Bring colors to your Christmas table with this traditional Filipino fruit salad. Easy and quick to make that is the perfect dessert this holiday season.
A Filipino Christmas table is not complete without a fruit salad. From as long as I can remember, it has been part of our family's Noche Buena every year.
Actually, this cold (frozen even) dessert is one of the go-to desserts for most Filipino for special occasions and family gatherings. 
I guess that is because it is not only delicious but also because of being such a festive dish. Having all that beautiful mix of colors from fruits and other additions.
I've seen and tried a lot of different versions of this dessert throughout the years.
With some people adding fresh fruits like apples, grapes, and mandarin oranges. Some even add corn kernels and tapioca pearls while others add more canned fruits like peaches and lychees.
Basically, a Filipino fruit salad needs only three ingredients that are the fruit cocktail, sweetened condensed milk, and cream. That is it and you are ready to roll.
But since we, Filipinos, are fond of making things a little more extra special, we tend to add a few things of this and that, until we are satisfied with the end result.
In the end, no matter how you make it and whatever you add to it, it remains to be one of the favorite Filipino desserts of all time. 
My version of Filipino fruit salad, I just try to stick to the basics. I use canned fruit cocktail, palm fruits (kaong), coconut gel (nata de coco), some young coconut strips, and cheese. Yes, cheese.
Armin was a bit skeptical when he asked what those tiny yellow cubes are and I told him they are cheese.
He is still getting used to our culture's fond of mixing salty and sweet together. But after his first spoonful, he totally loves it!
Filipino Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 1 can (168ml) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 pack (250ml) all-purpose cream - chilled
- 1 can (822g) fruit cocktail - syrup drained
- 1 cup young coconut meat - shredded into strips
- 1 bottle (12oz) kaong/ sugar palm fruit (green) -rinsed and drained
- 1 bottle (12oz) nata de coco/coconut gel (red) -rinsed and drained
- ½ cup cheese (Eden or Velveeta) - cut into tiny cubes (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl or container with a lid, combine and mix the sweetened condensed milk and all-purpose cream.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and give it a good toss until well combined.
- Cover bowl with a cling wrap and chill for several hours before serving. May also be frozen.
Can I use regular cheddar cheese?
Yes, you can.
Hey, thank you for posting, as I love ambrosia fruit salad, I was so thrilled to see one that included the sugar palms and coconut strips , nice my sister-in-law made it like that years ago. I haven't made it yet, it I 'll be certainly making
it for New Years
Hope you like it, Leila.