5 Cup Salad (Easy Old Fashioned Fruit Salad)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure and Privacy Policy.

What family gathering would be complete without 5 cup fruit salad? This creamy fruit salad is a timeless favorite featuring canned fruit, mini marshmallows, coconut and tangy sour cream or Greek yogurt! Quick and easy to make, this old fashioned side dish or light dessert is always a hit at holiday parties, potlucks, picnics and barbecues.

I have lived my whole life in the Midwest so it is no surprise I’m super familiar with dessert salads. No gathering or holiday would be complete without some sort of Jello salad recipe, fruit fluff salad or striped cookie salad, a Minnesota classic.

While they work well as a light, no-bake dessert, we’ve enjoyed them mostly as a side dish. The side dish that almost every kid can’t wait to snag in the buffet line at every holiday dinner or backyard bbq. This light fruit salad with sour cream, is wonderful option that isn’t as sweet as other recipes since it doesn’t have any pudding, gelatin or whipped topping.

5 Cup Salad or Ambrosia Salad?

You can call it either! Ambrosia salad, like this one, is mostly canned fruit with coconut and mini marshmallows mixed with sour cream or Greek yogurt. But there are a wide variety of Ambrosia salad recipes out there, some calling for a larger amount of maraschino cherries or Cool Whip included in the recipe, which this one does not.

The key to 5 cup salad is that it includes 5 cups of ingredients, hence the name. This fruit salad with mandarin oranges, pineapple, mini marshmallows, coconut and sour cream can be considered a type of Ambrosia Salad.

5 Cup Fruit Salad Ingredients

Making this creamy fruit salad is easy with just a few ingredients:

• canned pineapple (pineapple chunks, pineapple tidbits or crushed pineapple)
• canned mandarin oranges
• mini marshmallows
• shredded coconut (sweetened coconut flakes)
• sour cream (plain Greek yogurt can be substituted)

I personally prefer tidbits or chunks in this recipe but you can also use crushed pineapple if preferred. Other additions like chopped nuts or additional maraschino cherries can also be mixed into the salad. While I love maraschino cherries, I prefer to use them as garnish rather than mix them in so the fruit is a bit more substantial.

How to Make 5 Cup Salad

To start, make sure your canned fruit is very well drained. I like to let mine sit for a while in a strainer and gently push down to make sure I’ve gotten any excess juice. Your fruit salad will last longer before getting watery if you drain it well!

Add your pineapple, mandarin oranges, mini marshmallows and coconut flakes to a large mixing bowl.

Gently fold in a cup of sour cream until well combined.

Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 to 2 hours. Chilling it for at least 4 hours will give it more time to fully combine and creates a more creamy consistency.

Garnish with maraschino cherries before serving, if desired.

How long does 5-Cup Fruit Salad last?

This salad is best enjoyed within 1 to 2 days, however, it can last up to 3 to 5 days when stored in an airtight container. It may be get a bit watery, depending upon how well the fruit was drained.

What size cans of fruit should I buy for 5 Cup Salad?

If you are wondering what size cans of fruit to buy for a single cup in each, it can vary depending upon brand and type. It’s a vintage recipe and today’s standard sizes are often different.

Mandarin Oranges:

• 11 oz can: 3/4 cup to 1 cup of fruit (well drained)
• 15 oz can: 1 cup to 1 1/4 cup fruit (well drained)

Pineapple Tidbits or Chunks:

• 8 oz can: 1/2 to 2/3 cup (well drained)
• 20 oz can: 1 1/2 cups to 1 3/4 cups (well drained)

Crushed Pineapple:

• 8 oz can: 3/4 cup (well drained)
• 20 oz can: 1 3/4 cup to 2 cups (well drained)

Crushed pineapple yields slightly more because it has more liquid absorbed.

I recommend buying a 15 oz. can of mandarin oranges and 20 oz. can of pineapple tidbits or chunks and adding in a dollop of extra sour cream if you have it. (About 1/8 cup or 2 tablespoons of extra sour cream.)

If you don’t have any extra sour cream available you can slightly reduce the amount of coconut and mini marshmallows to 3/4 cup. Alternatively, you could use a smaller can of pineapple and add maraschino cherries to make a whole cup. Ultimately you want approximately 4 cups of fruit, mini marshmallows and coconut total to add to your 1 cup of sour cream. It isn’t an exact science and this five cup salad recipe is flexible.

More Fruit Salad Recipes

Since we all love a fruit salad recipe, here are a few more options to consider:

• Pistachio Salad with Marshmallows (Watergate Salad)
• Kiwi Fruit Salad
• Lime Jello and Cream Cheese Salad
• Watermelon Balsamic Salad
• Applesauce Jello Recipe