Sweet, sour, and tangy, this classic Five Cup Salad recipe is made with mandarin oranges, crushed pineapple, sour cream, coconut, and mini marshmallows. It’s so quick and easy to prepare!
Quick & Easy Five Cup Salad
This five cup fruit salad is just like Grandma used to make, with canned mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple tossed with marshmallows and coconut in sour cream. It’s a quick, easy fruit salad that makes a wonderful summer dessert.
The best part? All you need to do is toss the ingredients together in a bowl and let them chill. It really doesn’t get easier than that!
Why You’ll Love This Five Cup Fruit Salad
Here are a few reasons why this is such a hit with my family.
- Quick and easy. All you need to do is dump all of the ingredients together and stir to combine!
- Sweet and tangy flavor. The combination of pineapple, oranges, sweetened coconut, and marshmallows offers the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors.
- Easy to customize. Like other fruit salads, this 5 cup salad can easily be customized with your favorite fruits.
What Is 5 Cup Salad?
Five cup salad is an easy fruit salad. The name comes from the fact it’s typically made with 5 ingredients (roughly a cup each) that are all combined together. Canned fruit is usually used to keep things even more simple.
Five cup salad is a bit different than ambrosia, which typically contains different fruits and nuts in Cool Whip, while five cup salad is made with sour cream.
Recipe Ingredients
This five cup salad recipe is made with just a few ingredients. You can find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Fruit – This salad is made with mandarin oranges, pineapple, and shredded coconut. Be sure to drain the oranges and pineapple.
- Sour cream – Adds the tangy and creamy texture to the 5 cup salad.
- Marshmallows – Add a bit of sweetness and volume to the salad.
How To Make Five Cup Salad
Making this salad is truly as simple as combining everything in a bowl. You can find a printable version of the instructions in the recipe card below.
- Combine the ingredients. Drain the oranges and pineapple then combine in a bowl with the sour cream, coconut, and mini marshmallows.
- Chill. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before enjoying.
Tips & Variations
Here are a few ways to customize this 5 cup salad recipe to your liking.
- Use fruit-flavored marshmallows. These add a fun touch of both flavor and color. But regular mini marshmallows work too!
- Use fresh fruit. Try using fresh mandarin oranges for a different flavor.
- Try it with Greek yogurt. You can also swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt, for a slightly different flavor.
- Chill before serving. You could technically serve this salad immediately but I highly recommend letting it chill for a few hours first. This gives all the flavors time to meld.
- Drain the fruit well. Be sure to drain all the juice or syrup from the oranges and pineapple. Otherwise the whole salad can become watery and runny.
How To Store Five Cup Salad
Store five cup fruit salad in the fridge for up to 2 days, either covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. After two days, it tends to become to watery as the fruits release more juice.
More Fruit Salad Recipes To Try
Five Cup Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup/small can Mandarin Oranges drained
- 1 cup Pineapple crushed, in heavy syrup – or chunks if preferred – drained
- 1 cup/ 8 oz. container Sour Cream
- 1 Cup Sweet Coconut Shredded
- 1 cup Marshmallows Mini
Instructions
- Open the Can of Mandarin Oranges, and drain in a colander. Open the can of Pineapple and drain the heavy syrup into a container with a lid – save the syrup for drinks, or sauces.
- Place the Oranges in a medium size serving bowl, and add the drained Pineapple, Sour Cream, Shredded Coconut, and Mini Marshmallows. Stir well to mix.
- Cover with Cling Wrap, and place the Salad in the refrigerator for about 4 hours to completely chill. Before serving, remove from the refrigerator and stir well to blend. Serve and enjoy!
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