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    Home » Dessert » Ambrosia Salad Parfait

    How to make Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe

    Published: Dec 13, 2015 · Modified: Sep 15, 2021 by Pavani · 7 Comments

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    Ambrosia Salad Parfait is a light and delicious fruit salad perfect for the holiday season. Recipe is easy to make and can be customized with any fruits you have on hand. Serve it in individual servings or from a big bowl, this is sure to be a hit with everyone.

    Ambrosia salad parfait served in glass serving cups placed on a wooden board

    Today I have a no-cook, no-bake dessert that is quick and easy to make. It is called Ambrosia Salad aka fruit salad. It is great as Holiday dessert.

    Ambrosia literally means 'food of the gods'  in Greek & Roman mythology. But this dish is very much American. It is a very popular dessert/ salad served around holidays in the Southern US states.

    This is a very quick and easy dessert to make. Lightly sweetened whipped cream is mixed with fresh fruit and grated coconut. Even though it sounds so easy, the resulting dish is light and absolutely delicious, hence the name - Ambrosia.

    Recipe is adapted from Alton Brown's Good Eats show.

    Top view of Ambrosia salad parfait topped with toasted nuts and grated coconut

    Ingredients

    There are 3 components in this ambrosia salad parfait recipe - creamy, fruity and crunchy. For the creamy part - you need whipping cream, sour cream and sugar.

    For the fruity component of ambrosia salad - the most commonly used are pineapple, clementines, and maraschino cherries. But feel free to use any fruit you like, banana, grapes, strawberries and so on.

    For the crunchy part - toasted almonds or pecans and grated coconut.

    Ingredients needed - details in recipe card

    Instructions

    Start by making the whipped cream. In a chilled bowl, pour the cream and add sugar. Beat with a hand mixer or a whisk until stiff peak forms.

    Step by step photos showing heavy cream whipped until stiff peak forms.

    Add sour cream to the whipped cream and gently fold it in.

    Sour cream being added to whipped cream

    Prep all the fruit and mix them in a small bowl.

    At this point, you can either layer them into individual serving glasses to make ambrosia parfaits. Or toss everything in a big bowl for a even quicker dish.

    To make the parfaits, spoon the mixed fruit in the bottom of the serving glasses/ bowls, top with the whipped cream mixture and grated coconut. Repeat the layers until the top. Sprinkle some tasted, chopped nuts on top. Chill for at least 2 hours and serve cold.

    Step by step photos showing the building of Ambrosia salad parfait

    Taste Test

    It tastes absolutely amazing - creamy, light and refreshing. Even my picky husband liked it a lot. It takes just a few minutes to put everything together and since it needs to be served chilled, it is great as a make ahead dessert.

    If you are still thinking of what dessert to make for the coming holidays, add this to your buffet. Or even better take it to a potluck — you will be a star at the party.

    Hand sprinkling grated coconut on fruit salad

    Tips

    • To make the recipe even simpler, use 1 cup cool whip instead of heavy cream.
    • Feel free to use any fruit you like, banana, grapes, strawberries and so on.
    • You can serve this ambrosia fruit salad individual serving glasses. Or simply toss everything in a big bowl for a even quicker dessert.
    • Make sure to chill the dessert for at least 2 hours before serving.
    • This fruit salad can be made up to 24 hours in advance.

    More easy dessert recipes to try

    • Individual no-bake cookie butter cheesecake
    • Vegan mug cakes
    • Suafa'i - Samoan banana tapioca pudding
    • Chocolate chip donuts
    • Chocolate panna cotta
    • Individual banana pudding
    • Eggless cookies and cream ice cream
    Ambrosia Fruit Salad

    I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this and liked it, then don't forget to let me know. Give a star rating and let me know in the comments below. Also tag me in your creations on Instagram @cooks_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag #cookshideout too.

    Ambrosia Salad Parfait in a glass set over a wooden board

    Ambrosia Fruit Salad

    A popular American dessert that is made frequently in the Southern States. This light and delicious dish is very easy to make and can be easily customized to ones preferences.
    Author: Pavani
    Print Pin Rate
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    Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
    Chilling Time:: 2 hours hrs
    Total Time: 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup Heavy cream
    • ½ cup Sour cream
    • 1 tablespoon Sugar
    • 1 cup Fresh pineapple, finely chopped
    • 1 cup Red seedless grapes, halved
    • 2 Oranges or Clementines, peeled and segmented
    • 2 tablespoons Grated unsweetened coconut, fresh or dried
    • 3 tablespoons Pecans or Almonds, toasted
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions

    • In a chilled bowl, pour the cream and add sugar. Beat with a hand mixer or a whisk until stiff peak forms.
    • Add sour cream to the whipped cream and gently fold it in.
    • Prep all the fruit and mix them in a small bowl.
    • At this point, you can either layer them into individual serving glasses to make ambrosia parfaits. Or toss everything in a big bowl for a even quicker dish.

    To Assemble:

    • To make the parfaits, spoon the mixed fruit in the bottom of the serving glasses/ bowls, top with the whipped cream mixture and grated coconut. Repeat the layers until the top. Sprinkle some tasted, chopped nuts on top. Chill for at least 2 hours and serve cold.

    Notes

    • To make the recipe even simpler, use 1 cup cool whip instead of heavy cream.
    • Feel free to use any fruit you like, banana, grapes, strawberries and so on.
    • You can serve this ambrosia fruit salad individual serving glasses. Or simply toss everything in a big bowl for a even quicker dessert.
    • Make sure to chill the dessert for at least 2 hours before serving.
    • This fruit salad can be made up to 24 hours in advance.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Parfait | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 542IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cooks_hideout or tag #cookshideout!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sowmya Sundararajan

      December 13, 2015 at 3:07 am

      Healthy Parfait!

      Reply
    2. Suja Ilangovan

      December 13, 2015 at 10:29 pm

      That is such a colorful & delicious looking dessert, you got there Pavani. I'm sure it tastes great too 🙂

      Reply
    3. Sowmya :)

      December 21, 2015 at 8:27 am

      These parfaits look droolworthy...such pretty pictures!

      Reply
    4. Usha Rao

      January 19, 2016 at 7:03 pm

      Mouthwatering!! I can have this dessert anytime and it can be ensembles in matter of minutes.

      Reply
    5. Srivalli

      January 29, 2016 at 6:36 am

      Gosh that look so so sinful Pavani..really ambrosia..

      Reply
    6. Katherine

      November 17, 2018 at 2:02 am

      46 servings? That can’t be right...

      Reply
      • cookshideout

        November 18, 2018 at 9:54 am

        Hi Katherine, that was supposed to be 4~6 servings 🙂 I updated it to 6 servings now. Thanks for pointing that out.

        Reply

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    18 shares