Easy Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe
I love to cook. I do. And sometimes I would rather have a tooth pulled! Don’t you have those days when you are so darn busy that cooking is the last thing you want to do? Those are the nights we have breakfast for dinner or even better, a no bake dish.
One of my mom’s favorite dishes was a simple fruit salad. My grandmother made her own version. It was this Easy Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe. It is like a light, fluffy cloud of deliciousness. I could eat it by the bucket full.
According to Wikipedia, the name Ambrosia references the food of Greek gods. They go on to say it is believed to be an American dish originated in the late 19th century.
This makes me sad. I thought my Gram invented it! Nonetheless, I could still eat it by the bucket full!
Traditionally, Ambrosia Fruit Salad includes pineapple and sometimes even sour cream. I am not a fan of pineapple. Gram hated cream cheese.
Those two ingredients were not to be found in her Easy Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe. Her recipe was simple enough that my sister and I could make it when we were six.
Seriously, this recipe is crazy simple. You open a few cans of fruit, a tub of whipped topping and a package of coconut. Add some chopped nuts and a maraschino cherry or two, or a dozen, and you have a delicious dessert!
This recipe makes a great dish for Easter, Mother’s Day or your next potluck. Add your favorite fruits, nuts and other toppings and enjoy…by the bucket full! It goes great with my Spicy Shrimp Cobb Salad Recipe.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whipped topping
- ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 can fruit cocktail, drained
- 1 cup maraschino cherries, drained
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
- 1 1/2 cups mini fruit flavored marshmallows
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the whipped topping and yogurt.
- Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold remaining ingredients into whipped topping.
- Chill before serving.

What is your favorite ingredients you always put in your fruit salad? I would love to know! Please share in the comments below!
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Oh man, that sounds delicious. What a fun summer dessert idea.
That looks so good! I’m pretty loose with my fruit salad. The only thing I always put in it is nuts. I must have nuts in my fruit salad.
That sounds delicious. I’m a big fan of fruit salad. I have to make this for the weekend. Om nom nom.
This is almost exactly my fruit salad recipe. I think it’s everyone’s fruit salad recipe. You really CAN’T have fruit salad without marshmallow and nuts. I mean you can, but what’s the point? LOL
That looks so yummy! I love a good fruit salad. OM nom nom.
I’ve actually never made fruit salad. I usually stick to grilling up meat. That being said, I will devour as much fruit salad as I can get my hands on.
Oh this is such a fun fruit salad! Yum, it looks so good, especially topped with a cherry! I like that you can add extra toppings and ingredients!
Ambrosia used to make an appearance at every family dinner and get-together. I have never had it without cream cheese.
I love this salad my mom would make this all the time
why is this one of those recipes that doesn’t sound good until you look at the ingredients. Then it sounds better. Except for the marshmallows. I hate marshmallows.
This ambrosia fruit salad looks amazing. I am going to make this for my BBQ next week. Thanks for the recipe.
I need to try this recipe soon. I have seen salads with marshmallows before but this one looks better than the other ones. Perfect for summer
I see how the word ‘heavenly’ got in the recipe title, this looks amazing!
I am definitely bookmarking this recipe! I think I will be making a batch in the near future!
Yum! This looks like a summertime party staple. Or, whenever the mood strikes (which would be quite often with how yummy it looks!)
This looks so good! I have never had a fruit salad like this but it looks so yummy and refreshing!
I have not had a GREAT ambrosia fruit salad since my grandmother passed. Thank you for this recipe and the memories. I am going to make it!
Wow! I’m so glad I got an email notifying me of this recipe! It looks so tasty. And reminds me of something we would have at “Sunday Dinner” at grandmas! I can’t wait to try.
This recipe for heavenly ambrosia fruit salad I am going to have to make for sure. My grandma used to make this fruit salad all the time and us kids used to love it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
That looks better than any ambrosia salad I have ever had. It looks like ice cream.
I had forgotten about Heavenly Ambrosia Fruit Salad. My grandmother and aunts used to make it. I want to make it again. It is so good.
I love fruit salad and so does my kids. I never thought of putting marshmallows in it though, that’s a great idea.
I think you would hate this, but I love pineapple in a fruit salad. It’s sweet and zingy. Your fruit salad sounds like a treat my kids would enjoy making and eating, too.
This salad looks amazing. My family loves fruit salads. This looks so yummy!
I love a recipe that is light, refreshing and easy to make. … my favorite go to side in the spring and summer months is my Gram’s Heavenly Ambrosia Fruit Salad.
That looks so amazing. I would love to make that for my next picnic.
My family loves ambrosia salad! This one looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
This looks simply delicious and yummy!! I think even my kids would love this.
This sounds & looks really good! I’ve never made Ambrosia before but I have had it. It would be perfect for 4th of July or any summer potluck.
This looks so much like my grandpa Poppy’s Famous Ambrosia! It sounds like there were a ton of variations and each family tweaked it and now everyone has their own recipe! I have the best memories of sitting with Poppy on Thanksgiving mornings peeling and chopping fresh fruit and watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade helping with the ambrosia. His had fresh apples, bananas and oranges, maraschino cherries, sweet coconut and white marshmallows. Yum!
I have always been a big fan of fruit salads. They taste good and help me feel rejuvenated and energized.
I have seen ambrosia made a number of different ways, not all had pineapple but all did have cream cheese (which I love). It’s great that Gram found alternative products to use to let it have the fluffy ambrosia texture so many people love.
That looks really tasty! I’ve never tried ambrosia fruit salad before, but I think I’ll try your recipe. I would have never of thought to pair marshmallows with fruit, but I bet it’s good. Thanks for the new recipe inspiration 🙂
Oh my gosh, my kids would be all over this, especially if I presented it for dinner! It looks like an evening dessert for summer time.
My mother in law once made this when I was a teen. I was so excited to try it because I had never heard of it before then. I haven’t had it since.
I was lucky to get some fresh pineapple today. I’m making an Ambrosia salad and I can’t wait to eat it. Oh, and yes, definitely a bucket full of deliciousness is coming our way soon. 🙂
This is just beautiful! I think it’s perfect for Spring and Summer! It’s a refreshing dessert thanks to all the fruits that are in it.
I sure would love to give this recipe a try! My kids and I love fruit salads and making this will definitely make them super happy!
Never had a fruit salad before, not sure if I would really care for it or like it. I’d probably try it. My husband would like this maybe even my son.
The colours are very fun! I love that you could eat it by the bucket!
This looks really refreshing for us here in Florida since it is so hot! I need to give it a try.
I make an ambrosia salad like this, but actually almost completely different lol! Yours look so yummy, i will have to try this version!
I haven’t had greek yogurt in soooo long. But it does taste really great with fruit!
I feel exactly like you do. I love to cook but there are those days I really don’t want to. This salad looks delicious! Perfect for Spring!
this made me hungry. perfect for summer days in hawaii
Ambrosia is one of my favorites, but was never a staple in our family growing up. I am going to have to make it and get my kids familiar with this deliciousness!
I love fruit salad and this one looks so good! I definitely need to make this soon.
We tried this salad yesterday. It was so good. The colored marshmallows give it so much color. The sewing group just loved it. Thank you.
Тhank you for the recipe and positive mood!!!!
I love mandarin oranges in fruit salad! I like how you put fruit flavored marshmallows in that’s a great twist!
We had this when I was a child. I loved it. I bet the girls would love to make this and eat it. I think we will do it when they return. Thank you for the recipe.
Someone just made this at our Thanksgiving dinner. It was such a nice touch after a heavy meal. I bookmark this to remember to make it later too. Thank you.
This sounds amazing! I can’t wait to make this for my family! Thank you!
I love this and will be making it again now that it is warmer. Thank you for the recipe.
I am making this for the church supper tonight. I know it will be a hit. Thank you.