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Strawberry Banana Fruit Salad

This Cheesecake Salad is the ultimate sweet, refreshing, lusciously creamy side dish bursting with fresh fruit that everyone clamors for - plus it’s so easy to make!  It’s the perfect side dish for potlucks, pool parties, barbecues, the back porch or at home on a warm day.  Rich and creamy cheesecake filling is folded into vibrant strawberries, bananas, pineapple, and blackberries (or fruit of your choosing) to create the most lusciously creaming, drool-worthy fruit salads ever!  It tastes like decadent cheesecake loaded with fresh fruit but without the time or hassle of making cheesecake!  This cheesecake salad is incredible quick and easy to make and wonderfully versatile so it’s ideal for any family dinner or gathering.  You can add whatever fruit you’d like and even try a new combo every time. This Cheesecake Fruit Salad can also be prepped ahead of time then just combined when ready to serve for the stress free, hypnotic side dish of your dreams.
Servings 10 -14 servings

Ingredients

The Cheesecake Filling Dressing

The Fruit

  • 2 lbs. fresh strawberries, quartered
  • 4 bananas, cut into thick slices
  • 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
  • 6 ounces fresh blueberries
  • 6 ounces fresh blackberries

Instructions

  • Beat pudding mix with heavy cream with a handheld mixer until stiff peaks form; set aside.
  • Add cream cheese to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or use a mixing bowl and hand mixer. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes (no less!). Add sugar, sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla, and beat until blended.
  • Fold cheesecake pudding mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
  • If not serving for an hour or more, chill fruit and cheesecake filling separately. When ready to serve, drain fruit and fold DRIED fruit into the cheesecake filling.

Video

Notes

  • Different fruits: I love the combination in this Cheesecake Salad but I think the addition of grapes and/or clementine oranges would be amazing! You can also choose any of your favorite fruits to make the cheesecake salad.  Aim for approximately 10-11 cups of fruit, but you can certainly use less and it will be creamier or more and it will be less creamy. 
  • Add ins: you can add all sorts of goodies to mix up the cheesecake fruit salad such as nuts, coconut, mini marshmallows, etc. See the full list of add-ins in the post.
  • Instant cheesecake pudding:  is a no-bake pudding mix located in the pudding aisle at most major grocery stores. I used the “Jell-O” brand.  If your grocery store only sells a large pudding mix, then measure out 3.4 ounces to use in this recipe.  
  • Chill your fruit:  you can chill your fruit whole or after it’s chopped, but make sure to chill it for at least 2 hours. Chilled fruit is everything in a fruit salad – no one likes warm fruit salad!  It is also especially important because this cheesecake salad is best if served right away so the fruit won’t have time to chill in in the refrigerators once combined.
  • How to prevent bananas from turning brown in fruit salad: slice bananas into a bowl containing pineapple juice, orange juice or lemon juice.  Gently stir the bananas to coat all sides then remove them with a slotted spoon and add to the salad just before serving.
  • Adjust to taste: if you’re fruit is ripe but not as sweet as you like, then you can add additional powdered sugar.  On the other end of the spectrum, if you would like a tangier cheesecake fruit salad, you can add additional lemon juice to taste. 

Make ahead

Cheesecake fruit salad is best served within one hour of making because the fruit juices will make the dressing runny instead of thick, creamy and fluffy.  You can, however, prep the cheesecake salad ahead of time so all you have to do is combine the fruit and the dressing.
To make ahead: prep the fruit, (wash, dry, chop, etc.) but hold the bananas and store the fruit in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Make the cheesecake filling and store in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator.  When ready to serve, drain off any excess liquid from the fruit then gently fold the cheesecake filling into the fruit.  Serve immediately. 

Storage

To store, cover the cheesecake salad with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container in the fridge. It will last up to 3 days, but the fruit juices will start to make the dressing runny.   It is best served within one hour of combining the fruit and the cheesecake filling.