Easy Patriotic Fruit Salad with Red, White, and Blue Fruits

Looking for a festive and easy Fourth of July fruit salad for summer parties that the entire family will enjoy? This patriotic fruit salad is perfect! It features red, white, and blue fruits, making it the perfect addition to your Independence Day celebration. Plus, this delicious fruit salad is super easy to make – just mix together some chopped fruit and maybe a few other toppings, and you’re good to go – perfect for the summer months! So why not give this patriotic fruit salad a try? Your guests will love it!

It’s summer, and that means family gatherings, picnics, pool parties, and outdoor celebrations abound! This week is Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July is just around the corner. Family gatherings and friendly get-togethers are practically an American pastime, and food is always at the center of these events.

If you’re having a picnic, potluck, or dinner party, this patriotic fruit salad is absolutely something you should put on the menu. It’s festive, fast, popular among kids and grown ups alike, lasts well in the heat, and is easy to prep in advance. It’s relatively inexpensive, especially if you use fruit in season. Plus, it’s just so much fun to put together without much time at all.

Kids are drawn to it because it is familiar and tasty, parents love that their kids have a healthy option on their plate, and adults will gravitate towards a fresh salad to compliment all the rich food you have at summer events.

Ingredients

• 4 cups, less than two pounds strawberries, cut into large pieces
• 2 cups or 1 pint fresh blueberries, rinsed
• 3-4 ripe bananas

Here’s a list of fruits you can add, along with any tips about when and how to prep them.

RED FRUITS:

Fresh Strawberries: Can be prepared the day before, just rinse and slice the tops, then cut into big bite size pieces.

Watermelon: Can be prepared the day before by cutting up the melon into bite size pieces. Remember to add the pieces by hand or drain the bowl, as juicy watermelon releases a lot of liquid. That is why you need to know how to choose a watermelon to make sure you get a fresh experience.

Raspberries are simple to prep in advance or right before you add them; they just need to be rinsed and picked over for any bad berries.

Grapes are the same; they just need to be washed, and sliced into bites if you’re serving the dish to smaller kids.

Cherries should be prepared right before adding to the salad, by rinsing and pitting the fruit. If you slice them, they will “bleed” over other fruit, so be prepared for that or leave them whole.

Dragon Fruit: This is a pinkish fruit that can add a new dimension and flavor to your fruit salads.

WHITE FRUITS:

Banana slices are the go-to fruit, just peel and slice just-ripened bananas into big pieces and gently fold into the salad. Do not try to add them hours or a day in advance, they will turn brown and mushy when they’re cut.

Pears are a great fruit to add close to serving time. Pick slightly firmer pears so they hold up in the salad. Peel them or leave the skin on, and cut into bite size pieces. Overly ripe pears will dissolve into the salad, leaving a gritty texture on other fruits.

Apples are a cheap fruit that can make a dish go a long way. Prep them shortly before serving the salad, by washing and peeling, if you want. After a few hours, they will start to brown, but the flavor stays the same.

Honey Dew: There is a variety of this that is a white melon, which is perfect for this salad. You could make it into little white stars to put on top if you don’t want the entire melon in your salad.

BLUE FRUITS:

There aren’t as many choices for blue fruit, but blueberries are a perfect fruit for a summer salad. If you want more variety, you can add blackberries or dark purple grapes. But don’t worry, their bright blue color will really pop and add a lot to the salad!

What proportion of each fruit should I use?

It’s okay to add more of one color than another. Strawberries or watermelon can make up half the salad, and you don’t have to add an equal amount of blueberries. Add what you think people will eat, and what looks attractive in the bowl.

What are some ways to mix it up?

Here are some different variations on this recipe:

• Toss in a cup of marshmallows
• Sprinkle some coconut flakes on top
• Drizzle some honey on the salad for a fun twist
• Add some lemon zest for a pop of color and flavor
• Top with this fruit salad dressing or with a dollop of whipped cream
• If you’re serving apples or pears, you can use small star cookie cutters to up the patriotic factor!
• Add in an additional pop of color with pineapple – extra points if you make them into a start shape
• You can arrange the salad to look like a flag, or serve the fruit in rows rather than mixed together.
• Fold in cool whip and mix together
• Serve over the top of pound cake or angel food cake

You can also serve it with a fruit dip. Here are some links to dips we’ve written about in the past. Here are some of our favorite dips.

• Easy Cool Whip Fruit Dip Recipe
• 3-Ingredient Cream Cheese Dip for Fruit

How to Keep Fruit Fresh

Many people don’t realize that there are a few simple things you can do to keep fruit fresh.

• First, always store your fruit in a cool, dry place. A refrigerator is ideal, but if you don’t have one, a dark pantry will work as well.
• Second, keep your fruit away from other foods that give off strong odors. For example, don’t store your apples next to onions.
• Third, make sure to inspect your fruit regularly and remove any bad pieces.
• You can also sprinkle some “Fruit Fresh” or a little bit of lemon juice on top to keep the fruit salad fresh while it is sitting out.

How to Pick Good Strawberries

Strawberries are a delicious and nutritious summer fruit, but picking the perfect strawberry can be a challenge. Here are a few tips:

• At the grocery store, look for strawberries that are bright red and have fresh-looking green tops. Avoid strawberries that are dull in color or have mushy spots.
• Also, smell the strawberries to make sure they have a sweet fragrance.
• Once you’ve selected your strawberries, be sure to eat them within a few days for the best flavor.
• To extend their shelf life, store strawberries in a container with a lid in the refrigerator.
• Wash the berries just before you’re ready to eat them.

With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to find and enjoy delicious strawberries all summer long!

How to pick sweet blueberries

When it comes to blueberries, the fresher the better. That’s why it’s important to know how to pick good ones when you’re at the store. Here are a few tips:

• First, check the expiration date. You want to make sure the blueberries you’re buying are fresh, not close to going bad.
• Next, take a look at the berries themselves. They should be plump and firm, with no soft spots or bruising. The skin should be smooth and unbroken.
• Finally, give them a sniff. Blueberries should have a delicate, sweet scent. If they smell sour or off, put them back and look for a better batch.

Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to find fresh, delicious blueberries that will make your taste buds happy!

How to Make Patriotic Fruit Salad

1. Up to a day in advance, rinse and slice the strawberries, and prepare the blueberries by rinsing and picking over for stems.
2. Right before serving, peel and slice the bananas into large bites and place in a medium bowl, and gently fold together with the strawberries and blueberries.
3. Save a few extra blueberries to sprinkle on the top for an added pop of color.
4. If you happen to have leftovers, store them in the fridge as soon as possible to avoid spoiling. Leftovers can be kept two to three days.

What should I add?

The patriotic salad is made up of red, white, and blue fruits, which makes it as pretty as it is tasty, especially on patriotic holidays. This recipe is simply red strawberries, white bananas, and blue blueberries, but there are many possibilities, especially since summer is the best time for delicious fruits such as watermelon, strawberries, and blueberries.

For your “red” fruit, strawberries and watermelon are the simplest choices. They are easy to find, low-cost, and crowd favorites. But you can also use raspberries, red grapes, or even cherries.

There aren’t as many “white” fruit options, but that’s okay. Bananas are an easy choice, as they’re a popular fruit, and inexpensive, which is helpful when you’re making a salad for a crowd. You can also use peeled apples, fresh pears (do not use overripe pears, they get soft and dissolve into the salad), or even marshmallows if you want it to be a sweet treat of a dish.

Blueberries are a simple and tasty “blue” fruit. All you have to do is rinse them and check for stems before adding them to the mix! But you can also add blackberries, or dark purple grapes, if you want to have more variety.

How many people does this fruit salad serve?

This recipe will serve about 10 to 12 people.

When should I serve a red, white and blue salad?

While you could easily serve this anytime of year, it is probably best suited for Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day, Fourth of July, and really, any time you need a patriotic dessert or side dish.

What is a patriotic salad?

A patriotic fruit salad is a fun and festive fruit salad people like to take to Memorial Day or Fourth of July gatherings because it is red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag. It’s one of those fun foods that are both decorative and tasty. But it’s fun all summer long, and can be made for any occasion.

Can you make this fruit salad ahead of time?

This fruit salad is a good dish to prep in advance, and assemble right before serving. Some fruits are easy to slice the day before, but others, like bananas, should be cut up only right before they are served, since they go soft and change color over time. We’ve added notes on the most popular fruits below.

Here is some more information on this topic – Can Fruit Salad Be Made Ahead of Time?

How much fruit salad should you plan on per guest?

When figuring out how much to make per guest, you can estimate about 1/2 cup per guest. Some will eat more, others eat less. In the end, it all works out.

How long does fruit salad last for?

This is a great alternative dish if you’re going to be outside in the summer heat for awhile. Even so, make sure it doesn’t sit out for more than a few hours. If you forget to refrigerate it after a few hours, be safe and toss the leftovers rather than save them. The same applies for any dairy-based dips you might serve with it.

More Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Red, Hot, and Blue Potato Salad Recipe
• Patriotic Layered Red, White and Blue JELL-O Dessert
• The Best Microwave Corn on the Cob – Shuck on or Off!

Patriotic fruit salad is an easy side dish to bring to your summer holiday parties and summer barbecues. It is easy to make and it looks festive. The combination of red, white, and blue fruits makes this salad look like the American flag. I hope you enjoy this recipe. Happy 4th of July!