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5 cup salad is a classic, old-fashioned dessert salad made with equal parts of five simple ingredients — and that’s exactly where the name comes from. With mandarin oranges, pineapple, mini marshmallows, shredded coconut, and sour cream, it’s sweet, creamy, and perfectly balanced with just a little tang.
This retro fruit salad has been a potluck favorite for generations. It’s cool, fluffy, and incredibly easy to make, which is why it shows up at holidays, Sunday suppers, and family gatherings again and again.
This recipe was one of my mom’s favorites, and she made it often for our family. I still make it now, and it never lasts long — everyone always goes back for seconds.
If you love easy, no-bake desserts like this, be sure to browse my No-Bake Desserts collection for more cool, creamy favorites.
Grandma’s 5 Cup Salad Ingredients
- Pineapple: I use crushed canned pineapple.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream adds a little tang. Reduced-fat sour cream can also be used.
- Mandarin Oranges: Canned whole segments are best.
- Shredded Coconut: I use sweetened shredded coconut, which adds chewy sweetness.
- Mini Marshmallows: Fluffy, chewy goodness adds texture and interest to this dessert.
Tips
- Party Perfect! Serve this salad in a pretty bowl and bring it to serve at large summer parties like on the Fourth of July, summer barbecues, potlucks, and Sunday suppers! It can be doubled or tripled depending on the size of your group.
- Remember Fridge Time: This dessert salad comes together in minutes. A two to four-hour refrigeration time is needed before serving.
- Switch Up The Marshmallows: This salad is also delicious, and even more colorful, with the fruity, pastel-colored mini marshmallows
- Make it nutty: Like many fruit salads and fluffs, this is wonderful with 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This in The Fridge? Once prepared, your 5 cup fruit salad will last up to two days in the fridge.
- Can You Freeze This? I do not recommend freezing.
- Make-Ahead: Prepare this 5 cup salad dessert ahead of time. Just cover and store it in the refrigerator.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
What To Serve With 5-Cup Salad
As with most dessert salads, they go nicely with mostly everything! It’s great served with croissant breakfast casserole, tater tot breakfast casserole, easy breakfast casserole, or Pioneer Woman breakfast casserole!
Dinner time favs like Mississippi pot roast, buttermilk roasted chicken, chicken spaghetti with Rotel, baked spaghetti with cream cheese, and million dollar spaghetti.
Summer favorites such as air fryer hot dogs, pollo asado, Greek chicken, beer brats, shish kabobs, and grilled flank steak!
How To Make Five Cup Salad
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Gently fold it together.
- Cover and refrigerate. Serve cold.
More Dessert Salads to Try
Ambrosia Salad – A classic fruit salad made with citrus, coconut, and marshmallows, this one is a longtime potluck favorite.
Watergate Salad – Light, fluffy, and full of pistachio flavor, this retro dessert salad is always a hit at gatherings.
Frog Eye Salad – A creamy, fruity favorite with a unique texture that makes it stand out on any dessert table.
Strawberry Pretzel Salad – Sweet, salty, creamy, and fruity, this layered dessert is always one of the first to disappear.
Creamy Fruit Salad – A simple, sweet, and creamy fruit-filled dish that works for everything from holidays to weeknight dinners.
Tried This Recipe?
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5 Cup Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
- 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 8 ounces sour cream
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Gently fold together, with a large rubber spatula, until combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours until the salad is well chilled. Serve cold.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Party Perfect! Serve this salad in a pretty bowl and bring it to serve at large summer parties like on the Fourth of July, summer barbecues, potlucks, and Sunday suppers! It can be doubled or tripled depending on the size of your group.
- Remember Fridge Time: This dessert salad comes together in minutes. A two to four-hour refrigeration time is needed before serving.
- Switch Up The Marshmallows: This salad is also delicious, and even more colorful, with the fruity, pastel-colored mini marshmallows
- Make it nutty: Like many fruit salads and fluffs, this is wonderful with 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
What memories! My mom made this. But, used walnuts, instead of coconut.
That’s awesome! It’s so nostalgic, right? 🙂
I finished 2 servings! It’s so good, it reminds me of what my aunt use to make.
Very nostalgic! Thanks for sharing your positive feedback, Maria 🙂