Ambrosia Fruit Salad

A dish that’s named after the food of the Greek gods has to be worthy of the title, right? When it comes to this ambrosia fruit salad recipe, we certainly think so. Creamy, sweet and fluffy, this ambrosia fruit salad with marshmallows, fruit, coconut and yogurt is a unique side dish that either evokes family nostalgia or is completely new and somewhat bewildering.

As someone who grew up eating marshmallow fruit salad on every holiday with my midwestern family, it’s a side dish I always make room for on my plate. It’s the perfect palate cleanser between bites of classic Thanksgiving foods or whatever I took off the grill on the Fourth of July. Even better, our ambrosia fruit salad recipe is delicious all on its own, whether it’s your sneaky fridge snack or tonight’s dessert.

What is ambrosia?

Ambrosia is known as the food of the Greek gods in Greek mythology. Such a highly honored name was bound to find its way to the mortal world. Apparently, presenting itself in the form of a vintage marshmallow salad was the way to go. Ambrosia fruit salad was first mentioned in cookbooks in the 1800s and popularized in the American South. Salad is a generous term, as an ambrosia fruit salad recipe leans more toward the dessert category, being made up of marshmallows, canned and fresh fruit, yogurt and shredded coconut.

Ingredients for Ambrosia Fruit Salad

• Canned fruit cocktail: We’re not talking about a fruity-flavored canned cocktail (although that would be a fun beverage pairing with a marshmallow fruit salad). Canned fruit cocktail is a mixture of fruit pieces (peaches, pears, pineapples, grapes and cherries) that sits in a syrupy juice.
• Canned pineapple: Grab a can of pineapple chunks, as they’re already in perfect bite-sized pieces. Although, you can cut up a fresh pineapple if you prefer.
• Grapes: Did you know that grapes are one of the fruits that make up the “Dirty Dozen”? Eating pesticides just doesn’t sit right with us. Therefore, it’s important to wash grapes thoroughly and properly before eating them.
• Mini marshmallows: Feel free to either use white mini marshmallows or colorful mini marshmallows. If you can’t find mini marshmallows, buy a bag of regular-sized marshmallows and cut them up into mini-sized pieces.
• Banana: We recommend using a banana that’s perfectly yellow with zero brown spots. Brown spots indicate over-ripeness, meaning the bananas are super soft and will break easily in the salad—save those bananas for banana bread! We want our banana pieces to have some firmness and bite.
• Yogurt: Vanilla yogurt is a stand-out ingredient in this ambrosia fruit salad recipe. We recommend buying one of the most popular yogurt brands at the store for the best taste.
• Shredded coconut: Double-check, even triple-check that you’re buying “sweetened” shredded coconut. Unsweetened coconut will be pretty bland in this fruit salad with marshmallows—you may not even be able to taste it very much.

Directions

Step 1: Stir everything together

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In a large bowl, add all the ingredients and combine until they are thoroughly dispersed.

Step 2: Chill

Cover the bowl with storage wrap and pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Editor’s Tip: If your bowl is looking a little messy from mixing, transfer the marshmallow fruit salad to a new, clean serving bowl.

Dan Roberts for Taste Recipes

Recipe Variations

• Use your favorite fruits: You really can use any fruits you want in this ambrosia fruit salad recipe. Swap in strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, apricots, cherries, cubed apples or, if you want to make a traditional ambrosia salad, canned mandarin oranges.
• Replace the yogurt: There are lots of other creamy bases to use other than yogurt. A classic ambrosia salad uses sour cream, but you could also use thawed whipped topping or vanilla pudding.
• Add texture: Love a lot of texture in your food? Add chopped macadamia nuts or slivered almonds to this marshmallow fruit salad.

How to Store Ambrosia Fruit Salad

If you have any leftover ambrosia fruit salad that you’d like to save, either cover the bowl with storage wrap or transfer the salad to an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for up to three days.

Can you make ambrosia fruit salad ahead of time?

Absolutely! Ambrosia fruit salad is best when it’s chilled. Make it in the morning and let it hang out in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.

Ambrosia Fruit Salad Tips

Dan Roberts for Taste Recipes

Why is my ambrosia fruit salad watery?

Your salad will be watery if you forget to drain the juice from the canned fruit cocktail and the canned pineapple chunks. The salad could also be watery if you throw the grapes into the salad without drying them after washing.

How do I keep the bananas from turning brown?

To keep the bananas from turning brown after cutting them, squeeze lemon or lime juice all over the banana slices. You could also use some of the pineapple juice from the canned pineapple chunks.