A sweet and creamy fruit salad perfect for potlucks, holidays, or a simple dessert.
Ingredients:
- 1 (15 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
- 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
- 1 (10 ounce) package miniature marshmallows (preferably colored)
- 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened, your preference)
- 1 cup sour cream or whipped topping (Cool Whip)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and halved (optional)
Instructions:
- Drain the Fruit: Thoroughly drain the mandarin oranges and pineapple chunks. You don’t want excess liquid in your salad.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, gently combine the drained mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, miniature marshmallows, and shredded coconut.
- Add Creamy Element: Stir in the sour cream or whipped topping (Cool Whip) until all the ingredients are evenly coated.
- Add Nuts (Optional): If desired, add the chopped pecans or walnuts and gently mix them in.
- Add Cherries (Optional): If you like maraschino cherries, add them now and gently mix.
- Chill: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably longer, to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to chill thoroughly.
- Serve: Serve the chilled Ambrosia salad as a side dish or dessert.
Tips and Variations:
- For a fluffier texture, use whipped topping instead of sour cream.
- You can add other fruits like grapes, sliced bananas (add just before serving to prevent browning), or fresh berries.
- For a richer flavor, use full-fat sour cream.
- Some people add a small amount of vanilla extract to the sour cream or whipped topping.
- If you don’t like coconut, you can leave it out.
- If you want to reduce the sweetness, use unsweetened coconut, and use plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream or whipped topping.
- For a pink ambrosia, use pink marshmallows.