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Freshen up your menu with an easy, make-ahead Fruit Salad that’s tossed in a zippy honey and citrus dressing. Toss it together, then allow this crowd-pleasing Fruit Salad to chill for an hour (or more) for a simple and healthy side dish recipe.
As proven by Strawberry Pretzel Salad and Snickers Salad, we Midwesterners have a very flexible view of what can be deemed “salad.” Fruit Salad, however, is one salad recipe that’s actually almost all produce. It will make any mom proud; Midwestern or otherwise!
This easy Fruit Salad recipe is a dreamy and easy make-ahead side dish or brunch menu addition. Simply slice the fruit, toss it with the sweet-tart dressing, and allow the rainbow-hued blend to chill for at least an hour. (Need an option that can be made even further in advance? Check out my 24 Hour Fruit Salad.)
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Honey: Maple syrup (not pancake syrup) and agave nectar also work.
- Lemon zest: You’re aiming to zest just the colored portion, not the more-bitter white pith. Here are four different ways to zest a lemon.
- Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, kiwis, apples, mango, nectarines, and grapes: This colorful array of fruits offers a wide array of flavors and textures. That said, this same method and fruit salad dressing can work with any fruit combination.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together honey, orange juice, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, kiwi, apple, mango, nectarine, and grapes. Drizzle dressing over the fruit and toss to combine.
- Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving to meld flavors.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Fruit Salad creates eight 1 1/2-cup servings, which make for generous side dish servings. If you’re enjoying this Fruit Salad as part of a big brunch buffet, this recipe can probably serve 12 or so.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered for up to 3 or 4 days.
- Make ahead: The dressing can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Whisk to recombine before drizzling over the fruit.
Recipe FAQs
Pineapple cubes, papaya cubes, peach slices, mandarin orange segments, or cubes of melon are all terrific additions or substitutes for the produce picks included in this Fruit Salad.
Garnish each serving of Fruit Salad with Whipped Cream and fresh mint, spoon it over Easy Pound Cake, Angel Food Cake, or Lemon Yogurt Cake, or top the Fruit Salad with your favorite flavor of pudding and a cookie.
Fresh Fruit Tart
Loaded with a lush assortment of seasonal berries and other fruit, there’s nothing quite as lovely as a Fresh Fruit Tart. You’ll also learn some baking basics, like a tart crust and pastry cream, along the way.
View Recipe
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Fruit Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
For the salad:
- 1 pound strawberries hulled, and quarterd
- 6 ounces blueberries about 2 cups
- 6 ounces blackberries about 2 cups
- 6 ounces raspberries about 2 cups
- 3 kiwis peeled and sliced
- 2 apples peeled, cored, and cut into ¼ inch slices
- 1 mango peeled, seed removed, and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 nectarines or peaches, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¼ inch slices
- 2 cups grapes halved
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together honey, orange juice, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, kiwi, apple, mango, nectarine, and grapes.
- Drizzle dressing over the fruit and toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving to meld flavors.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Honey: Maple syrup (not pancake syrup) and agave nectar also work.
- Lemon zest: You’re aiming to zest just the colored portion, not the more-bitter white pith. Here are four different ways to zest a lemon.
- Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, kiwis, apples, mango, nectarines, and grapes: This colorful array of fruits offers a wide array of flavors and textures. That said, this same method and fruit salad dressing can work with any fruit combination.
- Yield: This Fruit Salad creates eight 1 1/2-cup servings, which make for generous side dish servings. If you’re enjoying this Fruit Salad as part of a big brunch buffet, this recipe can probably serve 12 or so.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered for up to 3 or 4 days.
- Make ahead: The dressing can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Whisk to recombine before drizzling over the fruit.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Dearest Meggan, your fruit salad recipe is so delicious. Thank you so much for sending me this extraordinary wholesome dessert. Lots of love. Zeenat
Thank you Zeenat, so glad you enjoyed! – Meggan
I’d like to change the fruits. About how many cups would I need to make this recipe?
Hi Donna, the recipe card has exact measurements for each fruit. You can also adjust the serving size with the slider tool. Hope this helps! – Meggan