Ambrosia Salad was a childhood favorite. I just never realized it. The salad I grew up with was referred to as fruit salad with whipped cream. Maybe amongst the adults the real title was shared but for those younger than 10 pretty much used the title already stated.
It varied from year to year. I honestly don’t recall having coconut or marshmallows too often in our fruit salad. I am sure this was because of a personal choice made by my grandmother. In general, we did not each much coconut. I can only assume it was not a family favorite.
I very much remember the Then of my life and relish in the Now every day. My own little family does not love this salad as I did whilst a youngster. It may be the nuts or the whipped cream, who knows. On rare occasions I do make this in a much smaller size and devour it over the course of a few days. 
Can you blame me? Nuts, mandarin oranges, pineapples, bananas, coconut, marshmallows and bananas…ooh la la. How could I have forgotten the maraschino cherries (the best part in my opinion).
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Retro Recipe – Ambrosia Salad
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Sherron Watson revisits and rediscovered a dish long forgotten. The Ambrosia Salad.
Ingredients
- 1 can of mandarin oranges, drained and diced
- 1 can of pineapple chunks, drained and diced
- 1 jar of maraschino cherries, drained and halved
- 1 banana, sliced
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) of chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) of shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) of mini-marshmallows
- 1/2-1 cup (120-240 ml) of heavy whipped cream
- 1 tsp (5 ml) of sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) of vanilla
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine first 7 ingredients.
- In a small bowl combine the last 3 and beat until cream is thick.
- Combine the two bowls. Store salad covered and in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- The size of can’s I used for the mandarin oranges and pineapple were between 10-10 3/4 ounces.
- The cherries, I purchase the smallest bottle I could find.
- All of the listed amounts can be adjusted or omitted on what your family likes or does not like.
- I actually enjoyed the marshmallow and coconut after years of not having it made this way.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
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Frequently Asked Questions
What size cans should I use for the mandarin oranges and pineapple?
The notes specify cans between 10 and 10 3/4 ounces for both the mandarin oranges and the pineapple chunks. The author also says she purchased the smallest bottle of maraschino cherries available.
Can I leave out the coconut or marshmallows?
Yes — the notes explicitly say all listed amounts can be adjusted or omitted based on what your family likes. The author’s own childhood version often skipped the coconut and marshmallows, as they were not family favorites growing up.
