Julie Clark
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Ambrosia Salad with Cream Cheese
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Soft, fluffy and sweet, this creamy Ambrosia salad with cream cheese will look so pretty on your holiday dinner table.
This classic ambrosia salad with cream cheese is a timeless, light, and sweet dessert that’s perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, Easter brunch, or summer picnics. This creamy fruit salad with simple ingredients has easy variations to make it a little lighter, too.
The Secret to the Creamiest Ambrosia Salad Isn’t Whipped Topping
Did ambrosia salad ever make an appearance on your dinner table growing up? In our family, there was always a jello salad or ambrosia at holiday dinners. With all the rich foods that filled our plates, its cool, creamy texture was a refreshing break from the heaviness.
Is it a salad or a dessert? That’s up for debate. Here in the Midwest, we tend to call sweet, creamy dishes like this “salads,” even though there’s nothing leafy or green about them. It’s really more of a dessert. It’s just one that sneaks onto the dinner plate.
The name ambrosia actually comes from Greek mythology, meaning “food of the gods.” It’s been a holiday staple for generations and is still loved across the country. You might even remember your grandma serving it at Christmas.
This version is packed with pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, nuts, and marshmallows, all folded into a creamy filling made with cream cheese for the ultimate smooth texture. Garnish it with bright maraschino cherries on top for the holidays.
And try our other vintage recipes: Cool Whip cookies, sitting pretty cookies, strawberry pie with jello.
Enjoy! -Julie
Ingredients
- Cream cheese is our secret weapon for making an extra creamy ambrosia salad. The cream cheese should be at room temperature so it mixes in smoothly.
- I had white marshmallows on hand, but colored marshmallows give it a pretty look.
- Cool Whip keeps the recipe quick and easy. In place of Cool Whip, whip one cup of cold heavy cream and ¼ cup powdered sugar until it holds peaks. Then use this homemade whipped cream in the salad.
- Make this ambrosia salad lighter! Use low fat cream cheese, low fat sour cream and sugar free Cool Whip to lower the calories and fat.
See the recipe card for full ingredients and amounts.
Ambrosia Salad with Cream Cheese
Soft, fluffy and sweet, this creamy, fruit-filled Ambrosia salad with cream cheese will look so pretty on your holiday dinner table.
Servings 10
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 8 ounces cool whip (thawed)
- 20 ounces crushed pineapple (drained as much as possible)
- 16 ounces maraschino cherries (drained and each cut in half)
- 15 ounces mandarin orange slices (drained and each cut in half)
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
Instructions
- Use a hand mixer to mix the cream cheese in a large bowl until it is smooth. Add the sour cream and mix again until combined. 4 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup sour cream
- Add the cool whip and gently fold to combine. 8 ounces cool whip
- Add the pineapple, cherries, oranges, marshmallows, pecans and coconut and stir to combine. 20 ounces crushed pineapple, 16 ounces maraschino cherries, 15 ounces mandarin orange slices, 3 cups mini marshmallows, ½ cup chopped pecans, ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
- Top with additional coconut, pecans and whole cherries if you like. Refrigerate until serving.
Notes
- Add vanilla pudding for extra sweet vanilla flavor.
- Use fruit cocktail instead of the separate canned fruit.
- Add grapes if you’d like!
Nutrition
Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 569IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 1mg
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does ambrosia salad last in the fridge?
It is best if eaten within 3-5 days of making it.
Can you freeze ambrosia fruit salad?
This salad is not the best frozen. It may become watery as it thaws.
I want to add bananas and apples. How do I keep them from turning brown?
You can try tossing the bananas and apples with lemon juice, then drain. This should preserve them slightly longer.
This is too sweet! Can I somehow lower the sugar?
If you want, you can use more sour cream and less Cool Whip. This will help the ambrosia salad be less sweet.
This is always a must at our Easter dinner table. However, I have never used cream cheese nor cool whip, just the sour cream….about 1-2 cups. We love it!
This is the first time I’ve heard of Ambrosia salad 😮 I though it was ice cream because it looks beautiful. Thank you for the recipe! Definitely make this.