Ambrosia For One

Enjoy a guilt-free dessert with a single serving of a healthier ambrosia. This classic Southern fruit salad is made with pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, miniature marshmallows, and Greek yogurt.

Here's a delightful single serving ambrosia salad recipe that is perfect for days when you want to treat yourself to something sweet and refreshing. This dessert has its origins in the Southern United States and is a delightful combination of fruit, marshmallows, and a deliciously creamy dressing.

Jump to:

• What Is Ambrosia?
• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients
• Ingredient Notes
• How To Make Ambrosia
• Expert Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Serving Suggestions And Storage
• Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
• Recipe

What Is Ambrosia?

Ambrosia is a classic Southern dessert that has been around for generations. The name "ambrosia" means "food of the gods" in Greek mythology, which speaks to how delicious and heavenly this dessert is. This cool and refreshing fruit salad is typically made with juicy oranges, tangy pineapple, coconut, mini marshmallows, and often whipped cream. In our single-serving version, we use Greek yogurt instead of whipped cream and add crunchy pecans. Although we still add in the marshmallows because they're such a key ingredient in the salad, our lighter ambrosia recipe contains less sugar than a traditional ambrosia salad.

Why This Recipe Works

• Easy to make: This simple ambrosia salad comes together in minutes. I prefer to let the fruit salad chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but it can be enjoyed right after you make it if you'd like.
• Easy to customize: For convenience, we use canned fruit but you can make ambrosia with fresh fruit if you prefer. The great thing about a classic ambrosia salad is that you can make it with just about any type of fruit you like. The combination of pineapples, cherries, mandarin oranges, and crunchy pecans is absolutely heavenly to me, but consider adding in other fruits or nuts you love.
• Recipe doubles well: This recipe yields one generous bowl of the best ambrosia salad. If you'd like to make a little extra, just double the ingredient amounts.
• So incredibly delicious: Ambrosia is making a comeback and we're so glad it is! I remember it being served at many family holiday dinners growing up and it's always been one of the most popular dishes at the table.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.

If you grew up with this dish, your family probably has their own preferred version with ingredients that simply must be added. The following ingredients are ones that were always in my family's version:

• Fruit: For convenience, I use canned and well-drained pineapple tidbits and mandarin oranges but feel free to use fresh fruit instead. This ambrosia salad recipe is very customizable, consider adding in fresh grapes, chopped apples, or peaches.
• Maraschino cherries: We use 4 cherries and we slice them in half or in thirds so that you get a taste of cherries in just about every bite. Be sure to remove the stem first.
• Marshmallows: Use regular mini marshmallows or multi-colored flavored mini marshmallows.
• Coconut: Shredded coconut adds the perfect texture and flavor. I almost always use sweetened coconut but you can use unsweetened coconut if you prefer.
• Pecans: Chopped pecans or walnuts add the perfect crunch!
• Yogurt: While many recipes call for using whipped cream, I love using vanilla Greek yogurt in our ambrosia salad. You can use sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, or whipped cream instead.

This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I used them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the recipe box at the bottom of the post.

Expert Tips

• Drain the fruit well. Be sure to drain the canned pineapple tidbits and mandarin oranges very well. Getting as much of the juices drained will ensure a nice, fluffy salad that isn't watery from the extra juice.
• Mix the ingredients gently. Mandarin oranges are particularly fragile. Try to stir the ingredients together gently and slowly so that the fruit remains intact.
• Cover and chill before eating. Although you can eat ambrosia right after you make it, I'd encourage you to store it in the refrigerator for at least one hour so that the flavors have the chance to come together.
• Make ambrosia without nuts. If you don't want to use nuts, leave them out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions And Storage

This is such an easy ambrosia recipe and you'll want to make it every chance you get. It goes well with so many dishes. Consider enjoying a bowl with ham steak, Chicken Cordon Blue, a crustless quiche, or pork tenderloin, or make it as a dessert to enjoy anytime! Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients

If you have any ingredients leftover from this classic ambrosia salad recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:

• Pineapples: Pineapple Lime Jello Salad, Hummingbird Cake, Tropical Smoothie, Pineapple Oat Cake, Green Smoothie
• Oranges: Fruit Quesadilla, Baked Oatmeal
• Coconut: Coconut Cream Pie, Coconut Macaroons, Cowboy Cookies
• Cherries: Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Dirty Shirley, Cherry Dump Cake, Shamrock Shake
• Marshmallows: S'mores Dip, Rice Krispie Treat, Sweet Potato Casserole, Hot Chocolate
• Pecans: Butter Pecan Granola, Pecan Pie, Pralines, French Toast Casserole, Chicken Salad
• Yogurt: Curried Butternut Squash Soup, Overnight Oats, Fruit Quesadilla

For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.

For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.

If you’ve tried this small batch ambrosia recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.

Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!

Recipe