Best Ambrosia Salad {No Cool Whip}
My great grandmother’s fruit salad always graced our holiday table. For a delicious alternative, my Best Ambrosia Salad is incredibly delicious! And as a bonus, there’s no Cool Whip in the dreamy dressing.
This Fruit Salad Recipe is a bit of a splurge as far as salads go, but a perfectly tasty recipe for your Thanksgiving or Christmas table!
Why You Should Make this Salad
My first exposure to an ambrosia salad was in college. When I was living in the dorms as a freshman, I’d hit the cafeteria for at least one meal a day. Occasionally, they’d have this creamy, fruit-laden salad with coconut and marshmallows. Once I discovered ambrosia, I was in love!
Instead of taking a shortcut with Cool Whip, this recipe is made with a rich, creamy dressing made from whipped heavy cream and sour cream.
It’s highly adaptable. I often omit the pecans since if they were included, I’d be forced to eat the whole salad myself! Darn my picky family. Don’t like coconut? It can be left out, too. And almost any fruit in bite-sized pieces will work, but try this classic combo first!
Tips for Making Ambrosia Salad
Though a little foggy, my memories of that first ambrosia salad’s ingredients included mandarin oranges, pineapple, marshmallows, coconut and some sort of whipped cream dressing. After researching and hunting for ambrosia without Cool Whip, I saw a variety of ingredient options. So, I selected my favorites.
- A combination of sweetened whipped cream and sour cream provided the creamy dressing (from Alton Brown’s version). Not much sugar was needed since the marshmallows provide additional sweetness.
- I used both canned and fresh fruit: canned pineapple tidbits, canned mandarin oranges, bagged coconut, fresh grapes, and a jar of maraschino cherries. Add or eliminate ingredients according to your preference!
- Mini-marshmallows and pecans are classic additions I included as well. Toast, then cool your pecans if you’d like to enhance their flavor.
- The maraschino cherries will bleed and color the dressing pink. To avoid that, place your cherries on paper toweling to dry the excess juices, and mix in just before serving.
- I only used part of the cans of mandarin oranges and pineapple. Feel free to add all the fruit so you don’t have to deal with leftover canned fruit.
- So many recipes used Cool Whip, and though I’ve definitely enjoyed those kinds of ambrosia in the past, I loved this no Cool Whip version so much more!
Frequently Asked Questions
The word ambrosia comes from Greek mythology and was “Food for the Gods” on Mt. Olympus. So this salad or dessert, made with fruit like oranges, bananas, and coconut, was given the name ambrosia. Hence, designating it as food tasty enough for the gods.
The first written recipes were in both Dixie newspapers and a cookbook as early as the 1870s, so there is speculation that this recipe debuted in the South. The early, simpler versions were made of layered oranges, coconut, and sugar. It is still a popular dish served as part of a holiday menu.
Ingredient Notes:
- Heavy cream – Use the real stuff, never Cool Whip which is non-dairy and full of chemicals.
- Sour cream – Don’t use low fat or nonfat as this is a splurge dish for special occasions
- Mini marshmallows – Regular marshmallows cut into small pieces may be substituted in a pinch
- Canned mandarin orange slices -drain well so the juice doesn’t water down the dressing
- Canned Pineapple tidbits – drain as with the mandarin oranges, plus avoid buying either fruit in heavy syrup
- Fresh grapes – seedless red or green grapes are best. Slice in half if they’re large.
- Sweetened coconut flakes – though the original recipes had home cooks grating their own coconut, angel flake coconut is an easier option.
- Chopped, toasted pecans – toasting nuts helps bring out their natural oils, enhancing their flavor. Place pecan halves in one layer on a baking sheet and toast for 5+ minutes at 350 degrees. Shake the pan every few minutes to prevent burning and never walk away from them as they’re roasting. Cool and chop.
- Maraschino cherries – rinse and drain to prevent the red dye from bleeding into the dressing.
More Holiday Salads You’ll Love:
There are certain salads I seem to reserve for the holidays. The term salad usually conjures up visions of lettuce or other greens tossed with a creamy or vinegar-based dressing and other ingredients. But rules are broken during the holidays and salads which include marshmallows and whipped cream dressings are acceptable fare!
- Autumn Crunch Pasta Salad from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
- Thanksgiving Spinach Salad from Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Holiday Lettuce Salad
- Cranberry Fluff Salad
- More delicious Salad Recipes
The Recipe: Best Ambrosia Salad {No Cool Whip}
The classic fruit salad made without Cool Whip!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 cup mandarin orange slices, drained
- 1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
- 1 cup fresh green (or red) seedless grapes, halved if large
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
- 1 8.25 jar maraschino cherries, drained and rinsed (mine were bourbon soaked)
Instructions
In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form. Beat in the sour cream until smooth.
Add all the rest of the ingredients except for the cherries, and use a rubber spatula to mix. Mix in the cherries.
Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown.
Feel free to use the whole can of mandarin oranges and pineapple in this recipe.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 387Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 73mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 4gSugar: 38gProtein: 3g
