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Home | Easter | 5-Cup Salad

5-Cup Salad

By Kim | 11 Comments | this post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure here.

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5-cup salad made just the way grandma made it! Only 5 ingredients needed – mandarin oranges, pineapple, coconut, marshmallows, and sour cream!

Inside: 5-Cup Fruit Salad

Likely, you’ve already heard of 5-Cup 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.

Small white bowl filled of 5 Cup Salad with a white cloth napkin and spoon.

What is 5-Cup Salad?

It is a fruit salad made up of five cups of five different ingredients. It’s a southern standby served as both a side dish and dessert. Don’t let the simplicity of this dish fool you. It’s elegant enough for your Easter table and casual enough for the neighborhood potluck.

Three little white bowls of 5 Cup Fruit Salad on a rustic pallet board.

This fruit salad is so simple to make.

Small white bowl filled of 5 Cup Salad with a white cloth napkin and spoon.

What is in 5-Cup Salad?

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

Don’t let that last ingredient fool you! Once it takes on the sweet flavors of the fruit, you’ll never know it’s sour cream. And it gives the dish it’s creamy goodness.

Three little white bowls of 5 Cup Fruit Salad on a rustic pallet board.

How do you make 5-Cup Fruit Salad?

Are you ready for how easy this is? You measure out five cups of each ingredient and mix at different intervals depending on if you a using any variations. Yep! It’s that easy.

Three little white bowls of 5 Cup Salad on a pallet board.

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 Salad

  • Add 2 tbsp. instant lemon or vanilla pudding (We love the lemon!)
  • Add chopped pecans or walnuts
  • Use drained fruit cocktail instead of mandarin oranges
  • Cut the coconut to 1/2 and add 1/2 cup of sliced maraschino cherries
  • Add shredded apples or substitute them for the coconut
  • Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream
  • Add halved seedless red or green grapes
  • Fresh strawberries make a great addition when they are in season
  • Add fresh blueberries for added flavor and color

The variations are endless.  Be creative and experiment – have fun creating your favorite version. Remember when you add additional fruits to be sure and add more sour cream.

My family’s favorite variation is with the two tablespoons of lemon instant pudding mix added.

A white dessert bowl with 5-cup salad set on a rustic wooden pallet.

Can you make 5-Cup Salad ahead of time?

Yes! It’s best when made the day before and refrigerated overnight, giving the ingredients some time to marry. It’s a great make-ahead dish for planning for company. I like to make it the night before and stick it int the fridge. The next day all you have to do is take it out and set it on the table. This fruit salad can easily be doubled or tripled when serving a crowd.

When can I serve 5-Cup Salad?

It is a staple on many southern menus for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. My favorite occasion to have it is Easter because it brings back the fond memories of eating it at my sweet nanaw’s table. But, this is a great dish to take to any potluck or summer cookout. You better make a double recipe, it’ll disappear fast.

I love to serve this in individual half-cup ramekins.

Here are some other salad recipes you might like:

Pineapple Pretzel Salad
Amish Macaroni Salad

White dessert bowl filled with 5-cup salad, fork and white dish towel set on a rustic pallet board.

5-Cup Salad

5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Resting Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Serving Up Southern

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mandarin oranges well-drained
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple well-drained
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • 1 cup sweetened coconut
  • 1 cup sour cream

Instructions

  • If you’re using the lemon pudding, add to sour cream and stir until thoroughly mixed.
  • Add the pineapple, coconut, and marshmallows; mix well. 
  • Fold in the mandarin oranges.
  • Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours – overnight is best.

Notes


© SERVING UP SOUTHERN – All images are copyright protected.

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Pinterest graphic of 5-cup salad in white dessert bowls on a rustic wood pallet board.
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Filed Under: Christmas, Easter, Recipes, Salads, Sides + Vegetables, Summer Recipes, Thanksgiving

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Comments

  1. joyce says

    April 11, 2014 at 9:17 am

    When using the lemon pudding, how much sour cream do you mix it with? Maybe just enough to make the pudding powder creamy?

    Reply
    • Kim says

      May 10, 2014 at 12:42 pm

      Oh my goodness, Joyce! Somehow I missed this comment and the sour cream in the ingredients list. I updated the recipe to include the sour cream, but it’s 1 cup. So glad you asked.

      Reply
  2. Daniel Shocks. says

    March 19, 2018 at 9:17 pm

    salad is good.and my old woman lives the five cups salad.she add more ingredients.she put in our big refrigerstors love it specially if my woman eat it.she love to make it .

    Reply
  3. Cindy says

    March 23, 2019 at 10:17 am

    This looks so yummy Kim! I was a bit surprised at the sour cream component – I didn\\\’t realize it would take on the flavor of the fruits! I have a yogurt/berry/honey recipe I eat almost every morning for breakfast and I think your recipe would be a great alternative! Thanks for sharing and for hosting the Homestyle Gathering!

    Reply
    • Kim at Serving Up Southern says

      March 24, 2019 at 2:14 pm

      Thanks, Cindy! The sour cream is unexpected, isn’t it? It’s really yummy though! I’ve actually been planning to try it with plain yogurt. I’m not sure how it will turn out, but I think it would be a healthy alternative. Your yogurt/berry/honey recipe sounds yummy too! :)

      Reply
  4. Susan says

    April 27, 2020 at 1:33 pm

    Your recipe reminds me of a recipe that my Grandmother use to make. My mother’s family is from northern Ohio but my grandmother’s family is from the south. Thank you for reminding me of my childhood favorite. I will give this a try this weekend.

    Reply
  5. Driveway Gates says

    April 28, 2020 at 9:41 pm

    I really love these, Thanks for the recipe.
    Can’t wait to try this.

    Reply
  6. Wood Fencing says

    May 1, 2020 at 3:42 am

    I really love these, Thanks for the recipe.
    Can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
  7. Marc says

    August 31, 2020 at 6:27 am

    Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
  8. Alex says

    September 27, 2020 at 6:12 am

    5 stars
    I love this. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  9. Max says

    September 27, 2020 at 6:21 am

    I should try this! Will make myself this tomorrow. Can’t wait.

    Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

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