Recipe Tips

My Favorite Ambrosia Salad | Precious Core

 

My Favorite Ambrosia Salad is filled with a variety of fruits, fresh grapes and dressed in a sweet, slightly tangy yogurt dressing. Only 10 minutes of prep time and no need for whipped cream here! This salad is well-loved by my kids and perfect for the holidays, summer, or entertaining.

Ambrosia Salad in a bowl

Last Christmas, we had Ambrosia Salad on our table. While planning our meals I wanted to add a fruit salad but not something that would take so much time to prep.

So I decided to go with Ambrosia. It was the best decision ever! I told my 9-year-old daughter who is kitchen savvy to make it.

Everything took less than ten minutes as the whole process just involves draining fruits and tossing them in the dressing. The only real work here is cutting the grapes in halves.

Ingredients for my favorite ambrosia salad

I love green grapes in this recipe because they provide crunch, freshness, and that lovely green color.

My daughter Salma, (also the one who made this recipe for us at Christmas) insists that I must tell you guys that green grapes are ideal. She says they are crunchier than red grapes (I don’t know about that) and just the best for ambrosia salad.

Our Christmas Ambrosia Salad was so good that my friend who was spending the day with us took the little leftovers to her home.

I love a good fresh fruit salad. But for days when I want something quick, Ambrosia is the answer.

Bowl of ambrosia salad with yogurt

Why This Is My Favorite Ambrosia Salad

This is my favorite Ambrosia Salad for many reasons:

  • I use a fruit cocktail in the salad. This provides a variety of fruits and amazing flavor.
  • I use yogurt in the dressing. I am not a fan of dressings with whipped cream, cool whip and sour cream. Yogurt provides both creaminess and the right amount of tanginess. Also, using yogurt as the dressing makes for a healthier salad.
  • It is ridiculously easy to make. This is the recipe to make when you have guests coming over and you need a quick dessert. So good!
Ambrosia Salad in dessert cups

Ingredients For Ambrosia Salad

For a super delicious impressive Ambrosia Salad, use the following ingredients:

  • Pineapple Chunks or Tidbits: I used those drained from a plastic container.
  • Canned Fruit Cocktail: I love using the tropical fruit cocktail for a tropical flare but any canned fruit cocktail would work.
  • Maraschino Cherries: For a pop of red. Get those without stems if you can. If you get those with stems just take off the stems them leave some with stems on for decorating the salad.
  • Mini Marshmallows: White or colorful marshmallows would work.
  • Sweetened Coconut Flakes: Use them as is or slightly toast the coconut flakes to boost their flavor.
  • Fresh Grapes: I used green grapes cut in half.
  • Plain Yogurt
  • Whole Milk
  • Sugar
Ingredients for ambrosia salad with labels

How To Make Ambrosia Salad

  • Mix together yogurt milk and sugar to make the dressing.
Yogurt dressing for ambrosia
  • Place all the other ingredients for the salad into a bowl.
my favorite ambrosia salad ingredients in a bowl
  • Add the dressing and mix everything to combine.
tossed ambrosia salad

Ambrosia Salad Variations

  • Toast the coconut if desired. Toasting the coconut will amp up its flavor resulting in an even tastier ambrosia salad.
  • Add nuts like pecans if desired.
  • Switch the fruit cocktail for tangerines if desired.
  • You could use all fresh fruits if desired.
  • You could use honey instead of sugar in the yogurt dressing.

Tips For Making Ambrosia Salad

  • Refrigeration helps the flavors to meld. This is a great make-ahead dish. Just make it and keep in the fridge overnight for serving the next day.
  • After draining the maraschino cherries from their jar water, rinse again with water to prevent the cherries from giving a red tint to the salad.
  • Taste the yogurt dressing and adjust sweetness as preferred. For more sweetness, add more sugar.

Why Is It Called Ambrosia?

Ambrosia means the food of the Greek or Roman Gods. The salad was named this way because the ingredients were once exotic and hard to find. So the salad was considered luxurious and reserved for special occasions.

Ambrosia salad is sometimes referred to as watergate salad.

More Easy Dessert Recipes

Hope you enjoy my favorite ambrosia salad recipe as much as we do in my home!

Ambrosia Salad in a bowl

My Favorite Ambrosia Salad

My Favorite Ambrosia Salad is filled with a variety of fruits, fresh grapes and dressed in a sweet, slightly tangy yogurt dressing. Only 10 minutes of prep time and no need for whipped cream here! This salad is well-loved by my kids and perfect for the holidays, summer, or entertaining.

Course:

Dessert, Salad

Cuisine:

Western

Keyword:

Ambrosia Salad, My Favorite Ambrosia Salad

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 187 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1
    cup
    grapes
    halved
  • ¾
    cup
    maraschino cherries
    drained
  • 1
    cup
    pineapple chunks
    drained from a can or fresh chopped
  • 1 ½
    cup
    fruit cocktail
    drained from can
  • 1
    cup
    mini marshmallows
  • 1
    cup
    sweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 ½
    cup
    plain full fat (whole milk) yogurt
    sub with Greek yogurt
  • 2
    Tablespoons
    whole milk
  • 2
    Tablespoons
    sugar

Instructions

  1. In a small mixing bowl or measuring cup combine the yogurt, sugar, and milk. Stir well so everything is incorporated.

  2. Place all the other ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add the yogurt dressing and toss to combine.

  3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for at least one hour or until ready to serve. It can be refrigerated overnight too.

Recipe Notes

1. All canned fruits are measured after draining.

2. Refrigeration helps the flavors to meld. This is a great make-ahead dish. Just make it and keep in the fridge overnight for serving the next day.

3. Toast the coconut if desired. Toasting the coconut will amp up its flavor resulting in an even tastier ambrosia salad.

4. Add nuts if desired.

5. Switch the fruit cocktail for tangerines if desired.

6. You could use all fresh fruits if desired.

7. After draining the maraschino cherries from their jar water, rinse again with water to prevent the cherries from giving a red tint to the salad.

8. Taste the yogurt dressing and adjust sweetness as preferred. For more sweetness, add more sugar.

9. I used pineapples and cocktail fruits canned in fruit juice as opposed to those canned in syrup. That’s just my preference.

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