5 Cup Fruit Salad is cool, creamy, and not too sweet. Loaded with delicious tropical fruit, it makes up fast and easy when you are in a hurry.
This old-fashioned 5 Cup Fruit Salad is easy to remember: it uses one cup each of sour cream, mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, mini marshmallows, and sweetened coconut. Stir the five ingredients together in minutes, then refrigerate for at least four hours so the flavors blend and the marshmallows soften.
Also called Five Cup Salad, it has the creamy fruit, coconut, and marshmallows you'll recognize from Traditional Ambrosia Salad. Tangy sour cream balances the sweetness, and the salad is easy to make ahead for holiday dinners, potlucks, or Sunday supper. It's also sweet enough to serve for dessert.
🔍 Quick Look: 5 Cup Fruit Salad Recipe
- Ready in: 5 Minute Prep, Ready in 4 Hours
- Servings: 8
- Calories: ~164 kcal per serving
- Main Ingredients: Mandarin oranges, pineapple, mini marshmallows, shredded coconut, and sour cream.
- Flavor Profile: Creamy • Sweet
- Mixing Techniques: Mix
- Cook Method: No Cook, Just Mix & Chill
- Difficulty: Easy, making it great for cooks of all levels.
- Why You'll Love It: Sweet tropical fruits are mixed with fluffy mini marshmallows and tangy sour cream... fruity, flavorful, easy, and a perfect side dish or dessert.
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Ingredient Notes
- Sour Cream - Tangy sour cream makes this fruit salad creamy and keeps it from being too sweet.
- Mandarin Orange Segments - Canned in its own juice or in light syrup are the best choices. If you use canned in a heavy syrup, rinse the mandarin orange segments in cool water. This keeps the salad from being too sweet.
- Pineapple Tidbits - The tidbit size is just right and not too large for a bite.
- Mini Marshmallows - These bring fun to this fruit salad! I prefer to use plain, white, vanilla-flavored marshmallows.
- Shredded Sweetened Coconut - Look for brands that look moist and have long shreds for the best flavor and eye appeal.
Please see the recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Substitute Greek Yogurt. Plain Greek yogurt is an excellent substitution for sour cream and also adds protein.
- Substitute Cherries. You can substitute whole canned, frozen and thawed, or fresh pitted cherries for the mandarin oranges.
- Omit the Coconut. Some people are not a fan of coconut and you can omit it from the recipe.
How to Make the Best 5 Cup Fruit Salad!
- Combine. Mix the sour cream, mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, mini marshmallows, and shredded coconut together in a large bowl.
- Cover & Chill. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to develop.
Serve and enjoy. No toppings or sauces needed!
My Top Tips
♡ Drain all of the fruit well. I drain the fruit, then spread it on paper towels to remove excess liquid. This keeps the salad from becoming soggy and helps it stay fresher longer.
What to Serve with 5 Cup Fruit Salad
Because it's cool, creamy, and sweet-tangy, 5 Cup Fruit Salad pairs especially well with salty or spicy main dishes. Serve it with Baked Ham, Corned Beef, Enchiladas, or Tacos. For a potluck or holiday table, the one-cup-each formula is easy to double or triple... just use two cups to double or three cups to triple each ingredient.
Make-Ahead & Storage
- Make-Ahead: This fruit salad is always best if made ahead. Make it in the morning to serve in the afternoon, or make it the day before serving.
- Storage: Store the salad in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Because this fruit salad contains dairy, you can't freeze it.
More Fruit Salads You'll Love
♡ Did you love this 5 Cup Fruit Salad? Please leave a star rating and a comment. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
5 Cup Fruit Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 1 Cup Mandarin Oranges, Well Drained
- 1 Cup Pineapple Tidbits, Well Drained
- 1 Cup Mini Marshmallows
- 1 Cup Shredded Sweetened Coconut
Instructions
- Combine. Mix the sour cream, mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, mini marshmallows, and shredded coconut, together in a large bowl.1 Cup Sour Cream, 1 Cup Mandarin Oranges, 1 Cup Pineapple Tidbits, 1 Cup Mini Marshmallows, 1 Cup Shredded Sweetened Coconut
- Cover & Chill. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to develop.
Notes
Nutrition
Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
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Nancy says
This is the REAL way of making fruit salad. Just don't let anyone see you put the sour cream in and everyone will rave! Depending on who will be eating I may add extra fruits, but always reserve bananas until serving time so they don't turn brown. Thanks so much for going against those who fear magic ingredients!
Jan Nunes says
Hi Nancy!
Thank you for your great comment with some awesome pro tips.😉 Love the tip about adding bananas!
Have a wonderful day! ~Jan