Holiday Ambrosia Salad
Holiday Ambrosia Salad is a delightful and festive dessert salad featuring tender orzo pasta coated in a sweet, custard-like dressing, combined with tropical pineapple and mandarin oranges, shredded coconut, and creamy whipped topping. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this refreshing and creamy ambrosia offers a unique twist on the classic fruit salad with a satisfying texture and indulgent flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours 22 minutes (including chilling time)
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert Salad
- Method: Boiling, Baking, Mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 (8 ounce) cans pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juice)
- 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange segments, drained
- 1 cup shredded coconut (optional)
- 4 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
Dressing Ingredients
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Reserved pineapple juice from the canned pineapple
Instructions
- Cook the orzo pasta: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the orzo pasta and cook until al dente, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl to cool completely.
- Prepare the custard dressing: In a saucepan, whisk together the white sugar, beaten eggs, all-purpose flour, salt, and the reserved pineapple juice until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a custard-like consistency.
- Combine pasta and dressing: Pour the thickened custard mixture over the cooled orzo pasta. Toss gently to coat the pasta evenly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the pasta to absorb the dressing.
- Add fruits and coconut: After chilling, stir in the drained pineapple chunks and mandarin orange segments. If desired, mix in the shredded coconut for additional texture and tropical flavor.
- Fold in whipped topping and chill: Gently fold in the thawed frozen whipped topping until the salad is uniformly creamy. Chill the ambrosia salad until ready to serve for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- You can substitute fresh pineapple juice if you prefer, though canned juice provides sweetness and flavor.
- Ensure the orzo pasta is fully cooled before adding the custard to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- For added texture, you can sprinkle chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts just before serving.
- This salad tastes best when refrigerated overnight to develop flavors thoroughly.
- Use a gentle folding technique when mixing the whipped topping to maintain the salad’s light and fluffy texture.
- Optional: Add maraschino cherries or other fruit varieties if desired for more color and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
Keywords: Holiday Ambrosia Salad, fruit salad, orzo pasta salad, festive dessert, pineapple salad, whipped topping salad, easy holiday recipes
