A modern take on a retro classic, this ambrosia salad recipe gives the original a serious glow-up. Unbelievably addicting and equally as beautiful, it’s a dish that pays homage to its roots with a few much-needed updates. Made with fresh fruit and a coconut-y, marshmallowy whipped cream, it’s light and refreshing yet dressed up and decadent.

ambrosia salad recipe

What is Ambrosia Salad? 

Ambrosia salad is a vintage recipe that rides a very hazy line between a side dish and dessert. It’s essentially a maximalist fruit salad, made visually eccentric with near-neon shades of pink, red, orange, and green. The most traditional versions of this 1970’s staple include crushed pineapple, canned mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries, colorful mini marshmallows, whipped cream, and shredded coconut. Sometimes called “fluff salad,” this dish is absolutely iconic—albeit a little outdated.

Ingredients for Ambrosia Salad

If you have doubts about ambrosia salad, this ingredient list will shatter them. This ambrosia salad recipe opts for fresh fruits instead of the traditional canned fruits, spooned over an airy whipped cream base. Composed of two main parts—fruit salad and whipped cream—the recipe is stacked with ingredients that pay homage to the original ambrosia salad with a dressed-up twist.

Fruit Salad: The fruit salad includes fresh pineapple, sweet cherries, citrus, and mint. Intentionally vague, the citrus portion of this recipe is an invitation to be playful. Use all navel oranges, or a mix of navels, cara cara, and grapefruit. Whatever combination you use, it’s guaranteed to be extremely delicious.

Whipped Cream: The whipped cream base includes heavy whipping cream, marshmallow fluff, coconut cream, and almond extract. This combination nods to the shredded coconut, mini marshmallows, and nuts in the classic ambrosia salad, but reimagines them in a new way.

ambrosia salad

How to Make Ambrosia Salad

This ambrosia salad recipe requires quite a bit of fruit chopping, but otherwise couldn’t be easier to make:

  1. Slice the fruit. Halve the cherries and thinly slice the pineapple, then supreme the citrus. If you aren’t familiar with supreming, this recipe is the perfect introduction. Essentially, this technique makes it possible to segment the citrus with no pith or membrane.
  2. Dress the fruit. Do not skip the olive oil! Dressing the fruits brings out their fruity notes and tempers their sweetness. Add finely chopped mint and toss to combine.
  3. Make the whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the heavy whipping cream, coconut cream, marshmallow fluff, and almond extract. Whip until medium peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. The whipped cream should have integrity and hold its shape, but still look smooth and aerated.
  4. Serve and enjoy. To serve this ambrosia salad recipe, dollop the whipped cream mixture on the bottom of a shallow bowl or plate. Top with the fruit salad, straining any excess juices. For a more traditional preparation, strain excess fruit juices and toss the fruit with the whipped cream mixture.

Tips for Making This Recipe

While this recipe is unfussy, supreming the citrus takes a bit of practice. If you’ve never done it before, here is how to supreme citrus for this ambrosia salad recipe:

  1. Slice off each “root” end of the citrus to expose the flesh.
  2. Use a knife to peel the citrus. Follow the curvature of the peel/pith, almost as you would slice off a melon rind.
  3. Remove the segments. This part gets juicy! Hold the citrus in your non-dominant hand, then use your other hand to slice next to the membrane on the inside side of each segment. Slice as close to the membrane as you can. After freeing the segment, the membranes will look like the pages of a book. Use your thumb to hold them down as you move to the next segment.
ambrosia salad

Can You Make Ambrosia Salad a Day Ahead

To prep this ambrosia salad recipe a day in advance, follow recipe steps one through four and store the fruit salad and whipped cream separately in airtight containers. When ready to eat, proceed with step five.

Ambrosia Salad

Katie Calton
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Servings: 8 people
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Made with fresh citrus, pineapple, and cherries with a coconut-marshmallow whipped cream, this ambrosia salad recipe is refreshing yet decadent and gives the original a serious glow-up.

Ingredients 

  • 8 medium-sized citrus, such as navel oranges, grapefruit, or cara cara oranges
  • 1 pound pineapple
  • ½ pound sweet cherries*
  • 2 tablespoons packed mint leaves or basil
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
  • ¾ cup marshmallow fluff
  • ½ cup coconut cream
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

  • Prepare the fruit. Supreme the citrus by slicing the ends off each citrus, then using the knife to slice away the peel and pith to expose the flesh of the citrus. Remove the segments by holding the peeled citrus in one hand, and using the other hand to carefully slice on each side of the segments' membrane. Add the segments directly to a large bowl. **
  • Next, peel and quarter the pineapple. Remove the core, then cut each quarter in half lengthwise and slice thinly crosswise. Pit and halve the cherries*, then add the pineapple and cherries to the bowl with the citrus.
  • Mince the mint leaves, then add the mint and olive oil to the bowl of fruit. Toss to combine, then cover and chill until ready to serve.
  • Meanwhile, add the heavy whipping cream, marshmallow fluff, coconut cream, salt, sugar, and almond extract to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until whipped to medium peaks, about 2-3 minutes.
  • To serve, dollop the whipped cream mixture on a large plate or shallow bowl. Strain any excess juices from the fruit, then use a slotted spoon to spoon the fruit over the top of the whipped cream and enjoy immediately.***

Notes

*If fresh sweet cherries aren’t in season, you can purchase them frozen and simply thaw them in cold water, pat dry them dry, slice in half, and pat dry once more to prevent their juices from bleeding throughout the entire salad. 
**If you’re short on time, you can alternatively slice the ends off each citrus, slice off the peel and pith, and then cut each piece of citrus crosswise into thin, 1/2-inch rounds.  
***For a more classic presentation, strain the excess liquid from the fruit and toss it together with the whipped cream mixture. Serve immediately. 

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