Amanda's Fruit Salad

8 servings Prep: 10 m Cook: PT0M Total: 10 m Beginner
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Amanda's Fruit Salad
Fruit salad is a traditional Cajun side dish for holiday and family gatherings. Amanda, one of our frequent guest recipe contributors, writes “My mother made this fruit salad at Thanksgiving and Christmas with fruit cocktail, sour cream, and marshmallows. It’s always better the next day!”

Ingredients

8 servings
  • 2 cans (15 oz) fruit cocktail
  • 1 small bag miniature marshmallows
  • 16 ounces sour cream
  • 1/2 small jar (or more) maraschino cherries - optional

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Drain fruit cocktail, discarding juice.
  2. Add marshmallows, sour cream, and cherries if desired to the fruit cocktail and mix well.
  3. Chill overnight before serving for best flavor.

Tips and Techniques

Make this salad at least one day ahead—the flavors meld together and the marshmallows soften slightly for better texture. The longer it chills, the better it gets.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • sour cream: Greek yogurt or whipped topping
  • canned fruit cocktail: fresh fruit (pineapple, grapes, mandarin oranges, diced apples)
  • maraschino cherries: fresh or frozen cherries, halved

Equipment Needed

  • mixing bowl
  • colander or strainer

Historical Context

This style of fruit salad became popular across the American South in the 1950s and 1960s, when canned fruit cocktail and miniature marshmallows became widely available. It’s sometimes called “ambrosia salad” and remains a holiday table staple.