With a variety of fresh fruit, whipped cream, walnuts, and marshmallows, Ambrosia Fruit Salad is ready in minutes. The perfect summer dessert to bring to your next potluck!
Easy Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe
This ambrosia recipe is my twist on the classic creamy fruit salad. Instead of fruit cocktail and heavy cream, my version uses a variety of fresh fruits, canned oranges, coconut, and nuts tossed with Cool Whip. It’s light, it’s easy, and it makes a wonderful dessert.
I make ambrosia fruit salad pretty regularly in the summer – it’s a great way to take advantage of the abundance of fresh berries. It also makes a lovely addition to summer gatherings.
For more fun ways to serve fruit, try my Tropical Fruit Salad, Fruit Pizza, and Rainbow Fruit Skewers with Yogurt Fruit Dip.
Why You’ll Love This Ambrosia Fruit Salad
- Quick and easy. Ambrosia takes just minutes to prepare, as it’s literally just as easy as combining all ingredients in a bowl.
- Perfect for summer. I love to serve this during the summer as not only is it a light and refreshing dessert, but there’s no baking required. Plus it’s easy to make it for a crowd!
- Customizable. Perhaps the best thing about this ambrosia fruit salad dessert is that there are endless ways to customize it. I’ve included several suggestions below!
Recipe Ingredients
This ambrosia recipe is made with a variety of fresh fruits plus a few add-ins. See the printable recipe card below for measurements.
- Fresh fruit – I used a combination of pineapple, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and bananas in my ambrosia fruit salad.
- Nuts – Walnuts or pecans, your choice!
- Canned mandarin oranges – Drain before adding to the soup.
- Shredded coconut flakes & marshmallows – Add flavor and texture to the fruit salad.
- Tru Whip – Light cool whip works too!
How to Make Ambrosia Salad
It couldn’t be any easier to make Ambrosia! Here’s how to do it:
- Mix ingredients together. Combine fruit with cream, coconut, and marshmallows.
- Chill. Place in the fridge to chill for 2 hours.
- Serve. Portion into single serving containers and top with nuts.
Ambrosia Variations
There are many different ways to customize ambrosia fruit salad to your preferences and what you have on hand. Here are a few ideas.
- Add or swap in fruit. If there’s a fruit that you don’t have or like, feel free to omit it and add in more of one of your favorites. You can also add other fruits like grapes or peaches.
- Switch up the nuts. Pistachios are a great alternative to pecans or walnuts.
- Use fresh citrus. I used canned mandarin oranges for ease but you can absolutely use fresh oranges in this recipe.
- Add maraschino cherries. For a pop of color, add a few maraschino cherries to the top of the salad before serving. I do not recommend mixing them in, as it will turn the cool whip pink.
- Try using my Yogurt Whipped Cream instead of Cool Whip. It adds a different flavor and texture but tastes just as good!
Can I Make This In Advance?
Ambrosia fruit salad can be made several hours in advance. In fact, I think it tastes best when it’s add some time to chill. However, I would not make this more than a few hours or a day in advance, as it can become runny and fresh fruit does not have a long shelf life.
More Fruit Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Flaugnarde of Mixed Berries
- 3-Ingredient Baked Bananas
- Red, White and Blueberry Trifle
- Raspberry Yogurt Ice Pops
- Strawberry Romanoff
Ambrosia Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup mandarin oranges
- 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
- 2 medium bananas, sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 4 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut flakes
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 8 oz Tru Whip Skinny, or Coco Whip Light
Instructions
- Combine fruit with cream, coconut, and marshmallows.
- Chill for 2 hours and serve.
- Top with nuts.
