5 Cup Fruit Salad

In this post, you’ll find the recipe for 5 cup salad made just the way grandma made it! Only 5 ingredients needed – mandarin oranges, pineapple, coconut, marshmallows, and sour cream!

It’s very likely you’ve already heard of 5 Cup Fruit Salad.  You’ve probably eaten it at your grandma’s table many times as a child.  It’s a simple, classic recipe that has stood the test of time.  Many variations of this homemade fruit salad have derived from this age-old recipe over the years.

I decided to give this post and update with new pictures and a slightly different recipe. If you like the previous version, it will still be noted below as to what that was.

This fruit salad is so simple to make. I’m sure you’ve already gathered from the name:

5 Cup Fruit Salad Is Made Up of 5 Cups of 5 Different Ingredients.

• Mandarin oranges
• Pineapple
• Sweetened coconut
• Mini Marshallows
• Sour cream

The traditional southern version of this fruit salad mainly consists of sour cream, pineapple, mandarin oranges, mini marshmallows, and coconut. But there are many variations out there.

Here Are A Few Variations of 5 Cup Fruit Salad

• Add 2 TBSP instant lemon pudding (I do this!)
• Chopped pecans or walnuts can be added
• Use drained fruit cocktail instead of mandarin oranges
• Cut the coconut to 1/2 and add 1/2 cup of sliced maraschino cherries (This is the previous version of the recipe I had posted before this update.)
• Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream
• Add diced apples or substituted them for the coconut
• Halved seedless red or green grapes can be added
• Fresh strawberries make a great addition when they are in season
• Add fresh blueberries for added flavor and color

As you can see the variations are endless.  Be creative and experiment – have fun creating your favorite version. Just remember when you add additional fruits to be sure and add more sour cream.

Our favorite variation is with the two tablespoons of instant pudding mix added.

5 cup fruit salad can easily be doubled or tripled when serving a crowd. It’s best when made the day before and refrigerated overnight giving the ingredients some time to marry.

Don’t let the sour cream in this fool you! Once it takes on the flavors of the fruit you’d never know it’s really sour cream.

5 Cup Fruit Salad is a staple on many menus for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. My favorite time to have it is Easter because if brings back the fond memories of eating it at my sweet grandma’s table.

How about you? What variation of 5 cup fruit salad do you like? Please let me know in the comments.

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