The best Ambrosia Salad recipe is made with pineapple, mandarin oranges, yogurt, mini marshmallows, coconut and whipped cream. This easy side dish has a delicious tropical sweetness and is always a crowd favorite! 

What’s not to love about fluffy desserts that can pass as a “salad” side dish, like this Frog Eye Salad or cranberry fluff salad we serve at Thanksgiving and Christmas?

A bowl of homemade Ambrosia Salad, ready to serve.

I particularly love Ambrosia Salad during spring time, Easter or Mother’s Day celebrations because the soft pastel colors are so fun. Many recipes for ambrosia salad use cool whip, but if you’ve followed my blog at all, you know I would never use cool whip when I could substitute fresh whipped cream. The taste is so much better!

How to Make Ambrosia Salad:

Whipped Cream: Add whipping cream to a large bowl or stand mixer and beat with electric beaters for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in yogurt.

Two images showing whipped cream in a stainless steel bowl and then yogurt being stirred in.

Add Fruit: Drain canned fruits very well, then add remaining ingredients to a large serving bowl.

Two images showing drained mandarin oranges and pineapple tidbits added to a cream base, then another picture showing maraschino cherries, fruit flavored marshmallows, and coconut being stirred in for the best Ambrosia Salad recipe.

Chill and Serve: Fold in whipped cream mixture. Chill this easy ambrosia salad for at least 30 minutes before serving.

A close up image of Ambrosia salad in a large serving bowl, ready to enjoy.

Make Ahead Instructions:

This classic Ambrosia Salad recipe can be made several hours or up to 1 day ahead of time, but for best results, leave the marshmallows out and stir them in just before serving.

Consider trying these Fruit Salads:

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Recipe

Easy Ambrosia Salad in a large serving bowl, ready to enjoy.
Prep 15 minutes
Total 15 minutes
Save Recipe

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt , or vanilla
  • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 11 ounce can mandarin oranges , drained
  • 8 ounce can pineapple tidbits , drained
  • 1 cup maraschino cherries , drained
  • 1 1/2 cups mini fruit-flavored marshmallows
  • Other optional fruit salad add-ins: chopped pecans , sliced bananas, chopped apples

Instructions
 

  • Add whipping cream to a large bowl or stand mixer and beat with electric beaters for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in yogurt.
  • Drain canned fruits very well, then add remaining ingredients to a large serving bowl.
  • Fold in whipped cream mixture. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: Ambrosia Salad can be made several hours or up to 1 day ahead of time, but for best results, leave the marshmallows out and stir them in just before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.001gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 62mgPotassium: 208mgFiber: 3gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 425IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 1mg

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I originally shared this recipe March 2017. Updated March 2021 and April 2023.

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Super easy and quick to make. A yummy salad. I made it for Easter, and the family enjoyed it. Will definitely make it again.

  2. 5 stars
    This was a great example for my culinary class. Thank you, Taste Better from Scratch. This was an amazing experience to read this. I loved every second of this. This has truly changed my life. Once again, thank you.

  3. 5 stars
    This has become a staple in our house for special occasions. The kids always request it. We made this for Easter and will be making again for Mother’s Day. I love how easy it is to put together and it’s just a fun, beautiful dish to have on the table. We love it!

  4. You need to put the fruit and all the juices over the mini marshmallows. Then put that in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The salad is called 24 hour salad. Take that out of the refrigerator and fold in the whipped cream. Return to the refrigerator for a chill. Serve.

  5. 5 stars
    I loved this recipe growing up but have struggled to find a great recipe since I lost ours. I stumbled upon this one and it is a keeper for sure! Will be making regularly at holiday parties.

    1. We also made Ambrosia salad when I was young. We often used pineapple, and sour cream instead of whipped cream, while omitting the added sugar. It was sweet enough with the shredded coconut but we did add some juices from the canned fruit. It tastes better when it sits for a while to let those flavors blend. Give it a good stir and enjoy.