Fruit Salad combines a mix of freshly chopped fruits, all tossed in an easy-to-make, three-ingredient fruity dressing. Perfect for potlucks, summer parties, or as a side dish to any meal!
This salad is the perfect side for a summer meal, whether with steak marinade or grilled chicken marinade.
Fruit Salad Recipe That Is Easy To Customize!
Growing up, my mom often served a fruit salad at dinner. On weeknights, it was simple: canned fruits with whipped topping and Jell-O, like this Orange Fluff Salad or just a few garden fruits cut up.
I loved her fruit salads! They weren’t always the same since she used whatever fruits were in season, on sale, or ready from our fruit trees.
Now, I’ve put together my favorite fruits in this salad, but feel free to swap in your favorites. Just keep the amounts similar and mix it up for a salad everyone will love!
Why This Fruit Salad Recipe is a Game Changer:
Sure, tossing together a fruit salad is simple, but nailing the perfect one really makes a difference! I brought this recipe to a party recently, and everyone was asking about what I’d done to the fruit!
- It’s super easy: Unlike many recipes that require you to cook down water and sugar for the dressing, here we just shake everything up in a mason jar.
- No refined sugars: Instead of the typical half cup of white or brown sugar, I use a natural sweetener—honey—and use less of it.
- Ridiculously tasty: A couple of guests said it tasted like “Starburst” candies in the best way possible.
Quick Tip
For colder weather, you may want to try this winter version, or if you’re looking for a salad that can double as dessert try this berry cheesecake salad with yogurt next!
What Are The Best Fruits To Put In A Fruit Salad?
The best part about this salad is the variety of fruit combinations you can create.
You can stick to my recipe or swap in some of your favorite fruits. The citrus dressing is a must-try, though—it’s seriously tasty!
- Pineapple: Choose one that smells sweet at the bottom; it’s a sign it’s ripe and juicy.
- Strawberries: Grab bright red, firm ones with a shiny surface for the best flavor.
- Kiwis: Pick kiwis that are slightly soft to the touch, which means they are ripe and sweet.
- Grapes: Go for seedless, plump grapes. Wrinkles mean they are older and less juicy.
- Clementines: Look for bright orange ones without big spots or soft areas to ensure freshness. If needed, canned mandarin oranges work too.
- Blueberries: Shake the container gently; if the berries move freely, they are firm and tasty.
- Citrus Dressing: Just shake the ingredients in a mason jar. Stir as needed to keep the honey from settling.
Quick Tip
What is the best fruit for fruit salad? A good fruit salad needs fresh, ripe fruits and a mix of flavors and textures. Choose seasonal fruits and combine berries with fleshier fruits like peaches, mangoes, and bananas. For a good crunch, toss in some apples! (Here is my favorite way to keep apples from browning.)
How To Make Fruit Salad
- Make the Dressing: Mix honey, orange and lemon zest, and fruit juices in a jar. Shake well.
- Prepare the Fruit: Select fresh fruits that are in season. Wash, dry, and cut all fruits. Chill them if you have time.
- Assemble: Toss all fruits in a large bowl. Add dressing and mix gently. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate.
Quick Tip
Why do some fruits turn brown? Fruits turn brown because of oxidation, which happens when they are exposed to air. This doesn’t hurt the fruit, and it’s still safe to eat, but it might not look as nice. To keep fruit from browning, you can drizzle a little citrus juice on it.
Tips For The Best Fruit Salad
- Prep Early: If you can, wash and chill the fruit a few hours before you start making your salad. Cold fruit tastes better!
- Use Seasonal Fruits: Go for fruits that are in season for the best flavor and price. They’re usually tastier and cheaper when they’re at their peak.
- Mix Fruit: Add juicy fruits like strawberries and clementines with firmer ones like pineapple and kiwi.
- Get Ripe Fruit: Try to buy ripe fruit, or plan for how long it will take for fruit to ripen at home. A salad with ripe fruits tastes much better.
Fruit Salad FAQs
A mix of citrus juice and zest (like lemon and orange) with something sweet, like honey or sugar, enhances the fruit’s natural sweetness and prevents browning. My recipe nails this blend!
Skip frozen fruit for this recipe. It gets mushy when thawed and can water down your salad, affecting texture and flavor.
Any fruit you love works well in this salad with the citrus dressing. Just avoid strong-flavored fruits like papaya, starfruit, or jackfruit to keep the taste balanced.
Boost the flavor with a citrus juice dressing, honey, or herbs. Spices like cinnamon or fresh herbs like mint add a fun twist.
Storage
Make Ahead & Storage Tips
How long does fruit salad last in the fridge? I like it best the same day, but it can stay good for 2-4 days if kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
Can I make fruit salad ahead of time? Yes, prepare it a few hours early and keep it in the fridge to keep it fresh. Toss before serving.
Best eaten when? It’s freshest on the day it’s made. It can get mushy if stored too long, especially fruits like bananas.
Can you freeze fruit salad? Yes, but it’s best used for smoothies or cooking since it becomes mushy when thawed.
More Salad Recipes
- Citrus Salad mix of citrus, avocado, and pistachios
- Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad inspired by Panera Bread
- Tropical Fruit Salad with a 3-ingredient dressing
- Crave-worthy Grapefruit Salad with citrus
- Mandarin Orange Salad with a lemon and orange dressing
Fruit Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 cups cubed fresh pineapple
- 2 cups thinly sliced strawberries, tops removed
- 1 cup thinly sliced peeled kiwis (3 kiwis)
- 2 cups red or green seedless grapes
- 1 cup clementines (3 clementines)
- 2 cups blueberries (1 pint)
Dressing
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon each: orange zest & lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons each: orange & lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- DRESSING: Add dressing ingredients to a wide-mouth mason jar. Shake to combine. Stir if needed to keep honey from settling at bottom.
- PREP: Prepare fruit. Wash and completely dry (else dressing won't stick). Cube pineapple into bite-sized pieces, thinly slice strawberries, peel and thinly slice kiwis, remove grapes from stem, peel and segment clementines. If time permits, chill prepared (and undressed) fruit ahead of time in fridge.
- ASSEMBLE: Combine all the fruit in a very large bowl. Drizzle dressing on top, adding to preference. Toss gently to coat. Enjoy immediately or pop in fridge to allow flavors to meld. Stir again before enjoying.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks so good. Thanks!
xo
Daniela
LOVE fruit salad. Such a neat idea to put a dressing on it! I definitely have to give this a try!
Ooooh yay for fresh fruit season! This looks so light and refreshing Chelsea! Love it!
I just picked up some really pretty fruit over here at Harmons grocery store… you know how they have the best stuff. 😉 Now I know what to do with all the fruit!
Fruit salads were always and still are a huge thing in our family. When I was younger I would sometimes ask my mom if I could just eat a huge bowl of fruit salad for dinner. I loved is sooo much and still do :).
SO refreshing, and beautiful too!
I love that this has a dressing. I think that would get me to eat more fruit salad! Totally trying it!
So colorful and summery! I love blueberries – one of my very favorite fruits!
They are definitely one of my favorites too! Thanks Kelly!
Can I just say gorgeous? I love how naturally colorful and bright fresh fruit is! That dressing is the bomb!
Your fruit salads always look amazing and your pictures are fantastic 🙂