Old Fashioned Ambrosia Salad

If you love a light, fluffy dessert, filled with fruity flavor, this ambrosia is perfect for you! Best of all, it comes together in minutes!

Ambrosia: The Perfect Summer Dessert

Here in Texas we’ve been suffering through temperatures in the upper 90s. Ugh! It’s too hot to bake and there are days when I don’t even feel up to doing a no-bake dessert like my No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Pie.

So, imagine my delight when I signed onto Facebook this afternoon and saw that my friend Misty over at Run of the Mill Ma was talking about “green fluff.” It took me a minute to realize she was talking about Watergate salad. 

I didn’t happen to have any pistachio pudding on hand but I always keep vanilla. I also had a ton of canned fruits—crushed pineapple, maraschino cherries, and mandarin oranges. 

As I thought it through, I was reminded of a childhood favorite—ambrosia. 

A Fruity Flashback

Back in the 70s, when I was a teen (basically, when dinosaurs roamed the earth) ambrosia was a thing. Like, a big thing. You found this fluffy salad at church socials, family reunions, and (often) at grandma’s house. 

Now I’m a grandma and the idea of revisiting this amazing childhood favorite was just too tempting. I decided to make an ambrosia but add a packet of instant pudding to the mix, (thanks to the “fluff” idea that Misty gave me). 

Ambrosia Salad Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card for this very versatile dessert at the bottom of this post. But here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need. These are super simple ingredients you might already have on hand. If you don’t have the fruits that I chose, just use what you have – fresh or canned. It’s your choice! 

Here’s what I chose: 

• crushed pineapple (with juice) 
• instant vanilla pudding
• mandarin oranges (drained)
• maraschino cherries (drained) 
• shredded coconut
• chopped pecans
• Cool Whip (or homemade sweetened whipped cream)
• mini marshmallows

How to Make Old Fashioned Ambrosia Salad

Here’s how I make my ambrosia (and let me just say. . .it’s addicting)!

Start with cold ingredients for best results. 

Place crushed pineapple with juice into a large bowl. 

Add the package of dry instant pudding. 

Stir well. 

Add the mandarin oranges and maraschino cherries. You don’t want or need the juices so many sure they’re both well drained. 

You can really add whatever fruits you like at this point. Just add a couple cups of chopped fruit of your choices. 

Add coconut flakes and pecans. These are both optional but I’m a huge texture person and I absolutely love the way these two things make the ambrosia “feel” in the mouth. 

Mix well. 

Add a full eight ounce container of Cool Whip (or homemade whipped cream). 

Mix well! You’ll really start to see things come together at this point. 

Now comes the fun part! I added two cups of mini marshmallows. 

If you have the colored ones, go for it! They’ll add a lot of brightness to the dish. Otherwise, you can use regular minis. I added two cups, but you can go with more or less, depending on your preference. 

Stir well until marshmallows are fully incorporated. 

Place in a lovely serving dish if you like!

That’s it! It’s time to refrigerate your ambrosia. You’ll want to chill it for 1 – 2 hours before serving. 

I cannot tell a lie: I did not wait. I took a small—okay, medium—serving right away. It was over-the-top delicious! 

Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator up to four days. It may start to separate after this. I haven’t tried to freeze this dessert but I’m guessing it probably wouldn’t do well frozen. Let me know if you try it. 

What to Expect from this Ambrosia Salad

Have you ever eaten a dessert that sent you soaring straight back to your childhood? That’s what this one did for me! 

A Simple Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe

I had a flashback to 7th grade when I had to do a project for school about Ancient Greece. For whatever reason, I made ambrosia and took it to my class. (I’ve always enjoyed a good classic recipe!)

I loved it then, I love it now. And, I’ll be honest—this dessert will probably be a bigger temptation for me than many of the cakes and cookies I’ve made over the last few months. (And it’s perfect for family gatherings!)

Yes, it’s really that good. 

It’s light, it’s fluffy, it’s fruity, and it’s got that added bit of creaminess from the vanilla pudding (my own twist on an old favorite recipe). 

I’m thinking about taking this to my grandkids, just to see what they think. I’m guessing they’ve never had ambrosia before. 

They might turn up their noses at the coconut. I’m not sure. But I’m willing to risk it, just to see what they think. 

Variations on this Easy Ambrosia Salad Recipe

Now that I’ve made this old-fashioned recipe, I can’t wait to try it with different flavors and textures. Here are a few things that come to mind right away. 

Watergate salad: A traditional Watergate salad is similar to this ambrosia but starts with pistachio pudding mix. The pistachio flavor (and color) gives the Watergate a unique but delicious color and flavor. (I can’t wait to try this one! My friend Misty makes it and calls it Green Fluff!) 

Strawberry Ambrosia: Use Sonic’s Strawberry Shake pudding mix, along with whipping cream, pineapple, and 2 – 3 cups of freshly cut strawberries. (This will be similar to my Strawberry Cream pie, which is delicious!) 

Lemon-Berry Ambrosia: Use lemon pudding and three kids of berries—strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. You could even use raspberries, if you like. My friend Misty suggested adding lemon cookies. I love Lemon Oreos. You could break up cookies over each serving. 

Peach Cobbler Ambrosia: Use 2 – 3 cups of chopped fresh peaches (or canned, if you prefer, as long as they are drained). I would probably go with vanilla pudding, Cool Whip, and then top the serving with crushed Golden Oreos. 

My imagination is in overdrive, thinking of the various ambrosias you could make. For now, though? I’m going to go on noshing on the giant bowl of fruit salad in the refrigerator! 

Questions People are Asking

Is this a dessert or a salad?

It’s both! I call mine a dessert salad.

Can I use sour cream or vanilla yogurt in place of whipped cream?

You can, but it will change the flavor. Be sure to sweeten it.

Is this a side dish or a main dish?

It’s either! You choose! I ate mine for dinner, to be honest.

Can I use fresh fruit?

You can but choose fruits that with work well with each other. Fresh pineapple, fresh oranges, fresh apples. . .any or all of those would be lovely!

Can I add pineapple tidbits instead of crushed pineapple?

Yes. . .you can even add both, if you like!

Can I use a can of Fruit Cocktail?

You can! You’ll need to drain it first, though.

Other Summer Desserts from Out of the Box Baking

Easy Key Lime Pie: If you love the light, tart flavor of lime and the luscious creamy texture of cheesecake, you’re going to love this simple key lime pie. It’s an easy-bake pie you’re sure to adore!

Easy Pineapple Coconut Cake: If you’re in the mood for a summery cake filled with tropical flavors, you’ve come to the right place. This delicious Pineapple Coconut Cake with Lime will make you feel like you’re on a Caribbean beach, ocean waves crashing in the background.

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That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious classic ambrosia salad recipe. 

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