Tropical Whipped Cream Fruit Salad

… My Twist on Ambrosia Salad!

This whipped cream salad is light and dreamy, and of coarse gluten and dairy free … need I say more? If that isn’t enough to tempt you, then as you’re scrolling through the post be sure to linger on the images. They’ll probably get you drooling with all their fluffiness.

We all know that whipped cream is luxurious, and if you can do this recipe with real whipped cream, be my guest. But if you are with me on this one and can’t touch the real stuff, you’ll be just fine with my dairy-free whipped cream substitutes. Trust me on this. You won’t be missing out on anything. Some of my taste-testers even prefer my product substitutions to dairy based whipping cream.

How does this Tropical Whipped Cream Fruit Salad distinguish itself from a typical ambrosia salad? I keep this salad light and with a tender texture by including only banana, pineapple, marshmallows, and shredded coconut (which was my addition as an adult. Coconut was never present in my mom’s original version). We’re minus the often included mandarin orange slices, nuts, and maraschino cherries – all or some of which can certainly be included, if that’s your preference.

Tropical Whipped Cream Fruit Salad was my favorite Easter dish, if you can call it a dish. I don’t remember having this salad other times of the year, but come Easter I was always the first one to the table with my eyes glued to that salad bowl. And when serving began, I didn’t necessarily show my best side when it came to sharing. Oh, I did it, but not always as graciously as my mom and dad would have liked, especially on Easter. (Perhaps if she’d served this other times of the year I wouldn’t have felt so selfish, right?)

The only real constant here is the whipped cream base, though I guess even that’s a variable depending on whether you’re using the real stuff, or choosing one of the following substitutes. These are my choices and suggestions:

Rich’s RichWhip Non-Dairy Whip Topping whips up smooth and creamy in no time. It has just the right amount of sweetness to it that doesn’t overpower your taste buds. For me, this is the perfect substitute for real whipped cream. You’ll find this in the freezer section of your supermarket, near the breakfast items (not quite sure why). This product is gluten-free, vegan, and kosher.

So Delicious Dairy Free CocoWhip Coconut Whipped Topping is pre-whipped and is a direct “copycat” of Cool Whip … and I mean this in the most positive way. With a mild but present coconut flavor, this tropical salad recipe would be taken to the utmost of tastiness. But of course I would think this because we all know I have a coconut addiction. You’ll also find this product in the freezer section. I’ve seen it near Cool Whip and also in the specialty sections, so look around – it’s worth it! This product is gluten-free, vegan, and kosher.

This salad will not put its best foot forward if you try to use a canned whipped cream style of product, dairy-free or not. The consistency will be too heavy, not to mention that you’d probably need more than one can.

As for mix-in ingredients, I’ve shared what I love folding in, but you can certainly play with your favorite ingredients to achieve your irresistible, spoon-licking results.

If this salad seems a bit too decadent to call a salad, then by all means call it a dessert and dish some up after the healthy meal has been eaten. Tropical Whipped Cream Fruit Salad is light, cool, refreshing, and dreamy any time you eat it.

Safe food is a journey … Thrive!™

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Fresh Corn Nectarine Salsa

Strawberry Confiture

Peach & Pear Custard Tart with Gingersnap Crust