Ambrosia Salad

If you grew up with ambrosia salads at your potlucks and holiday dinners, you most likely have your family's staple recipe in mind. But, if you're looking to celebrate spring with a throwback Southern dessert this year, we think our classic recipe really takes the cake. This Southern fruit salad is a classic for very good reason: Full of fruits, nuts and coconut all tossed in a sweet and creamy combo, it's our ideal kind of salad.

Why is it called "ambrosia" salad?
Although this creamy fruit salad dish has Southern roots, the name "ambrosia" comes from Greek mythology. Ambrosia meant food of the gods, or immortality—Greek gods would eat ambrosia to give them strength and power. Now we can't promise this ambrosia salad will give you godly strength, but it sure does taste heavenly.

What is ambrosia salad made of?
If you grew up with this dish, your family probably has their own preferred version, with their own "must-have" ingredients. However, most recipes for this salad combine citrus fruit (often pineapple), coconut, and marshmallows with a creamy, tangy base. Our version starts with a Cool Whip and sour cream base to really get that tangy, sweet flavor. We then throw in mini marshmallows, mandarin oranges, pineapple, coconut, maraschino cherries and chopped pecans, before tossing it all together.

Variations.
We love the combo of contrasting textures and sweet flavors in every bite in this recipe, but this salad is nothing if not adaptable! Chopped apples are a classic in this dish, as are sliced grapes if you prefer a different fruit. Not a Cool Whip fan? Try using only sour cream, vanilla yogurt, or Greek yogurt!

Can I make this in advance?
Absolutely! This salad is an ideal make-ahead dish. Simply combine all of your ingredients, cover and refrigerate overnight, then serve when you're ready the next day.

Tip: This dish almost gets better as it sits, so if you can make it ahead, we highly recommend!

Made this throwback salad? Let us know how it went in the comments below!