I must admit that I used to avoid creamy salads. They were usually filled with marshmallows and candy bars. This seemed so wrong in a salad. Then, some good friends of ours introduced us to this delicious salad.
It contains no super-sugary candy. Just five ingredients: pineapples, Mandarin oranges, bananas, sour cream, and coconut. We call it Five-Salad.
The fruit gives the salad some natural sweetness. The tangy sour cream lends a creamy texture. The dessicated coconut adds a bit of crunch and soaks up extra moisture so the salad isn’t watery.
The best part: it is so easy to make. Just throw all the ingredients into a bowl, mix, let chill for a bit, and serve.
Notes: The salad is best if it is eaten the same day it is made.
This recipe is very forgiving. We usually just estimate the amounts of ingredients, increasing the quantity of the fruits we especially like. Experiment!
Creamy Coconut Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups dessicated coconut
- 1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks (in juice, not syrup, if possible)
- 1 can (15 oz.) mandarin oranges (in juice, not syrup, if possible)
- 2-3 large, ripe bananas, or enough to make about 1 cup
Directions:
1) Slice the bananas into a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and gently stir. If the salad seems wet, add more coconut.
2) Let the salad chill in the refrigerator until serving, about half an hour.
Makes approximately 5-6 cups, or 6 servings
16 Responses to “Creamy Coconut Fruit Salad”
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Lauren says:
I’m the same – those sweet salads were never something I really enjoyed. This however looks lovely! Sour cream always adds such a wonderful freshness with fruit :).
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MegKat.com says:
Mmm! I’d love to try this will greek yogurt instead of sour cream
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This reminds me of a summer fruit salad my mother used to put together for picnics and family gatherings. so simple yet so yummy! beautiful!
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emily s says:
yum! My mom used to make this, but with whip cream! brings back delicious memories : ) thanks Erica!
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Erica Lea says:
kate I’ll bet it is! Our friends mentioned that they substituted bananas for the marshmallows. I think it’s a wonderful exchange.
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Nan says:
At last, a healthy version of ‘Heavenly Hash’! I found your recipe on Foodgawker and was so pleased to see it I featured your recipe on my blog. This is going to appear on one of my menus this summer, although I’ll crush the pineapple up a bit.
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Joy the Baker says:
Ambrosia! Yum! It’s one of my favorite things ever. I must admit though… I’m totally in it for the marshmallows.
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Maura says:
Wow! What a revelation – I always thought creamy fruit salads were overly sweet and down right weird. This one looks delish – I can’t wait to try it!
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Michelle says:
I love creamy salads, but I never make them cuz they are so unhealthy! This is a great alternative! Thank you for sharing. The ambrosia recipes usually have more sugar in them, I like that the fruit sweetens this one.
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Carla says:
I made it last night with low fat sour cream and it was so yummy! My family makes it with mini marshallows and whipped cream and I think that is too sugary. Thanks for posting your version! I’m going to try it again soon but with greek yogurt.
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Myrna says:
My mother made this on holidays and I could never get enough of it. She called it 5-Cup Salad. It’s so refreshing in the summer time.
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sheelbeel says:
I never would have thought to put sour cream in dessert but this looks wonderful!
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Jena says:
This is my favorite fruit salad recipe! Its so tasty! I add red grapes and walnuts for a little more color and texture! Thank you for posting the recipe!
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