans over the top just before serving, if using.
Pat the cherries dry on paper towels before halving. It is a small step that keeps the salad snowy white instead of pink.