This Ambrosia Salad recipe with Cool Whip is a deliciously creamy fruit salad packed with juicy mandarin oranges & maraschino cherries, tropical mini marshmallows, sweetened coconut and pineapple! Ambrosia fruit salad is great for holidays, picnics, and more.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Crowd-Pleaser – Fruit lovers and dessert lovers like will love the creamy, sweet and fruity flavors of Ambrosia fruit salad.
- Quick Recipe – Whip together Cool Whip and yogurt, then fold in add-ins and chill. That’s it!
- Perfect for Holidays and Picnics – Christmas, Thanksgiving, or summer picnics are all great for serving this recipe, like 7 layer salad and grape salad.
Ambrosia Salad Recipe with Cool Whip
Why choose between dessert and fruit? Why not have both? Growing up, one of my favorite desserts was Chinese fruit cake… which is exactly what this Ambrosia Salad with cool whip recipe tastes like! It’s such a great balance between creamy/sweet/fruit goodness, with a creamy coating wrapped around marshmallows, pineapples, oranges, cherries, and coconut.
Everyone will love this Ambrosia fruit salad recipe. It’s not too sweet, but sweet enough to satisfy, like Christmas fruit salad and sweeter Snickers Salad.
What is Ambrosia Salad?
Ambrosia salad is creamy fruit salad that’s popular in the Midwest and made with Cool Whip or whipped cream, and typical fruit cocktail ingredients including oranges, canned pineapples, and cherries. It’s a sweet dessert salad that’s served cold and includes marshmallows and sweetened coconut.
Watergate Salad vs Ambrosia Salad
The difference between watergate salad vs ambrosia salad lies in the nuts, the color, and the coconut. Watergate salad is green and made with pistachio-flavored pudding and nuts, while ambrosia salad is white with lots of coconut and typically no nuts (although you can choose to add them).
Ambrosia Fruit Salad Ingredients
- Cool Whip: you can use any other frozen whipped topping
- Yogurt: I like to use vanilla yogurt for the subtly sweet, yet still tangy taste that helps to soften the sweetness of this recipe
- Coconut: shredded and sweetened is best
- Mandarin oranges: make sure to drain these well before adding to avoid messy salad!
- Pineapple: use tidbits for sweet, juicy flavor spread throughout the ambrosia fruit salad that’s not too chunky, like in pineapple casserole
- Cherries: Maraschino cherries are best and exude the yummy flavors of fruit cocktail
- Marshmallows: mini fruit-flavored marshmallow taste good and are colorful and pretty!
How to Make Ambrosia Salad with Cool Whip
Ambrosia salad with cool whip recipe can be made in 3 easy steps. The result is creamy and sweet fruit salad goodness.
- In a large bowl, stir together Cool Whip and yogurt.
- Fold in coconut, mandarin oranges, pineapples, cherries, and marshmallows.
- Cover the bowl and chill for 1 hour. Serve pineapple ambrosia salad. Try serving with Christmas salad. Enjoy!
How Long is Ambrosia Salad Good For?
You might be wondering if you can make ambrosia salad the night before. The answer is yes, you can! Ambrosia salad lasts in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
Can You Freeze Ambrosia Salad?
I don’t recommend freezing ambrosia salad. If you do, store it in an airtight, freezer-friendly container for 1-2 months. Serve frozen, as thawing it will cause a gloppy, watery and separated mess (blame the frozen fruit).
For more delicious ideas like this recipe for ambrosia salad with cool whip, follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. If you’ve tried this recipe, take a pic and tag us on Instagram using #beamingbaker. We can’t wait to see it! Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
More Fruit Salad Recipes
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Combine whipped topping and yogurt in a very large bowl. Stir until well mixed.
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Fold in coconut, oranges, pineapple, cherries, and marshmallows.
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Cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before serving. Serve with optional toppings. Enjoy!
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- Storing Instructions: Store ambrosia salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days, maximum.
- Freezing Instructions: I don’t recommend freezing ambrosia salad because thawing will lead to a separated, watery mess. If you do, store in an airtight, freezer-friendly container for 1-2 months and serve frozen (eat it like a frozen dessert).
Calories: 133kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 3mg, Sodium: 42mg, Potassium: 124mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 446IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 49mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
