Southern Ambrosia is often called “Nectar of the Gods,” an excellent description of this famous old-fashioned, citrusy fruit salad. This recipe is made simply with fresh juicy navel oranges, a bit of shredded sweetened coconut, and garnished with ruby red maraschino cherries, Old Fashioned Southern Ambrosia has graced many holiday tables throughout the years.
Southern Ambrosia is a traditional Christmas dish for many Southerners, and I am no exception. I can’t imagine the holidays without this Old-Fashioned Ambrosia salad. But this traditional side dish is also perfect for breakfast or brunch, and it makes an excellent light dessert or snack any time of year.
There are many different recipes for Southern Ambrosia, and I know many of you also like to add grapefruit, pecans, pineapple, and even sour cream or cool whip. I have tasted and enjoyed all of the combinations for this tasty fruit salad, but this simple recipe is the one I grew up eating and it is my favorite.
Here’s what’s in it:
- Navel oranges – are the star of this show, and for a good reason. They are juicy and full of sweet citrusy flavor, and a real bonus, they are seedless. You can substitute other types of oranges, but you may have to add more sugar.
- Powdered sugar – adds a delicate sweetness to the navel oranges.
- Sweetened coconut – moist and sweet, shredded coconut adds a tropical vibe and wonderful texture to this dish.
- Maraschino cherries – with their beautiful red color, add a bright pop of color and their signature sweetness.
Here’s how to make this recipe:
- Gather your ingredients and peel the oranges with a sharp paring knife. Make sure to remove all of the white pith.
- Next, section the oranges by placing the knife along the inside of the orange membrane for each section. Run the blade to the center of the orange and pop out the orange section with the tip of the knife. When sectioning the oranges, be sure to do this over a bowl to catch all of the juice.
- When you have cut out all of the sections, squeeze out any remaining juice and discard the membranes.
- When you have finished sectioning the oranges, taste one to determine how sweet they are. Add a bit of the powdered sugar and mix well. Add more sugar as needed.
- Place the orange mixture in a serving dish and top with the coconut.
- Before serving, top with one or more maraschino cherries.
Frequently asked questions:
In its simplest form, old-fashioned ambrosia is a fruit salad made of fresh navel oranges and coconut. It was a treat reserved for holidays and special occasions in the early days. Over the years, it has morphed into a creamy, citrusy salad made with different kinds of canned citrus and pineapple, sour cream, cool whip, and marshmallows.
There are no rules for Southern ambrosia, and whether you serve it as a fruit salad for a holiday meal, or a light dessert, it’s entirely up to you. But, no matter when you serve it or what you call it, it will make your meal memorable.
I usually like to either serve ambrosia for breakfast on Christmas morning with my Easy Sausage Cheese Bread and Make-Ahead Caramel Soaked French Toast. This year, I served it with Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce, Broccoli Cheese Casserole, and Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes for our Christmas dinner. But, it is also excellent by itself for breakfast or a quick snack.
When I make this recipe for Southern ambrosia, I always make more than I think I will need. Leftovers are even better the next day, and I love having a bowl of fresh oranges already sectioned in my fridge to snack on or have as a quick breakfast.
The truth is it takes time to section an orange properly. I always section mine for holidays and special occasions because it makes a prettier presentation. However, if it’s just my husband and me or if I’m in a hurry, I just peel the oranges and chop them into bite-size pieces. The taste is the same.
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
The sweeter your oranges are, the better your ambrosia will be. Oranges vary in sweetness. If your fruit is really sweet, you might want to cut back on the amount of sugar you add. Conversely, if your oranges aren’t that sweet, you may need to add a little more sugar.
If you are making ambrosia ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to four days. Then, wait to add the cherries until you are ready to serve; otherwise, the cherry juice might stain the orange sections.
I like to use navel oranges, but you can use valencias or any sweet, seedless variety you want.
If your family isn’t a fan of coconut, feel free to leave it out.
If you want to change things up a bit, you can also add grapefruit or other citrus, pecans, chunks of pineapple, cool whip, sour cream and marshmallows.
More holiday or special occasion breakfast or brunch recipes:
Some of my other favorite holiday dishes include Eggs Benedict Breakfast Casserole, Broccoli and Mushroom Frittata, and Southern Cheese Grits Casserole.
You can browse all of my breakfast and brunch recipes here or check out my roundup posts, Easy Make-Ahead Christmas Breakfast, and Brunch Recipes, and 25 Best Christmas Breakfast and Brunch recipes.
Oh, and ambrosia isn’t just for Christmas! It’s perfect for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, or any occasion you want something special!
★ Please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating if you make this recipe. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thanks so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
Old-Fashioned Southern Ambrosia Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 navel oranges peeled and sectioned
- 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar or to taste
- 2 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut
- maraschino cherries for garnish
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients and peel the oranges with a sharp paring knife. Make sure to remove all of the white pith.
- Next, section the oranges by placing the knife along the inside of the orange membrane for each section. Run the blade to the center of the orange and pop out the orange section with the tip of the knife. When sectioning the oranges, be sure to do this over a bowl to catch all of the juice.
- When you have cut out all of the sections, squeeze out any remaining juice and discard the membranes.
- When you have finished sectioning the oranges, taste a segment to determine how sweet they are. Add a bit of the powdered sugar and mix well. Add more sugar as needed. Place the orange mixture in a serving dish and top with the coconut. Before serving, top with one or more maraschino cherries.
Notes
Nutrition
**This recipe for Southern Ambrosia was originally published on December 20, 2016. It was republished on December 28, 2021 with new photos, the addition of a FAQ section and expanded directions. There is no change to the original recipe.
As a child Yankee transplant to North Carolina I met Ambrosia at friends’ home. I was smitten! This simple recipe is the one they made. All else is gilding the lily
I searched high and LOW for an ambrosia recipe that replicated the vague memories I had from my Great-Grandmother’s; which didn’t include any sort of dressing. Your’s is the only one I’ve found and it’s like a key unlocked in my memory! I found so many dressed up with cool whip and marshmallows ambrosia recipe that I was beginning to think that I was the one remembering wrong and then I found this recipe! Your tip about using seedless naval oranges and removing all the membranes and adding powdered sugar will surely make a much needed difference when I try once again to duplicate Granny’s. Thank you so much for sharing and publishing!
Hi Miriam, thank you for your sweet note. I hope you enjoy it!
All the best,
Sharon
yes this is what I wanted to see… Just like i have always made thank you….5
star
This is they way my grandma made it for every Christmas. Just oranges and coconut- perfection. This is REAL southern ambrosia. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for remembering that ambrosia is not a gloppy over sweet mess of chemical infused mess.
It was a yearly celebration of the sweetness of citrus and coconut that would come by train from warmer climes to help make Christmas special.
My Great Aunt, who was born in 1883 and lived to be 100, used to make it this way.
I remember it was always her contribution to the holiday table.
All those other white creamed dishs are nice but don’t call them Ambrosia.
My family likes 5 cup salad – 1 cup each , manderin oranges, pineapple, sour cream, coconut, and mini marshmallows, make ahead to allow it to meld. It’s good but not the same.
Our family always made it with cut up apples and oranges. Cherries and coconut were added before serving. It is a Christmas tradition.
My mamas made Ambrosia with no sugar and used grapefruit too. If you use Texas citrus, it’s sweet enough that the grapefruit aren’t too acidic and sugar would be just too much!
Hi Devorah, that’s a good point about some citrus not needing as much sugar and it depends on the sweetness of the fruit, to begin with.
Thanks for sharing.
Sharon