• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

In the Kitch

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Summer Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • Guides
  • Tutorials
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Summer Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Guides
    • Tutorials
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    In the Kitch » Recipes » Salads

    Updated: Apr 23, 2024 · Published: Jul 29, 2019 by Joss Dyckson · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    How to Make Fruit Salad

    Jump to Recipe
    Fruit salad in glass dish with text overlay that says 'how to make fruit salad + 4 topping ideas'.
    Fruit salad with toppings and text overlay that says 'how to make fruit salad'.

    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.

    Fruit salad in a glass dish on white tile and black background.

    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.

    Jump to:
    • Fruit Salad Ingredients
    • Topping Ideas
    • Fruit Salad Base Instructions
    • Topping Instructions
    • Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Recipe Tutorials to Consider
    • 📋Recipe

    Fruit Salad Ingredients

    Fruit salad ingredients prepped and labeled.
    • 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

    Cubed fruit combined in a glass dish.

    Step #1. Combine fruit. Combine all of the freshly chopped fruit in a large bowl.

    Orange juice pouring over chopped fruit.

    Step #2. Add orange juice. Pour the orange juice over the fruit and mix well.

    Fruit salad in a glass bowl with fresh mint.

    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

    Fruit salad with banana and coconut topping.

    Add the bananas, coconut and seeds to the fruit salad base. Serve.

    Topping Idea #2: Yogurt & Granola

    Fruit salad with yogurt and granola topping.

    Add the yogurt and granola to the fruit salad base. Serve.

    Topping Idea #3: Ice Cream & Maple Syrup

    Fruit salad with ice cream and maple syrup topping.

    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

    Fruit salad with candied pecans, crumbled cookies and cottage cheese topping.

    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

    How long does fruit salad last?

    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.

    How do you keep fruit salad fresh?

    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.

    How do you sweeten fruit salad?

    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.

    How much fruit salad for 100 people?

    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.

    Fruit salad with a sprig of fresh mint.

    More Recipe Tutorials to Consider

    • Grilled pineapple rings on serving dish.
      How to Grill Pineapple Slices
    • Jumbo shrimp on skewers on white dish with chimichurri on the side.
      How to Grill Jumbo Shrimp
    • Mochi ice cream ball on small dish.
      How to Make Mochi Ice Cream (Video)
    • Lemonade in jars with basil and blue straws.
      How to Make Lemonade

    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

    Fruit salad in a glass dish on white tile.

    How to Make Fruit Salad

    Joss Dyckson
    Here I will go over how to make fruit salad step by step, using a mixture of fresh fruit plus 4 different topping ideas for you to choose from.
    5 from 2 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Dessert, Salad, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10
    Calories 80 kcal

    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

    Calories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 284mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 1200IUVitamin C: 54.1mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 0.4mg

    Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.

    Want to see our recipes in action?Subscribe to our channel on Youtube!

    More Creative Salad Recipes

    • Chickpea and salmon salad in bowl with lemon slices.
      Easy Chickpea Salmon Salad
    • Watermelon salad with basil in black salad bowl.
      Watermelon Basil Salad
    • Kimchi salad in salad bowl on wooden background.
      Kimchi Salad
    • Kimchi potato salad with chives in white bowl.
      Kimchi Potato Salad
    241 shares
    • Share181
    • Tweet
    • Email
    • Bluesky
    • Reddit

    Reader Interactions

    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Joss D author image.

    Hi, I'm Joss!

    I am the creator and editor of In the Kitch. I am inviting you on this food journey with me to learn, grow and bring out that inner chef in you. I hope to inspire you to get creative in your own kitchen!

    More about me →

    Summer Recipes

    • Melon prosciutto skewers with toothpicks.
      Melon Prosciutto Skewers (Summer Appetizer)
    • Watermelon basil cocktail in wine glass with watermelon swizzle stick.
      Frozen Watermelon Basil Cocktail
    • Bison Tacos
    • Watermelon salad with basil in black salad bowl.
      Watermelon Basil Salad
    • Grilled bison ribeye steak sliced on cutting board with spices on the side.
      Grilled Bison Ribeye Steaks
    • Strawberry crumble in tart dish with vanilla ice cream and spoon.
      Easy Strawberry Crumble

    Popular

    • Strawberry slushy margarita with mint leaves.
      How to Make a Slushy Margarita
    • Cake pop frosting in bowl with spatula.
      Cake Pop Frosting & Coating
    • Sliced candied limes on wooden counter.
      How to Candy Limes
    • Hamburger scrambled eggs in cast iron pan.
      Hamburger Scrambled Eggs
    • Electric skillet fried chicken in a dish.
      Electric Skillet Fried Chicken
    • Electric skillet pot roast with vegetables on serving tray.
      Electric Skillet Pot Roast

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    In the Kitch

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Disclaimer
    • Accessibility Statement

    About

    • About
    • The Team

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 In the Kitch

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.