Our Best Ambrosia Recipes

Updated September 16, 2015
Credit: HOWARD L. PUCKETT

In Greek, ambrosia means "Food of the Gods" and with its traditional layers of sweet fruit and coconut, it's not hard to understand why. Go beyond the simple fruit salad and sink your teeth into creative ambrosia recipes including green salads, cakes, cocktails, and tarts.

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Ambrosia Fruit Salad

Credit: Antonis Achilles, Food Styling: Mary Claire Britton and Sarah Epperson; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe

Whether you consider it a salad, side dish, or dessert, ambrosia is a holiday classic. It's quick and easy to make and can sit overnight if you like. 

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Ambrosia Coconut Cake

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Ambrosia Coconut Cake Recipe

Cut into this beautiful coconut cake and you'll find a luscious ambrosia filling made with orange segments and crushed pineapple between each layer.

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Tangerine Ambrosia Parfaits

Credit: Greg Dupree; Styling: Lindsey Ellis Beatty

Tangerine Ambrosia Parfaits Recipe

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Ambrosia Cheesecake

Ambrosia Cheesecake Recipe

Fresh orange curd and flaked coconut give this festive holiday cheesecake an even sweeter ambrosia spin.

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Charred Ambrosia with Toasted Coconut and Marshmallow Crème

Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Charred Ambrosia with Toasted Coconut and Marshmallow Crème Recipe

A cast iron skillet is the key to lending a delicious and caramelized glaze to this ambrosia dessert. We top this colorful dish with a light and fluffy marshmallow creme topping.

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Ambrosia Pudding Pie

Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Kim Phillips

Ambrosia Pudding Pie Recipe

Native Virginian and 10th President John Tyler’s official claim to fame is annexing the Republic of Texas into the United States in 1845, but culinary folklore holds him in equally high esteem for his cream-rich custard pie, a family recipe. Following British tradition, the earliest custard pies were recorded as puddings in antebellum cookbooks. These egg-based puddings were often baked in a “puff paste”— pastry rolled and folded with butter multiple times. We added an ambrosial note with orange marmalade, crushed pineapple, and coconut custard.

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Chewy Ambrosia Biscotti

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Chewy Ambrosia Biscotti Recipe

Make someone's Christmas extra merry by treating them to a batch of these biscotti with their favorite coffee or tea.

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Ambrosia Streusel Bars with Shortbread Crust

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Ambrosia Streusel Bars with Shortbread Crust Recipe

Fans of old school ambrosia will still love these fruity shortbread bars, perfect for gifting!

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Ambrosia with Chantilly Cream

Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Ambrosia with Chantilly Cream Recipe

The original ambrosia recipe is simply a layering of orange slices, sugar, and toasted unsweetened coconut. Over the years, folks began to add pineapple, maraschino cherries, and whipped cream to create more of a fruit salad, but the name stuck.

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Ambrosia Meringue Trifles

Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Ambrosia Meringue Trifles Recipe

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Ambrosia Chess Tarts

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Ambrosia Chess Tarts Recipe

These tiny tarts full of big fruity flavor will disappear bite-by-bite at your next get-together.

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New Ambrosia With Buttermilk-Coconut Dressing

Credit: Ralph Anderson

New Ambrosia With Buttermilk-Coconut Dressing Recipe

Peppery arugula greens and spicy jalapeños are balanced perfectly with the sweetness of the citrus and the coconut dressing.

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Ambrosia with Apples

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Ambrosia with Apples Recipe

Plan on sectioning the citrus and chopping the pineapple ahead of time. If you use canned or jarred fruit, save the juices and add them to the ambrosia.

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Ambrosia Terrine

Credit: Ray Kachatorian

Ambrosia Terrine Recipe

For an easy and beautiful plated dessert, top a slice of store-bought pound cake with a slice of Ambrosia Terrine and a dollop of whipped cream.

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Ambrosia Cocktail

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Ambrosia Cocktail Recipe

This cocktail was inspired by the Southern side dish that's popular during the holidays. Add some marshmallows and cherries for a festive garnish.

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Spiced Ambrosia

Credit: Oxmoor House

Spiced Ambrosia Recipe

Classic ambrosia is spiced with peppercorns and is topped with sweetened coconut and maraschino cherries.

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Ambrosia Macaroons

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Ambrosia Macaroons Recipe

Give these soft, chewy macaroons a different look by garnishing with candied fruit like orange peels or green cherries.

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Cranberry-Ambrosia Cake

Cranberry-Ambrosia Cake Recipe

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New-Style Ambrosia

Credit: Jim Franco

New-Style Ambrosia Recipe

This is a twist on a Southern holiday classic--all the flavors of ambrosia with a fresh and simple approach. You can use a combination of any dried fruit: figs, pears, plums, peaches, cranberries, raisins, currants. With so many to choose from, Sara suggests using fruits with different shapes and colors. You can make this up to 4 days in advance; chill in an airtight container until ready to use. Prep: 14 minutes, Cook: 13 minutes.

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Rum-Allspice Pound Cake with Ambrosia

Credit: HOWARD L. PUCKETT

Rum-Allspice Pound Cake with Ambrosia Recipe

This cake will become a year-round favorite. You can use a Bundt pan instead of a 10-inch tube pan; just lower the oven temperature to 350°.

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