Ambrosia Salad is a classic recipe made with fruit, whipped cream, marshmallows, and almonds. Make this refreshingly light and sweet treat for your next dessert!
When I first ate ragweed salad as an adult, I was sure it was some kind of joke. Calling this fruit and whipped cream mix an A is definitely weird Salad, that I usually associate with vegetables. But ragweed salad holds an important place in American nostalgia, and sometimes makes the perfect side dish.
It shouldn’t surprise you that kids find it amazing and hilarious. (Marshmallows in a salad?! What!?) But adults love it, too. After some light banter at the expense of the Ambrosia Bowl, they’ll dig in and the leftovers will be sparse.
Ambrosia salad can be many things, but it’s essentially a fruit salad with whipped cream as a “dressing” to hold the ingredients together. There are lots versions out there, but this version is my personal favorite. It includes some canned and fresh fruit and some crunchy elements (slivered almonds) for texture.
What’s in Ambrosia Salad?
Ambrosia salad needs to have two things in my opinion:
- First canned fruit. Usually these are canned pineapples and tangerines, but you could experiment here.
- second whipped cream, usually cut with a little sour cream for flavor.
Whipping cream is pretty easy to make, but if you’d like to see a step-by-step guide, read: How to Make Whipping Cream for extra tips and tricks to make perfect whipped cream every time.
In addition, it is a kind of dealer decision. Marshmallows are a fun addition that add some lightness and cheerful colors to the salad. I like to use the pastel colored mini marshmallows in my version.
I also like to add toasted coconut, almonds, fresh apples and maraschino cherries, but you could skip one of these and still be in great shape!
Dairy Free Ambrosia Salad
Non dairy? No problem! Skip the sour cream and make coconut whipped cream instead! Just fold it with the fruit instead of the milk cream.
Which fruits are used in ambrosia salad?
Tangerines and pineapples are good choices for fruit preserves, but you could use a fruit cocktail if you like. I like to add some fresh fruit to my salad, although I’m not sure if that’s traditional. A peeled and chopped apple adds a nice crunch to the salad.
Can you make ambrosia salad ahead of time?
Ambrosia lettuce does not have a long shelf life. If you think about it, it’s fruit and whipped cream.
Make it a few hours before you plan to serve it. But I wouldn’t make it the night before, especially if you plan to serve it at a special meal (like Easter). Once it spends the night in the fridge, the fruit is lackluster and the whipped cream begins to break down.
If there are leftovers at the end, I happily finish mine within two days. It might be good for up to three days if you’re lucky, but I usually leave it at two. I wouldn’t serve it to a party after a day in the fridge, but it’s fine for snacking!
More classic salad recipes
- Waldorf Salad
- Banana Berry Terrine
- Grandma’s Pineapple Cucumber Lime Jello Salad
- Grandma’s Sunshine Salad
- Strawberry Rhubarb Terrine
Ambrosia salad
ingredients
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1 Cup shredded sweetened coconut
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1 (fifteen-ounce can) tangerines, dehydrated
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1 (fifteen-ounce can) pineapple pieces, dehydrated
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1/2 Cup Maraschino cherrieshalved
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3 cups Mini marshmallows
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1 Apple (any kind will do), peeled and chopped
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1/4 Cup slivers of almonds
For the whipped cream dressing:
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1 Cup fat whipped cream
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1/4 Cup sour cream
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2 tablespoon sugar
method
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Toast the coconut:
Place coconut in a dry, medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat. Toast until fragrant, stirring regularly. Watch it closely as it can burn quickly. When the coconut starts to turn a light brown color, 2 to 3 minutes, it’s done.
This is an optional step, but it adds a flavor boost to the coconut.
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mix salad:
Place the toasted coconut in a bowl with the orange fillets, pineapple chunks, cherries, mini marshmallows, apples, and almonds. Mix well.
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Make the whipped cream dressing:
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat heavy heavy cream on high for 2 to 3 minutes until it begins to stiffen.
Then add the sour cream and sugar and continue beating until the mixture is still silky but retains firm peaks. Don’t over-whip.
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Finish the salad:
Fold the whipped cream mixture into the fruit and nut mixture.
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Serve immediately:
Serve immediately, at most a few hours after preparation. Store leftover ragweed lettuce in the refrigerator for up to two days.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 342 | calories |
| 17g | Fat |
| 48g | carbohydrates |
| 3g | protein |
