Make delicious Classic 5 Cup Salad in a few minutes then refrigerate overnight! This cold, sweet salad only has 5 ingredients (1 cup each)!
I grew up eating this salad often whenever my mom would make it for our family and have always enjoyed it. This salad has been around for a LONG time, and I’m pretty sure it’s a classic recipe because it tastes good, and is ridiculously simple to make!
Classic 5 Cup Salad gets its traditional name because (wait for it)… it only has 5 ingredients, and each ingredient measures 1 cup. Pretty basic, right? Ha Ha!
Anyways, this salad is cold and sweet which is perfect for any time of the year, but especially on hot days. Mix it together in only a few minutes, then put it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day you have a nice and sweet, cold, yummy salad. Here’s how to make it.
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Prepare The Classic 5 Cup Salad
This salad is SO EASY to make! In a large bowl, place 1 cup (canned/drained) mandarin oranges, 1 cup (canned/drained) pineapple chunks, 1 cup shredded coconut, and 1 cup miniature marshmallows. Stir until they’re combined.
The last ingredient to be added is 1 cup of sour cream. I use light sour cream for less calories, but regular or light sour cream both work well in this salad.
Even though it sounds weird to add sour cream to the fruit salad, after it has chilled, you’ll be surprised how the sour cream sweetens from extended contact with the fruit and coconut.
Stir the sour cream into the salad, until all ingredients are fully combined. A now you have just made a Classic 5 Cup Salad! See how simple it is to make?
Refrigerate The Finished Salad – Important!
Now for the IMPORTANT PART! Spoon the salad into an airtight container (with a lid). Cover the container and place the classic 5 cup salad in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 8 hours).
TIP: The long chilling time allows the mandarin oranges, pineapple, coconut and marshmallows to sweeten the sour cream, which is necessary for best flavor and results.
Time To Enjoy The Classic 5 Cup Salad
After the classic 5 cup salad has been refrigerated overnight, and the flavors have had plenty of time to “mingle”, the salad is ready to be enjoyed!
Grab a serving spoon and give the salad a quick stir, then scoop up a big bite! As written, this recipe is enough for 8 small servings, but if you want a larger amount per serving… go for it!
This salad is delicious, refreshing, and the ingredients come together to create a unique, chilled, sweet and colorful salad. YUM!
If you haven’t made this salad before, I hope you have the opportunity to do so. It’s an easy to make salad I’m confident you’ll enjoy!
Thank you for stopping by today, and I invite you to come back again real soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you… and have a GREAT day!
Looking For More “SWEET” SALAD Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have several other delicious “sweet” salad recipes you might enjoy, including:
- Cranberry Pineapple Jello Salad
- Pistachio Pineapple Fluff Salad
- Rainbow Jello Salad
- Piña Colada Fluff Salad
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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Make delicious Classic 5 Cup Salad in a few minutes then refrigerate overnight! This cold, sweet salad only has 5 ingredients (1 cup each)!
- 1 cup mandarin oranges (canned) drained
- 1 cup chunk pineapple (canned) drained
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- 1 cup light sour cream
Place mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, shredded coconut, and miniature marshmallows in a bowl. Stir until combined.
Add sour cream; stir until all ingredients are fully combined.
Transfer salad into an airtight container (with a lid). Cover container; and refrigerate salad overnight (or for at least 8 hours). TIP: Long refrigeration time allows mandarin oranges, pineapple, coconut and marshmallows to sweeten the sour cream, necessary for best flavor and results.
After overnight refrigeration, give the salad a quick stir, then serve! Refrigerate any leftovers in covered container. Enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!