This Fruit Salad is a masterfully crafted balance of flavors and textures that has readers raving: “Oh, my!…this is now my FAVORITE dressing for fruit salad,” “I have made a lot of fruit salads in my life but this is the best. I made it twice this weekend!” and “I love everything about this!”
Unlike basic fruit salads that can turn watery or bland, this version is elevated with a luscious honey-lime poppy seed dressing to ensure every bite is vibrant, juicy, and unforgettable. Follow along for expert tips and techniques on this tried-and-true recipe, which guarantees a dazzling, crowd-pleasing dish every time.
This fruit salad post is sponsored by Walmart. All opinions are my own.
Watch: Simple Fruit Salad Recipe
The Best Fruit Salad
This recipe is a masterclass in combining simple ingredients with an expert-tested approach to create a side that feels gourmet. Here’s why you’ll love it:
What are the ingredients of a fruit salad?
This easy fruit salad is perfect in its simplicity. In this fruit salad, I have combined:
I chose these fruits because of they create a beautiful symphony of flavors, textures and shapes and the “perfect” fruit salad in my opinion. The key to the best fruit salad is to use ingredients that won’t turn brown (like apples and pears – bananas are my exception to this rule) or get mushy (like raspberries) or release too much moisture (like melons).
If you don’t like any of the aforementioned fruits, are allergic, or simply want to use what you have on hand, then to free to swap some of them out. I don’t suggest omitting the pineapple, however, because it is both wonderfully juicy and sweet. If you can’t get a hold of fresh pineapple, then use canned packed in its juice – not in heavy syrup – OR swap it for mangos for their juicy sweetness.
Best Bananas to use in Fruit Salad
•Choose bananas that are ripe but not overly soft.
•Slice your bananas on the thicker side; that way, they won’t get mushy.
•I love bananas in my fruit salads and want them in every bite, so if you’re unsure about including bananas in your fruit salad, give it a try!
How to make this Perfect Fruit Salad
Fruit Salad is pretty straightforward and comes together in less than 15 minutes! Here’s how to make it (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
1. Combine Fruit: Add the fruit to a large mixing bowl. Hold bananas if you’re not serving within 30 minutes.
2. Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the Dressing ingredients,
3. Combine: Pour the dressing over the fruit and toss to combine.
4. Chill Salad: Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving, but two hours is ideal.
5. Add Bananas and Serve: Toss the salad just before serving to distribute the juices that have released and accumulated at the bottom. Gently stir in the bananas.
Best Fruit Salad Recipe tips and variations
Fruit Salad
Fruit Salad Dressing
How to keep bananas from turning brown in fruit salad
•The bananas will keep for a few hours without turning brown if they are immediately tossed in a little of the dressing, which contains lime juice.
•If chopping bananas ahead, add them to a bowl containing pineapple juice or orange juice. I don’t recommend lime (separate from the dressing) or lemon juice, as it adds additional tartness). Gently stir the bananas to coat all sides, then remove them with a slotted spoon and add to the salad just before serving.
•To include apples or pears: You don’t need to worry about them turning brown because the dressing has lime in it, which will prevent them from browning.
•If you want to chop your apples and pears in advance, toss them with a little of the dressing or toss them with pineapple juice. You can also use canned or bottled lime or lemon juice, but I prefer pineapple juice because it is far less tart.
Can I make fruit salad ahead of time?
Yes! The fruit salad is best if assembled, allowed to chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator after adding the dressing, and then served within 2 hours.
You can assemble and refrigerate the salad for longer than two hours in advance, but the longer it sits, the more the dressing will macerate the berries, and the pineapple and oranges will release their juices—still delicious, just not at peak freshness.
You can also prepare it partially in advance, from a few hours to a day or two, by chopping the fruit and preparing the dressing (see tips below) for a quick assembly.
Tips for making the Best Fruit Salad ahead of time
How to store Fresh Fruit Salad
This salad stores well for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. The longer it sits, the softer the berries will become as they continue to macerate in the dressing and soften. If storing for longer than a day, remove the bananas and add freshly sliced bananas to new servings.
Tips for Fruit Salad Leftovers
FAQs
• This fruit salad makes enough for 14 people to have a one cup serving. I loooove this salad, however, and could easily eat 3x that for my serving, so take into account how much you think everyone will eat and what else you are serving with it.
• You can also halve this fruit salad recipe or double this recipe depending on the amount of people you want to serve. And, as you can see by the section below, I love leftovers of this fruit salad!
There a few variables such as how large your pineapple is, etc. but this fruit salad makes approximately 14 cups.
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Best Fruit Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
Fruit Salad
- 1 fresh pineapple chopped
- 1 lb. fresh strawberries chopped
- 1 1/2 cups green seedless grapes
- 4 mandarin oranges/clementines peeled, segmented
- 3 kiwis sliced
- 6 oz. . fresh blueberries
- 2 ripe bananas sliced
Honey Citrus Poppy Seed Dressing
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Lime zest (zest of one lime)
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the Dressing ingredients. Pour over fruit 30 minutes- 2 hours before serving, toss and chill in the refrigerator. Toss again before serving to distribute the juices that release and accumulate at the bottom. Gently stir in bananas.
- You can assemble and refrigerate the salad longer than two hours in advance but the longer it sits, the more the dressing will macerate/soften the berries and the pineapple and oranges will release their juices – still delicious, just not peak freshness. You can also make it partially ahead of time days up to days in advance by chopping the fruit and preparing the dressing (tips below) for super quick assembly.
Notes
FRUIT SALAD TIPS AND TRICKS
- Use ripe, SWEET fruit – especially pineapple and oranges. If your pineapple and oranges are bitter, your salad will be bitter. If they are ripe but could be sweeter, you might want to add a little more honey to your dressing.
- Chill your fruit – chopped or whole – for at least 2 hours. Chilled fruit is everything in a fruit salad! You don’t need to chop your fruit 2 hours in advance, but at least place your whole fruit in the refrigerator. No one likes luke-warm fruit salad
- Aside from the bananas, this fruit salad doesn’t contain any fruit that will turn brown. If you want to include apples or pears, however, you don’t need to worry about them turning brown because the dressing has lime in it which will keep them browning. If you wanted to chop your apples and pears in advance, however, toss them with a little of the dressing OR toss them with pineapple juice. You can also use canned or bottled lime or lemon juice, but I prefer pineapple juice because it is far less tart.
- I prefer blueberries to both blackberries and raspberries because they hold their shape and make great leftovers. If you want to use blackberries or raspberries, I prefer blackberries because they hold their shape better. They are also best the day of and don’t make great leftovers.
- Mandarin oranges are a class of orange of which contains both tangerines and clementines. We want clementines in our fruit salad as they are seedless and super easy to peel.
- I don’t recommend canned mandarin oranges because they tend to fall apart easily when tossed. If you loooove them though, then feel free to use them. I would suggest refrigerating your canned mandarin oranges first so they tasted refreshingly chilled.
- Slice your bananas on the thicker side, that way they don’t get mushy. Choose bananas that are ripe but not soft. I looooove bananas in my fruit salads and want them in every bite, so if you aren’t sure you want bananas in your fruit salad – try it!
- This fruit salad tastes best chilled, so I would allow at least 30 minutes for it to chill with the dressing in the refrigerator and don’t let it sit out at room temperature more than 2 hours.
- If storing leftovers of this fruit salad, remove the bananas and store in an airtight container. This salad stores well for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
HOW TO MAKE AHEAD OF TIME
- The most time consuming part of a fruit salad is chopping the fruit BUT this can be done whenever you have time. With the exception of the bananas, you can chop all of your fruit a couple in advance and store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator. You can also peel and segment your oranges and store them in airtight containers/bags in the refrigerator.
- Next, whisk your Honey Citrus Dressing ingredients together in a separate bowls and refrigerate separately. When ready to serve, let your dressing sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or so until pourable. Drain any excess liquid from the fruit, add Dressing and evenly toss with fruit.
- The fruit salad is best if allowed to chill at least 30 minutes after you add the dressing then served within 2 hours.
Fruit Salad Leftovers
- If storing leftovers of this fruit salad, remove the bananas and store in an airtight container. This salad stores well for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. The longer it sits, the softer the berries will get.
- I like to add freshly sliced bananas to my new servings of fruit salad.
- Juices will accumulate from the fruit the longer it sits in the refrigerator. Toss the fruit in the juices then you can use a slotted spoon if you prefer to serve your fruit.
- I love adding granola to my fruit salad and eating it for breakfast! I actually had a chocolate granola on hand I added to it the fruit salad the next day and it was incredible.
- Leftover fruit salad is also is delicious with vanilla yogurt and/or granola – mmm!
- Whenever I can’t use fruit in time, I freeze it later for smoothies. For this fruit salad, divide any leftovers into individual sandwich bags, seal and freeze for later. Combine with vanilla yogurt, ice/or frozen banana, orange juice and sugar to taste.
- You can also create an immediate slushy by adding your leftover fruit salad to your blender along with ice and some honey or sugar.
- You can even make popsicles! Puree the fruit salad, add honey/sugar if desired to taste and pour into popsicle molds
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walmart. The opinions and text are all mine.
Sheryl Pincus says
another typo — see if you can now spot it: “I don’t recommend lime (separate from the dressing) or lemon juice is it adds additional tartness).”
Jen says
Thank you!
deb says
I love everything about this! Your photos are beautiful! Happy summer : )
Jen says
Thank you so much Deb! I hope you are having a wonderful summer as well!
Wendy says
I’ m like you Jen. Figure one cup of fruit per person and I could easily eat say three or four cups!! This salad lacks nothing and loving the addition of the yogurt and granola. Yum!! Will be making this soon☺
Jen says
Yes! I can just inhale fruit salad in the summer! Thanks Wendy, I hope you absolutely love this salad!
Emma Warner says
The fruit combination is stand-alone delicious, but the Honey Citrus Poppy Seed Dressing is the secret ingredient that makes everything pop.
Jen says
Agreed! Thanks so much Emma!
Bobbi D says
Oh, my! I made this salad a couple of days ago and this is now my FAVORITE dressing for fruit salad. For some time, I’ve been looking for a new dressing for fruit salad that was not too sweet but also was bright and fresh. This one is it! THANK YOU!!!
Now, I’m eager to try a few other recipes from you (especially the cowboy pasta salad and the Asian salad.
Jen says
YAY! I’m so happy this is your new favorite, thanks Bobbi! I hope you love the Cowboy Salad and Asian Salad just as much. Welcome to my site, happy exploring!
Cindy Orley says
I have made a lot of fruit salads in my life but this is the best. I made it twice this weekend!
Jen says
That is the ultimate compliment, thank you so much Cindy!