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A cool and refreshing Fruit Salad Recipe is the best summer side dish for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner! Fresh berries, pineapple, oranges, and grapes are tossed together with a simple honey-orange dressing. The colors are beautiful, and the flavor is fresh and delicious!
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Best Fruit Salad Recipe
I love a great summer fruit salad with all the colors, textures, and refreshing sweet flavors. It’s one of my favorite dishes to make for summer BBQs, potlucks, and brunches because it works as a side dish for any meal.
It’s also an easy side dish to make! Prep some fruit, whip together a dressing, and toss it all together. Just how I like things in the summer – uncomplicated and not fussy.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- The combination of fruit in this salad is so good – fresh berries, pineapple, oranges, and grapes. They also hold up well and won’t turn brown on you!
- If you’ve been looking for a fruit salad without a creamy dressing, you will love it. My citrus-lime dressing is light and the perfect balance of sweet and tart with a hint of mint and vanilla. It’s so good with the fruit.
- I’ve served it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner – this citrus fruit salad is perfect for any meal, especially during the summer when you’re craving a cool and refreshing salad.
Ingredients in my Fruit Salad Recipe
- Fruit: Choose your favorite
- Orange Juice: I like using fresh-squeezed orange juice but you can use a prepared one if you prefer
- Honey: You can substitute agave or maple syrup
- Lemon or lime zest: I love the zing of limes but use lemons if that’s all you have, or even orange.
- Vanilla: For flavor
How to Make Fruit Salad
- Place all of the fruit in a large bowl. Whisk the orange juice, honey, lemon (or lime) zest, and vanilla in a small bowl.
- Pour the honey-lime dressing over the fruit and lightly toss to coat it all evenly. Serve or chill the salad for up to four hours if you want to make it ahead.
Variations
You can add or swap the fruit in the salad for other types that you like. There are a lot of choices, so here are some ideas you might like:
- Grapefruit
- Stone fruit like peaches or apricots
- Mango
- Papaya
- Kiwi
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Cantaloupe or honeydew melons
- Watermelon
- Red grapes
Tip From Dorothy
Expert Tips
- I would avoid fruit that browns quickly, like bananas and apples, unless you plan to eat the fruit salad soon after it’s made.
- You can also switch up the dressing by using pineapple juice, watermelon juice, or other fresh fruit juice in place of the orange juice. Add a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice or lime juice, too.
- I like to add the honey because it adds sweetness, but it also gives the dressing a little bit of body. You can use agave instead or skip the sweetener altogether.
- Fruit salad is best not long after it’s made. The fruit will start to break down and release juices after it’s been made. You can make it up to four hours in advance and keep it in the refrigerator. It should hold up fine, but it will have more liquid.
- For the best results, wait to wash the fruit until you make the salad. It will keep it better that way.
- Avoid using frozen fruit – a fresh fruit salad is always the way to go.
- Leftovers will keep for a few days, but the salad won’t be as pretty as when it was first made.
- Store this in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
FAQs
No, the juices from the fruit will make it’s own dressing – especially if you sprinkle it with sugar. However my simple dressing adds tons of flavor to the salad.
I do not recommend making this ahead of time – especially the night before. The fruit will break down too much and get soggy.
A little citrus juice is great on this – it helps brighten the flavor and keeps the salad from browning too quickly.
Fruit Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- Salad:
- 1 pound strawberries hulled and sliced
- 6 ounces blueberries
- 2 cups cubed fresh pineapple
- 4 mandarin oranges peeled and sectioned (see note)
- 1 cup seedless green grapes halved
- Dressing:
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon or lime zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Mint or additional lime zest for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all the fruit in a large bowl.
- Place the orange juice, honey, zest and vanilla in a measuring cup or small bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over fruit, toss gently to coat.
- You can serve this immediately or chill for up to 4 hours before eating. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
- I would avoid fruit that browns quickly, like bananas and apples, unless you plan to eat the fruit salad soon after it’s made.
- You can also switch up the dressing by using pineapple juice, watermelon juice, or other fresh fruit juice in place of the orange juice. Add a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice or lime juice, too.
- I like to add the honey because it adds sweetness, but it also gives the dressing a little bit of body. You can use agave instead or skip the sweetener altogether.
- Fruit salad is best not long after it’s made. The fruit will start to break down and release juices after it’s been made. You can make it up to four hours in advance and keep it in the refrigerator. It should hold up fine, but it will have more liquid.
- For the best results, wait to wash the fruit until you make the salad. It will keep it better that way.
- Avoid using frozen fruit – a fresh fruit salad is always the way to go.
- Leftovers will keep for a few days, but the salad won’t be as pretty as when it was first made.
- Store this in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Recipe Nutrition
This cool and refreshing Fruit Salad is the best summer side dish!
Favorite Summer Recipes
Last Updated on April 21, 2023
This was delicious! The dressing really jazzed it up!