This easy 5-cup salad combines juicy fruit, mini marshmallows, and creamy goodness for a simple, nostalgic treat. With just five ingredients, it’s the perfect quick recipe for any occasion.
What is 5 Cup Salad?
5 Cup Salad is a Southern staple, a sweet treat that’s been a family favorite in my household forever! Also known as Ambrosia salad, this old-fashioned fruit salad is named for its simplicity: it combines 5 ingredients, each in a one-cup measurement.
This classic five cup salad recipe is a nostalgic nod to retro cooking and a delightful mix of flavors and textures. It combines a creamy base with an abundance of colorful fruit, mini marshmallows, and sometimes shredded coconut.
So….is it a side or a dessert? I’ll let you decide. It’s one of those dishes that doesn’t really seem to know what it is! It’s sweet like a dessert, but depending on the dressing, it can be light like a fruit cocktail.
I have made this twice since I first saw it on your site and it was a huge hit both times. Super easy and very delicious. Thank you for all the effort you put into this site.
Ingredients for the Best 5 Cup Salad Recipe
- Sour cream: You can use light sour cream for a lower calorie count.
- Pineapple chunks: You can substitute drained pineapple tidbits or drained crushed pineapples for the pineapple chunks if you prefer.
- Mandarin oranges: I prefer to use canned mandarin oranges for best results. Fresh oranges have a pith (the white part) around each segment, which will affect the texture of the dish.
- Maraschino cherries: You can substitute sweetened coconut flakes for the cherries.
- Miniature marshmallows: You can substitute multicolored miniature marshmallows for the plain miniature marshmallows. You can also use large marshmallows by cutting them into quarters with kitchen shears to turn them into mini marshmallows. Eight large marshmallows is the equivalent of 1 cup of mini marshmallows.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make 5 Cup Salad: Step-by-Step Guide
- Whisk: Add the sour cream to a medium size mixing bowl and whisk until no lumps remain.
- Fold: Fold in the fruit and mini marshmallows.
- Serve: Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Serve while cold.
Serving Suggestions
This versatile salad recipe pairs perfectly with a variety of dishes, from savory mains to other sweet treats. With its sweet and creamy flavors, 5 Cup Salad is a crowd-pleaser that appeals to all ages. It’s easy to make in large batches, making it ideal for potlucks and big family dinners. Plus, it’s easy to customize with your favorite fruits and swap out any ingredients to suit almost any occasion.
Are you friends with me on Facebook or do you follow me on my other social media sites? Make this be your go-to recipe during the busy holiday season and let me know how you decide to serve it.
5 Cup Salad Variations to Try
- Sour Cream Swap: Instead of sour cream, you can use cool whip, cottage cheese, or vanilla Greek yogurt.
- Create Some Crunch: Feel free to add some crunch by including chopped pecans, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, almonds or toasted coconut in your salad.
- Fill With More Fruits: Feel free to add more fruit like chopped apples or grapes.
Love Dessert Salads? Try These:
- Watergate Salad (Pistachio Salad)
- Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
- Grape Salad
If you tried this 5 Cup Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
5 Cup Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup pineapple chunks roughly chopped, drained
- 1 cup mandarin oranges drained
- 1 cup maraschino cherries drained and halved, no stems
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
Instructions
- Add the sour cream to a medium size mixing bowl, and whisk to remove any lumps.
- Fold in the pineapple, mandarin oranges, cherries and miniature marshmallows just until combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Serve while cold.
Jenn’s Notes
- Adjust sweetness with plain Greek yogurt or extra sour cream. Use fruit packed in water for less sweetness.
- Add marshmallows just before serving to keep them fluffy, or toss them in powdered sugar to prevent sogginess.
- Drain canned fruits well and pat dry to avoid excess liquid.
- Double or triple the recipe for larger gatherings.
Might be good, but try to get it printed off is almost totally impossible. Been trying for 30 minutes and you can’t get it for all the ads in there will not let you print. I don’t like people sending me recipes that I would like to print and then not be able to print it it’s ridiculous
Hi there, I’m so sorry to hear you’re having trouble printing the recipe! I completely understand how frustrating that can be. There should be a “print recipe” button in the recipe card to give you a clean, ad-free version. If that’s not working for you, please let me know, and I’ll be happy to help or even email you a printable version directly. Thanks for your patience!
I have made this twice since I first saw it on your site and it was a huge hit both times. Super easy and very delicious. Thank you for all the effort you put into this site.
Super delicious and super nutritious!
Delicious
This is the recipe that I want to try. I am all about the No-Bake Dessert! I have quite a collection of recipes, but this is not one of them. I like the substitutions ideas. Thanks!
I’ve made this for over 30 yr But I used miracle whip.
I use cool whip instead of the sour cream.
Yummy!