Creamy 6-Cup Ambrosia Fruit Salad

This tasty and creamy 6-cup ambrosia fruit salad is the simplest thing to make and is forever a hit for kiddos and adults alike at any gathering!

Plus, if you're a funky salad lover like I am, you need to check out my Winter Fruit Salad, Very Veggie Asian Pasta Salad, and Berry Spinach Salad with Citrus Poppy Seed Dressing recipes! They're all fun twists on traditional salads that you know and love, and I'm sure you'll devour each and every one of them.

Creamy 6-Cup Ambrosia Fruit Salad

This fruit salad is a prime suspect for classic party dishes that the whole gang's going to love and eat up! Ambrosia fruit salad has been around forever and ever, and I pray it doesn't go anywhere anytime soon! The tart flavors of pineapple and orange with a little nutty coconut, tangy sour cream, and a sweet bite of marshmallow is pure HEAVEN in a bowl.

As long as this salad's been around the block, I always love to see the different ways others like making it. I know some people like using Cool Whip in place of sour cream, which you're more than welcome to do. That makes it EXTRA sweet, and to me, just a tad less tart and creamy, but it's up to your personal preference! This is just how I've always made it and think it tastes seriously addicting (but I may be biased!). For other variations on the salad that readers have shared with me, scroll down!

The best part about this salad is it comes together in almost NO time. All you do it throw your stuff in a bowl, mix it up, and call it a day. I do like refrigerating mine for a couple hours to let the flavors meld and the sour cream sweeten, but that's not a necessary step. Plus, kids love this stuff... adults love this stuff... and that's how you can tell an incredible party dish, don't you agree?

Variations for 6-Cup Ambrosia Fruit Salad

There are lots of variations that our readers have shared about how they make this salad. Here are some of their ideas below:

• add diced apples (if you don’t like coconut, apples are a great alternative because of the crunch)
• add grapes (red or green) that have been halved
• add diced bananas
• add in chopped walnuts or pecans for an added crunch
• to make it sweeter, stir in a little powdered sugar – it will also offset the tartness from the sour cream
• add in a small jar of maraschino cherries
• stir in 2 tablespoons of instant lemon pudding powder for a lemon taste
• use pina colada flavored yogurt in place of the sour cream

What's in ambrosia fruit salad?

I love keeping this fruit salad super simple with only 5 ingredients, but there are so many ways to customize and add to it! All I use is canned pineapple and mandarin oranges (both drained), shredded coconut, sour cream, and mini marshmallows, and it's just delicious. You can also add other fruit, like diced apple, halved grapes, diced banana, or maraschino cherries, as well as chopped pecans or walnuts, some powdered sugar, or in place of sour cream, flavored yogurt or Cool Whip.

How long does ambrosia fruit salad last?

This salad is definitely perfect for a big gathering because it won't last terribly long, and it makes a pretty large batch! So, you'll want to make it when you have a sizable group to serve. I'd say it'll last about 2, maybe 3, days in the refrigerator -- just be sure to drain any excess liquid that gathers at the bottom before serving.

Can you make ambrosia salad ahead of time?

Ambrosia salad is fine to make the night ahead of a get-together! I like to let it sit a few hours, anyway, so the flavors can all marinate and mix together well. I wouldn't make it more than a day ahead of time, though, or else you might be dealing with a soggy salad. (And there's nothing sadder than a soggy salad.)

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Other summer salad favorites:

• Deli-Style Broccoli Salad
• Classic Potato Salad Recipe
• Cornbread Salad
• Classic Tuna Pasta Salad
• Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe

This recipe was originally published in 2012, and has been updated and rephotographed in August 2019.

Creamy 6-cup ambrosia fruit salad is a simple party or group staple dish that everyone loves and that only needs 5 ingredients to whip up!