The Ambrosia Salad is a rich and creamy fruit salad that is laden with pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, and fruit-flavoured marshmallows in miniature form.
You guys, December is almost halfway through the year! My list of things that need to be done is a mile long, and it just keeps getting longer.
But to what some may think, I’m not actually feeling all that worried about the upcoming holidays.
Perhaps it’s because our home won’t have to accommodate thirty guests at once, and we won’t have to worry about coordinating any meals or games. Despite the fact that I have a wide range of emotions towards Christmas 2020, it is rather relieving to not experience any signs of mounting worry.
But I guess you could say that pretty much sums up how I’m feeling right now. If you were to ask me again in a few days, I would probably be all sorts of depressed while eating Oreos coated in peanut butter or while high on a cold brew while wrapping presents at midnight. Who, exactly, is aware?
Even though we won’t be having our traditional Christmas dinner, I’m still going to make this easy Ambrosia Salad since it’s one of my favourite foods to eat throughout the holiday season, and it’s still going to happen.
Also, don’t give me any grief about the fact that this is not a salad. I got it. Even though there isn’t any lettuce in the dish, it still seems like a salad to me since all of the other ingredients have been mixed together.
WHAT Exactly Is This Ambrosia Salad?
The recipe for Ambrosia Salad that we are sharing with you today is a bit of a throwback.
I have many happy memories of my grandmother, who was known for cooking Ambrosia for almost every church celebration.
There are many various formulations of ambrosia, and it seems that each grandma had her unique take on the dish. In some of the variants of this dish that I’ve seen, cottage cheese is substituted for sour cream or vanilla pudding, while some omit the addition of nuts altogether.
But it seems like every single one of them has some kind of citrus fruit, coconut, and a base that is both creamy and sour.
It’s possible that some people might consider this “salad” to be more of a dessert. On the other hand, much like my Cranberry Fluff, I am quite content to have this with some savoury side dishes on any given day.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT MY TAKE ON THIS TRADITIONAL RECIPE?
Even though my family has my Nana’s recipes for Pumpkin Rolls and Pumpkin Crunch Cake, we do not have her specific Ambrosia Salad recipe. This has been the case for a very long time.
It was only natural for me to investigate more into this matter more. As a result, I made the decision to begin mixing the ingredients in a bowl until the salad had a flavour profile that was comparable to Nana’s.
And with only a few little adjustments, I achieved my goal with flying colours!
In my rendition, I include:
- Frozen topping made of whipped cream.
- Vanilla yoghurt.
- Coconut that has been shredded and sweetened.
- Mandarin oranges that have been canned.
- pineapple chunks or pineapple that has been smashed.
- Maraschino cherries.
- Pecans, chopped up.
- Mini marshmallows with a taste reminiscent of fruit.
Although it is not impossible to make this recipe with small white marshmallows, I find that the addition of fruit-flavoured marshmallows gives it a more interesting look as well as a more interesting taste.
You could also give creating this using homemade Cool Whip a go, but I can’t say for certain how well it would turn out if you did. If you give it a go, I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on it.
HOW TO MAKE MY AMBROSIA EASY TO MAKE
This is one of those dishes that is so simple that even a child could put it together.
To begin, combine the frozen whipped topping with the vanilla yoghurt in a mixing bowl and swirl until combined.
Make sure to include all of the additional ingredients into the yoghurt mixture by gently folding them in with a spatula. Be careful not to mash the marshmallows too much or the fruit too much, since you don’t want any of those things to be ruined.
After allowing the salad to cool in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving, the salad will be ready to go.
Because it must be refrigerated before being served, this is an excellent meal to prepare in advance. I would suggest that you could make it as early as the night before you intend to serve it, which is when I recommend starting it.
If you want to give the dish a more elegant look, you may decorate it with some more maraschino cherries. You might also use a spoon to dig in. In any case, I won’t hold it against you!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of partially thawed frozen whipped topping.
- 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt.
- 1 cup of sweetened coconut grated and shredded.
- 1 can of mandarin oranges, 11 ounces, drained and rinsed.
- 1 can of pineapple tidbits or crushed pineapple, drained. The can should be 8 ounces.
- 1 cup of maraschino cherries, after they have been drained.
- 1/2 cup of pecans that have been chopped, optional.
- 1 and a half cups of micro marshmallows with a fruit taste.
Instructions
- Blend the whipped topping and yoghurt together in a large basin using a hand mixer.
- Combine the remaining ingredients with the whipped topping by gently folding them together with a rubber spatula.
- Put in the fridge before serving.
Notes
If you do not like the traditional frozen whipped topping that is widely available, you may look for alternatives that are produced entirely of natural ingredients at Whole Foods or you can make your own.