Ambrosia Salad Recipe with Cool Whip

Ambrosia salad recipe with with cool whip, fruit and marshmallows is the perfect for your upcoming picnic. Kid friendly with just the right amount of sweet, this is a classic recipe that will remind you of what grandma used to make!

Other easy sweet dessert salads that are perfect for holiday tables include Hawaiian Cheesecake Salad, Fruit Salad Fluff, Frog Eye salad and a traditional Watergate salad recipe.

Its so easy to get caught up with side salads during the spring.

And I do love me some cucumber tomato feta salad, Caprese, and even zesty Italian pasta salad pretty much any day of the week.

Ambrosia Salad Video 

Make sure you watch my Ambrosia Salad Video recipe and check out the cool whip options. YUM! Plus it shows how EASY it is to make.

But if you can pry yourself away from the pretty savory side dish veggies, you can open up a whole world of fruits! This ambrosia salad with cool whip is just the tip of the iceberg with our upcoming fruit salad features. (update: Watergate salad is now live, do not miss this retro dessert!)

The cherries, oranges and pineapples allow the citrus of the fruits to mix in gently with the cool whip topping and vanilla yogurt. While I wouldn’t call this Ambrosia fruit salad with cool whip a summer salad that is overly healthy, it is a perfect mixture of all things spring and summer and will probably remind you of your childhood.

Ambrosia Salad Recipe

Classic ambrosia is often up to the maker, from jello and sour cream additives to the original pistachio and watergate salad feel, its an old fashioned salad rooted in huge pot lucks that you would find at your church. I love ambrosia because the truth is I could eat anything wrapped up in cool whip. Its more of a dessert salad but I try to convince myself the fruits make it “healthy.” 

Hint: It’s not healthy, but its worth it. 

Also, in this classic recipe I leave the normal iconic whipped topping in the recipe below, but I have also used the Birthday Cake Cool Whip and its SO GOOD!! So if you see flavored cool whips, feel free to branch out on that.

• 1 can, 15 oz, Mandarin Oranges, drained
• 1 can, 20 oz, pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 jar, 12 oz, maraschino cherries, drained
• 3/4 cup, 6 oz container, vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• chopped pecans (Optional)
• 1 tub, 8 oz, whipped topping, thawed ( if you watch my Ambrosia Salad Video, I used BIRTHDAY CAKE cool whip and its super sweet but SO good. It kinda tastes like cotton candy.

 

 

Ambrosia Fruit Salad with Cool Whip

What I love about this recipe is that its minutes, I mean minutes, until its done! I think it can be so stressful to have to prep meals and this ambrosia salad is basically a dump and mix scenario. You just want to make sure you have enough time to let it sit in the fridge and get cold.

To get started on your Ambrosia Salad recipe, make sure your fruit is all drained and prepped.

Then mix your oranges, pineapple and cherries together in a mixing bowl.

Add vanilla Greek yogurt, shredded coconut and mini marshmallows (you can also use fruit filled marshmallows) and mix well.

In this ambrosia salad recipe we used a vanilla Greek yogurt.

I like the consistency and flavor, but its OK to experiment and try flavors like strawberry and cherry yogurts as well!

Do not feel married to this recipe if you know that you love a flavor of something else. Half the fun in the kitchen is making it your own.

 

Fold in whipped topping slowly, making sure you cover all your fruit and marshmallows.

I am also showing a picture of the Birthday Cake Cool Whip so you know what to look for in the store if you choose that. 

 

 

You can serve immediately, but I like it cold. You can refrigerate your salad with the bowl covered for atleast 4 hours or overnight if you can to really solidify the flavors.

Because this salad has diary in it, putting it in the heat outside for long periods of time is not recommended because it will melt down. 

 

Stir before serving to ensure equal flavoring.

 

 

Ambrosia Salad Recipe with Cool Whip

Prep Time: 5 minutes

refrigerate for: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes

Classic ambrosia salad with with cool whip, fruit and marshmallows is perfect for your upcoming picnic. Kid friendly with just the right amount of sweet, this is the best ambrosia salad recipe that will remind you of what grandma used to make!

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Ingredients

• 1 can, 15 oz, Mandarin Oranges, drained
• 1 can, 20 oz, pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 jar, 12 oz, maraschino cherries, drained
• 3/4 cup, 6 oz container, vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 1 tub, 8 oz, whipped topping, thawed
• pecans, chopped / optional

Instructions

1. Mix oranges, pineapple and cherries together in a mixing bowl. 
2. Add yogurt, coconut and marshmallows and mix well.  
3. Fold in whipped topping. There are flavored toppings out in the fall and feel free to use flavored cool whips for an extra treat. I love the Birthday Cake one!
4. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, for 4 hours or overnight. Stir before serving.
5. I like a little crunch and its OK to add some chopped pecans or walnuts if you do too!

Notes

• Add chopped pecans for a crunch

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