For a creamy, fruity, sweet dessert, try 5 Cup Salad made with fresh fruit and marshmallows. Perfect for the heat of summer!
Jump to RecipeWhen I first heard of 5 Cup Salad, I assumed it was a regular salad with green leafy lettuce. Or, that it was similar to a 5 Layer Salad. But it’s nothing like that. The first time I had 5 Cup Salad, also sometimes called Ambrosia Salad, was at a potluck at work. It’s the perfect recipe to make for special occasions. It’s like a Southerner’s dream dessert!
While the classic recipe for ambrosia salad has many variations, 5 cup salad doesn’t change. This dessert salad is made with 5 ingredients, with one cup of each ingredient. This makes it really easy to remember the ratio and amounts to make your own 5-cup fruit salad.
The name Ambrosia Salad comes from Greek mythology. Ambrosia was the food of the gods and this tastes heavenly. It’s also believed to be made of sweet flavors that were hard to come by at the time. The first documented ambrosia recipes can be traced back to the late 1800s.
This easy recipe comes together in minutes and then sits in the refrigerator for a few hours. The sweet ingredients have time to absorb and pull this creamy fruit salad together. Bring this the next time you attend family gatherings or need a dessert for family dinners. Trust me, they will ask you to keep making it in the future! This is also a great simple recipe to bring for holiday dinners as a special treat.
The vintage recipe calls for one cup of coconut, one cup of pineapple tidbits, one cup of marshmallows, one cup of sour cream, and one cup of mandarin oranges. I know it sounds like a strange ingredient, but the tangy sour cream flavor offsets the taste of the fresh fruit really well.
While most see this as a dessert, you could also make it a refreshing side dish during backyard get-togethers, especially in the summer. The tropical fruit medley in the simple fruit salad gives it a taste of summer.
Variations
Instead of pineapple tidbits, try using canned crushed pineapple or, even better, purchase a fresh pineapple and cut it up yourself. That’s what we did to get the freshest taste.
If you want to add to the recipe, you can add a dollop of cool whip or whipped topping to the top when serving. We also have stirred in maraschino cherries to give it a bit of color.
For added crunch, try mixing in chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or pistachios.
5 Cup Salad Step by Step
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut flakes, sweetened, shredded
- 1 cup pineapple chunks, fresh
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
Preparation
In a large bowl, toss the coconut, pineapple, marshmallows, and sour cream until well combined.
Carefully mix the oranges in.
Cover and refrigerate for 5-6 hours before serving cold.
5 Cup Salad Leftovers
Storage: Keep the leftover 5-cup salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. Make sure to give it a good stir before serving.
Freezing: While the salad can be frozen, I don’t recommend it. The marshmallows tend to dissolve when frozen and thawed, and the fruit will lose its texture as well.
Recipe
Originally Published On: August 7, 2023
5 Cup Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut flakes (sweetened, shredded)
- 1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh)
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mandarin oranges (drained)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the coconut, pineapple, marshmallows, and sour cream until well combined
- Carefully mix the oranges in
- Cover and refrigerate for 5-6 hours before serving cold
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Other Summer Recipes
- Ice Cream Sandwich Cake Recipe: Perfect Summer Dessert
- Cucumber Summer Salad
- Fresh Summer Relish
- 5 Ingredient Rum Runner Cocktail Recipe
- Summer Veggie Stir-Fry
- Frozen Piña Colada
- Hawaiian Chicken Wraps: An Easy Summer Meal
- Spiked Agua Fresca: A Perfect Summer Drink
- Frozen Fruit Cups: The Perfect Summer Treat
- Summer Basil Chicken and Shrimp Kabobs
- Fluffy Frozen Fruit Salad
- Grilled Summer Orzo Salad
- 5 Cup Salad Recipe: A Perfect Cool Summer Dessert
- Simple Classic 3 Ingredient Margarita Recipe
- Amaretto Punch Slush
- Classic Potato Salad
- Strawberry Cobbler
- Watermelon Lemonade
- Sweet Baked Plantains
- Simple Strawberry Lemonade
- Grilled Pineapple Pork Chops
- Pineapple Bread Casserole
- Simple Classic Coleslaw Recipe
- Fresh Caprese Salad
Pineapple Recipes to try
- Grilled Pineapple Pork Chops
- Pineapple Bread Casserole
- Pineapple Coconut Dessert Bars
- Hawaiian Chicken Wraps: An Easy Summer Meal
- Crystallized Pineapple: A Sweet Snack with Only 3 Ingredients
- Pineapple Shrimp Stir Fry
- Hawaiian Chicken
- Strawberry Pineapple Daiquiri Frozen Drink Recipe
- Carrot Cake with Pineapple Filling
- Hawaiian Meatballs in the Slow Cooker
- Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
- 5 Ingredient Rum Runner Cocktail Recipe
- Hawaiian Lit’l Smokies in the Slow Cooker
- Frozen Piña Colada
- Fluffy Frozen Fruit Salad
- Tropical Yogurt Parfait
- Frozen Fruit Cups: The Perfect Summer Treat
- 5 Cup Salad Recipe: A Perfect Cool Summer Dessert
This is the perfect recipe to use my farmer market pineapple in! My kids love the bright color and sweetness in a bowl!
This 5 Cup Salad is the perfect item to bring for a bbq. I’m always looking for a yummy summer take along recipe for cookouts and holidays – I’m excited I found this option!
I like this recipe because it’s simple. I’m a busy person, and I don’t want to spend time in the kitchen. Thanks.
Orange slices and sour cream? It shouldn’t work but I know it does. I’ve tried something similar while on vacation and, while it sounded so odd, it was beautiful! Marshmellow, though? Now there’s a new one!
This is such a sweet fruit cup salad that`s simple to make. Its perfect for summer!
I remember this salad from my childhood when my mother made it. It brings back a lot of memories.
Ooohhhhh…I love all the ingredients of this salad, except sour cream. I hope the taste of the pineapple doesn’t escape from me.
I like that you get some nutrition from the fruit, and then added sweetness and flavor from coconut and other ingredients. The only one I am not sure about is sour cream. I guess the only way to know how that would taste is to try it myself
Oh wow, that is different. I’ve not tried a salad like that before. I love that it’s a sweet salad and has ingredients my kids would love. I’ll need to make it for them and see what they think.
Hey, your 5 Cup Salad recipe is a summer delight! Loved how easy it is to make. The perfect blend of flavors makes it a cool dessert option. Thanks for sharing this refreshing treat idea, looking forward to more yummy recipes from you! 🍓🍍🥭
This is an easy recipe. Just remember 5 cups of ingredients. I think you can decide what other fruits you mix up. Great as dessert or a side dish.
Wow! This looks absolutely delicious and tasty my family are going to love this! Thanks for sharing this with us
Well, I don’t think I have tried this one but it looks so yummy. I’m not salad type person but these are worth trying. Thank you for sharing!
This looks like a fun summer dessert. It is nice to have something easy but refreshing. I’m sure my kids would love this!
This recipe looks so delicious! This will be on my list of things to try in the future.
So interesting! I would omit the coconut, though. I don’t feel like it would make much of a difference possibly?
Absolutely loved the 5 Cup Salad recipe! Creamy, fruity, and oh-so-delicious. The perfect summer treat to beat the heat! 🌞
This looks so delicious and refreshing. I actually prefer crushed pineapple so, will use that instead. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Happy to know it’s easy to make.
This 5-cup salad recipe is a delightful twist on a classic dessert – can’t wait to savor its cool and refreshing flavors this summer! 🍓🍍🍑