Ambrosia Salad

Ambrosia Salad is the old-fashioned fruit salad that takes its name from Greek mythology. Ambrosia is the food and drink of the Greek Gods, and this exceptional little salad is deserving of its name.

Jump to:

• A dessert worth remembering
• Who came up with this magic?
• Ingredient notes
• How to make Ambrosia Salad
• Substitutions and variation ideas
• Ambrosia Salad FAQs
• Want more festive recipes?
• Ambrosia Salad

A dessert worth remembering

Its vibrant colours, luscious fruits, and creamy texture has made it a timeless dessert that evokes fond memories of family gatherings and celebrations.

Best of all, it's super simple to put together and can be made in advance. In fact, it's even more delicious the next day.

Who came up with this magic?

Ambrosia Salad, sometimes called Ambrosia Fruit Salad of Creamy Fruit Salad, is considered a Christmas tradition in the United States, particularly in the South, where it first started appearing in cookbooks in the late 1800s.

It may have taken a few decades, but the good news eventually spread to Australia, with the recipe appearing in Australian newspapers from the early 1900s.

For me, the best Ambrosia Salad is the one my Nan Mac made when I was very young and then popped up now and again at parties throughout my childhood.

When I decided to add it to the recipe collection here, I hadn't seen it for a while – but I have never forgotten the joy of Ambrosia Salad.

Ingredient notes

There are many versions of this recipe, however common ingredients include pineapple, coconut and marshmallows. And there's usually another fruit in there somewhere.

The dressing is generally a creamy one, but again there are a variety of things used to make the dressing.

This recipe uses many of the usual ingredients and one ingredient that I found in recipes from the 1930s: maraschino cherries. Ambrosia Salad has always been served at special events, and the cherries add that little extra that makes the salad seem so festive. They add the wow factor to something that is already amazing.

Can you use glace cherries instead? Well, technically you could. However, maraschino cherries are quite distinct and just so wonderful. I recommend sticking with the maraschino cherries. Find them in the cocktail section of liqueur stores or specialty stores.

I also use a whole orange in this recipe, as the citrus gives the salad a lovely lift.

The cream dressing I've chosen is just light sour cream. I think this balances out the flavours a lot better than a sweeter cream.

Ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Ambrosia Salad

You can literally put this Easy Ambrosia Salad together in 10 minutes.

TIP: It's best made up at least a few hours and up to a day before serving to allow the flavours to mingle and develop.

Start by chopping up the orange (removing all skin, pith and seeds first). Halve the marshmallows (unless you're using mini marshmallows).

Drain the pineapple and cherries. Also take the stems off the cherries (apart from a few that you'll reserve for decorating).

Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined.

Chill and decorate with cherries before serving.

Remember, this salad tastes even better the next day, so make it in advance if it suits the occasion.

Substitutions and variation ideas

Another of the many beauties of Ambrosia Salad is its versatility. It's so easy to put your own stamp on this classic dessert.

Here are a few popular additions you can consider:

• Nuts: add pecans, walnuts or almonds for a satisfying crunch
• Substitute orange for other seasonal fruits such as strawberries, grapes or mango pieces.
• Add some citrus zest to the sour cream for added tang
• Substitute part or all of the sour cream for whipped cream or cool whip.

Make it festive

Ambrosia Salad is particularly popular at Christmas and on other celebratory occasions. Here, I've scooped the salad into individual cups and decorated each with a cherry.

TIP: Set aside about six cherries instead of three if making up as individual desserts as you'll have enough salad for six generous servings.

Ambrosia Salad FAQs

Want more festive recipes?

You can also browse the entire Christmas Recipe collection here or check out these favourites:

Made this recipe and love it? Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. (And it really makes my day to hear how Nana Ling's recipes are being made, shared and loved all around the world! - Libby x)

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