Whether it's for breakfast or brunch, a snack or even dessert, I am going to show you how to make fruit salad step by step using a mixture of fresh fruit plus 4 different topping ideas for you to choose from.
You can serve your fresh fruit cocktail salad at a party, for friends and family on a hot summer day, at a potluck or whenever you have a craving for something fruity. You could even go with a theme like I do with my sweet Christmas fruit salad.
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Fruit Salad Ingredients
- watermelon - cubed
- pineapple - cut into chunks
- cantaloupe - cubed
- papaya - cubed
- mango - cubed
- strawberries - quartered
- peach - chopped
- plums - chopped
- green apple - chopped
- orange juice - freshly squeezed or prepared without added sugar
- fresh peppermint leaves - as a garnish
🍉Learn how to cut your watermelon like a pro here.
🍈Also check out how to cut a cantaloupe into cubes.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts. The quantities and selection of fruits are a suggestion; you can try your own combinations!
Topping Ideas
The above ingredients are going to result in a basic fruit cocktail salad, which is tasty on it's own. However, if you want to elevate it to another level, choose from one of the following 4 delicious toppings:
1. Banana, Seeds & Coconut
- fruit salad base
- freshly chopped bananas
- hemp seeds
- chia seeds
- shredded coconut
2. Yogurt & Granola
- fruit salad base
- Greek yogurt
- granola
3. Ice Cream & Maple Syrup
- fruit salad base
- vanilla ice cream
- maple syrup
4. Cottage Cheese, Candied Pecans and Cookie Crumble
- fruit salad base
- cottage cheese
- candied pecans
- crumbled Arrowroot biscuits - or your favorite biscuit
*The directions for these 4 toppings are below the base recipe.
Fruit Salad Base Instructions
Step #1. Combine fruit. Combine all of the freshly chopped fruit in a large bowl.
Step #2. Add orange juice. Pour the orange juice over the fruit and mix well.
This is your fruit salad base that can be enjoyed as is or livened up with one of the 4 topping ideas below!
Topping Instructions
These are my variations on the classic fruit salad. Fruit salad’s simplicity lends itself well to tons of customization, so don't be afraid to try something totally new working off what I've made as a base. You can switch up your fruits, try combining the colors of the rainbow, or serve them in new ways such as:
- with a dip
- have them mixed with condensed milk
- top with whipped cream (like Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream) or cream cheese
- and all sorts of other inventive fruit dressing ideas
Topping Idea #1: Banana, Seeds & Coconut
Add the bananas, coconut and seeds to the fruit salad base. Serve.
Topping Idea #2: Yogurt & Granola
Add the yogurt and granola to the fruit salad base. Serve.
Topping Idea #3: Ice Cream & Maple Syrup
Add vanilla ice cream (or vegan ice cream) and maple syrup to the fruit salad base. Serve.
Topping Idea #4: Cottage Cheese, Candied Pecans and Cookie Crumble
Add the cottage cheese, candied pecans and crumbled cookies to the fruit salad base. Serve.
Tips
- When shopping for the fruit, try to pick fruit that is at the same ripeness so that you aren't left with a mix of ripe and unripe fruit.
- You can prep the fruit ahead of time, but don't combine it all together until just before serving for best results.
- Cut the fruit into consistent bite size pieces, avoiding awkwardly large chunks.
- Strawberries can be quartered as this will look pretty in the salad and the pieces aren't too big this way. Bananas are best sliced, otherwise, most fruit can be cut into cubes.
- If you're taking the fruit salad on the go, be sure to keep it in a cooler.
Recipe FAQs
Although it's best served immediately, you can store any leftover fruit salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
If you're wondering about how to keep things fresh and stop your fruit from turning that ugly brown color, the secret lies in oxidation. Assemble your fruit salad no more than an hour before you intend to serve it for best results as the longer your fruit sits out exposed to air, the more likely it is to brown.
Help extend its lifespan by tossing it with acidic fruit juice like lemon, lime and orange juice or a combination. Also, you can cover it with plastic wrap down to the surface while in the bowl.
This way it can last overnight or up to several days.
If your fruit salad is tasting a little tart, try drizzling it with some honey or agave nectar. You can also add sweet toppings like whipped cream, ice cream, yogurt, candied nuts etc.
When it comes to serving fruit salad for a crowd, the general rule is to expect about ½ cup of fruit salad per person. So, for 100 people, you would need 50 cups of fruit salad, assuming there are other food and snacks available. Depending on what else you are serving, you might want to bump it up to 1 cup per person.
More Recipe Tutorials to Consider
What's your favorite kind of fruit to put in a fruit salad? If you tried this recipe tutorial for How to Make Fruit Salad or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
How to Make Fruit Salad
Ingredients
For the Fruit Salad Base
- 2 cups watermelon - cubed
- 2 cups pineapple - cut into chunks
- 1 cup cantaloupe - cubed
- 1 cup papaya - cubed
- 1 cup mango - cubed
- 1 peach - chopped
- 2 plums - chopped
- 1 green apple - chopped
- 1 cup strawberries - quartered
- 1 cup orange juice - freshly squeezed or prepared without added sugar
- fresh peppermint leaves - to garnish
Topping Idea #1: Banana, Seeds & Coconut
- fruit salad base
- 1 cup freshly chopped bananas
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- ¼ cup chia seeds
Topping Idea #2: Yogurt & Granola
- fruit salad base
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup granola
Topping Idea #3: Ice Cream & Maple Syrup
- fruit salad base
- 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
- maple syrup - to taste
Topping Idea #4: Cottage Cheese, Candied Pecans and Cookie Crumble
- fruit salad base
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup candied pecans
- 1 cup arrowroot biscuits - crumbled (or your favorite biscuits)
Instructions
For the Fruit Salad Base
- Combine all of the fruit salad base ingredients in a large bowl and garnish with mint leaves.
For the Banana, Seeds & Coconut Topping
- Add the bananas, coconut and seeds to the fruit salad base. Serve.
For the Yogurt & Granola Topping
- Add the yogurt and granola to the fruit salad base. Serve.
For the Ice Cream & Maple Syrup Topping
- Add ice cream and maple syrup to the fruit salad base. Serve.
For the Cottage Cheese, Candied Pecans and Cookie Crumble Topping
- Add the cottage cheese, candied pecans and crumbled cookies to the fruit salad base. Serve.
Notes
- The nutrition information for this recipe has been calculated for the fruit salad base only.
- The topping amounts are just suggestions. Feel free to add as much or as little as desired.
- Although it's best served immediately or within an hour or two, you can store any leftover fruit salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
- If you're wondering about how to keep things fresh and stop your fruit from turning that ugly brown color, the secret lies in oxidation. The longer your fruit sits out exposed to air, the more likely it is to brown.
- Help extend its lifespan by tossing it with acidic fruit juice like lemon, lime and orange juice or a combination.
- Also, you can cover it with plastic wrap and push it down to the surface of the fruit while in the bowl.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
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