5 cup salad is a sweet, tangy, and creamy side dish that combines pineapple, mandarin oranges, mini marshmallows, coconut, and a tangy sour cream dressing for an easy-to-make dish perfect for potlucks or summer barbecues.
Simple 5 Cup Salad
This 5 Cup Salad (sometimes called Ambrosia Salad) is so quick and easy to make, and just as it’s called, you use 1 cup of each ingredient.
This Southern recipe combines pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries, and mini marshmallows with sour cream in one bowl, then you cover and chill until you’re ready to serve – so straightforward yet so delicious!
A 5 Cup Salad may lack the lettuce of the traditional side and is not your typical fruit salad either, but it is a timeless classic that your family will love. While sour cream and fruit may seem like an odd combination, it’s the best creamy, creation with the best balance of sweet and tangy flavor.
More Easy Dessert Salads
Why We Love This 5 Cup Salad Recipe
- Quick and easy to make in minutes.
- Only uses 5 ingredients.
- No cook, naturally gluten-free recipe.
- Sweet, creamy, comforting, and colorful.
- Simple to serve as a side dish beside the main meal or saved for a refreshingly light dessert.
- Perfect for a dinner party, potluck, picnic, or Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday dinner.
5-Cup Salad Ingredients
- Sour cream: You can use light sour cream for a lower calorie count.
- Roughly chopped pineapple chunks, drained
- Mandarin oranges, drained
- Drained and halved maraschino cherries, no stems
- Miniature marshmallows: You can use multicolored miniature marshmallows or plain miniature marshmallows.
Substitutions and Additions
- Sour Cream Swap: Instead of sour cream, you can use cool whip, cottage cheese, or vanilla Greek yogurt.
- Pick Your Pineapple: You can substitute drained pineapple tidbits or drained crushed pineapples for the pineapple chunks.
- Add Nuts: Feel free to add some crunch by including chopped pecans, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, or almonds in your salad.
- Cherries Swap: You can substitute sweetened coconut flakes for the cherries.
- Add more fruits: Feel free to add more fruit like chopped apples or grapes.
Recommended Tools
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
How to Make 5 Cup Salad
- Add the sour cream to a mixing bowl and whisk to remove any lumps.
- Fold in the pineapple, mandarin oranges, cherries, and miniature marshmallows until combined.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Serve while cold. Enjoy!
Tips For the Best 5 Cup Salad
- If you’re looking to add some variety, feel free to substitute or add other ingredients like grapes, nuts, or yogurt.
- You can use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
- This dish can also be doubled or tripled if you need to feed a crowd.
How to Store 5-Cup Salad
To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing.
Is 5-Cup Salad a Side Dish or Dessert?
Honestly, it can be either! It depends on the meal I am serving. If I am doing it for a brunch or BBQ, I will serve it with the main dishes. If I am having a heavier dinner, I will usually put it out with the desserts.
Other Easy Side Dish Recipes
- Fruit Salad Recipe
- Hot Cross Buns
- Grape Salad
- Watermelon Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Berry Cheesecake Salad
- Honey Butter Skillet Corn
- Broccoli Salad
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
- You can add nuts for an added crunch.
- You can substitute sweetened coconut flakes for the cherries.
- Feel free to add more fruit like chopped apples or grapes.
- This dish can also be doubled or tripled if you need to feed a crowd.
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.