How to Make a Classic Fruit Salad (And What Fruits to Choose)

A fruit salad is the perfect side dish for many occasions. In this post, we’ll share tips for how to make fruit salads that people will LOVE, tips for picking and preparing favorite fruits, along with our recipe for a classic and perfect fruit salad, along with other fruit salad variations. If you are looking to make an amazing fresh fruit salad, you are going to love this article!

Fruit salad is a great dinner side dish, and it’s also the perfect dish to take to a cookout, family gathering, or summer event. And it’s even better when you have the best dip ever to go with it!

After seeing the popularity of our post on how to make a veggie platter it only made sense to talk about a fruit salad next!

In this article, we will share you the best fruits for fruit salads, different variations, and how to make sure they stay as fresh and delicious as possible.

What can I include in a fruit salad?

You can put almost any fruit into a salad, but it’s good to plan in advance to make sure you have a variety of colors and textures. Here are some of the fruits I would choose for the best fruit salad (and which ones you might want to avoid):

Best Fruit for Fruit Salad

One thing to keep in mind is that just because something is on this list, doesn’t mean it will pair perfectly with everything else on this list. To make the perfect fruit salad, you really need to make sure the fruits go well together.

• Watermelon
• Red apples
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Oranges
• Mandarin Oranges
• Cantaloupe
• Bananas
• Pineapple
• Pears
• Honeydew melon
• Green apples
• Kiwi
• Green grapes, sliced if feeding kids
• Blueberries
• Red grapes
• Blackberries
• Pomegranate seeds

Fruits to Avoid for Fruit Salad

• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Cherries
• Pears
• Mango
• Dried fruit

Color variety helps make the salad more attractive. Think about a rainbow and try to bring in fruit from each color to make an appealing salad. A few favorites are strawberries, grapes, bananas, and apples. Depending on the season, you can add watermelon, kiwi, blueberries, or raspberries.

Fruits like peaches and nectarines don’t work as well because they are slippery and change color very quickly. While the discoloration doesn’t change the flavor, it isn’t as attractive. Bananas and apples technically fall into this category, but because they’re a fan favorite, especially with kids, they’re a great fruit to include in the salad. And they’re low cost, which is always a bonus!

Fruit Salad Instructions

• Rinse and prepare each fruit, peeling if necessary.
• Chop and slice fruits to larger bite size pieces.
• Toss fruit in bowl or arrange by type, as you prefer.
• Serve with dip, if desired.

Perfect Fruit Salad Recipe

Here is what we include in our classic fruit salad – you don’t have to be totally exact with the measurements!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup sliced kiwi
• 2 sliced bananas
• 1/2-1 cup green grapes
• 1.5 cups watermelon, cubed
• 1.5 cups cantelope, cubed

Instructions

1. Wash all your vegetables that need to be washed
2. Sliced the kiwi, watermelon, and cantelope – as well as the grapes if there will be young children
3. Toss in a bowl and refrigerate with blueberries and kiwi
4. Right before you are ready to serve it, slice the blueberries and fold in
5. Serve immediately and refrigerate the leftovers

Fruit Salad Variations

There are many different variations of fruit salad – there is sure to be one that is just perfect for your special occasion. While you can easily just throw together a few fruits and call it good, sometimes it’s valuable to have some rhyme or reason to what you’re doing.

Here are a few of our favorite “recipes” and versions that you might enjoy. They all have a different combination of fruits. You may want to look up a specific recipe online to make sure you get the proportions correct, though you can definitely experiment.

Add a juice

Adding some fresh orange juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice, or lime juice can really help spruce up a salad. Make sure you do it sparingly – you don’t want the fruit swimming in juice. But these can really make a fruit salad even more delightful.

Add non-fruit items

Sometimes it’s fun to add a different dimension to the fruit salad with some non-fruit items:

• Poppyseeds
• Nuts
• Chia Seeds
• Mint
• Maple Syrup
• Touch of Honey
• Shaved or Flaked Coconut
• Sprinkling of sugar
• Cool Whip
• Pudding Mix
• Marshmallows

Christmas fruit salad

Fruit salad is great for Christmas time. For this, I would include a variety of red (or purple) and green fruits. Here are a few suggestions:

• Red Grapes
• Green Grapes
• Kiwi
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Pomegrante seeds
• Drizzle with a little bit of honey – ah, delicious!

Thanksgiving Fruit salad

While we are discussing holidays, a Thanksgiving dinner is never complete without a fruit salad. Here is an idea that would be very delicious!

• Apples
• Mandarin Oranges
• Walnuts or Pecans
• Dried Cranberries
• Red Grapes
• Pomegranate Seeds
• Optional – toss in a Cool Whip or honey yogurt dressing

Be sure to check out our Thanksgiving Jello Salad.

Citrus Fruit Salad

My favorite type of fruit is citrus, so I think this would top my list. Here are some different citrus fruits:

• Oranges
• Mandarin Oranges
• Tangelo
• Grapefruit
• Lime or Lemon (maybe just the juice)
• Tangerine
• Kumquat

Keep in mind that this can be pretty zingy, so you may need to place with the proportions to get it just right.

Tropical Fruit Salad

I also love anything tropical! Ah, this one sounds amazing just thinking about it:

• Mandarin Oranges
• Pineapple
• Flaked Coconut
• Kiwi
• Dragon Fruit
• Papaya
• Banana
• Mint

Winter Fruit Salad Recipe

Perfect for the winter months!

• Tangerines
• Pomegranate seeds
• Kiwis
• Granny Smith Apples
• Red Gala Apples

Rainbow Fruit Salad

A rainbow fruit salad should just have a variety of fruits – one for every color of the rainbow! Here’s a fun mixture to try:

• Strawberries
• Oranges
• Kiwis or Green Grapes
• Bananas or Golden Delicious Apples
• Blueberries
• Purple grapes

Apple Fruit Salad

This is exactly what it sounds like – use a combination of your favorite apples for a fun apple fruit salad. You may also enjoy our Snickers apple fruit salad, too!

Creamy Fruit Salad

Add cool whip or whipped cream to any fruit salad to make it taste a little more creamy!

Fall fruit salad

I envision this as a salad with blackberries, walnuts, red apples, red grapes, and a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

This fruit salad is very similar to ambrosia.

How should you serve a fruit salad?

Serving a fruit salad in a large bowl is usually my favorite method. I like to have a separate, small bowl for each person eating, so the fruit doesn’t drip over to other food (no one likes a roll covered in fruit juice!).

Tips for the best fruit salad

Try to keep in mind three things when you plan a salad.

1. Who are you preparing this for? Kids? Adults? A big group?
2. Try to keep the fruit pieces a uniform size. Some fruits like melons tend to be bigger than apples, but uniformity will make your salad look more appealing.
3. Include a variety of textures and colors. As I mentioned above, include a rainbow of colors for an appealing salad. Include a variety of textures, from soft bananas to crunchy cantaloupe and the salad will be a hit!

Kids want foods like grapes, sliced for safety, apples, and bananas.

Adults will appreciate fruits like blueberries, raspberries, and kiwi more than most kids.

If you’re feeding a crowd, plan to use in-season fruits because they’re readily available, and lower cost than when they’re out of season.

In the summer, watermelon and other melons are great for stretching a salad. Bananas, apples, and grapes are great low-cost additions that everyone can enjoy.

Also, leave bananas big because they tend to dissolve, and if you slice them small, they’ll dissolve and disappear, leaving your other fruits with a banana residue that is unattractive.

Keep the fruit fairly uniform in size, and don’t mix it together until it’s time to serve.

How much fruit should I plan on per person?

While this can vary greatly, you can generally plan on about half a cup to a cup of fruit per person. Some will eat more, others will eat less, but it generally evens out with that amount.

What can I serve with the salad?

A good fruit salad will be amazing on its own, but preparing a dip will make it everyone’s favorite side.

It makes for a great side at any BBQ or potluck!

Fruit Dip Ideas

What is a fruit salad without a fruit dip?! The simplest recipes are often the best, and people always love them.

You might also want to use an easy fruit salad dressing – we have a fantastic bright honey-lime fruit salad dressing that is super popular with fruit salads.

Click here for my favorite three-ingredient fruit dip recipe. If you want something a little different, this cool whip fruit dip recipe is to die for.

How do I know my melons are ripe and tasty?

Melons, especially watermelon, are a hit in a summer salad, but if you don’t get a good one, it’s such a disappointment! Here are three tips that will guide you to a good melon.

• Look for a nice yellow spot.
• Tap the fruit with your knuckles and listen for a hollow, deep sound.
• Pick a melon that feels heavier than the others

For additional tips, make sure to read this article – How to Choose a Watermelon: 8 Fool-Proof Steps

To minimize mess, cut the melon on a cutting board on a tray, which will catch the juice as it runs out of the fruit. Also, keep two bowls handy, one for the rind and one for the delicious fruit!

Can I prepare the fruit salad in advance?

Because most fruits have to be cut before being added to the salad, it’s best to prepare the salad pretty soon before serving it.

If you need to make it in advance, rinse and prepare the separate fruits and keep them separate until you put them in the serving bowl or platter. Blueberries, grapes, kiwi, and melons will hold their flavor longer, so if it must be prepared in advance, try to use these fruits.

Fruits like watermelon may give off some juice, so drain them before combining them with other fruits. Bananas and apples should not be prepared and added to the salad until the last minute because of their likelihood to turn brown and soft.

How to prevent fruits from turning brown

Certain fruits are more likely to turn brown quickly – such as apples and bananas. While they may taste okay for a little while, there are few things that make a fruit salad less appetizing than brown, mushy fruit.

There are a few different methods for preventing this:

• Squirt lemon juice on fruits that are more likely to turn brown
• Fruit Fresh is a powder that you can sprinkle on fruit to help prevent browning and to stay fresh for longer

How long does fruit salad last?

Fruit salad will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days. This may vary depending on the types of fruits you use as well.

Is fruit salad healthy?

Fruit salads are typically very high in vitamin C and other vitamins which makes them a healthy choice for most people. You should also consider what else is served with the fruit salad because it can quickly turn into an unhealthy option if it’s paired with lots of fatty dressings or other toppings. Fruit snacks are a healthier alternative in most cases.

Is fruit salad a dessert?

No, fruit salad is typically served as a side dish for lunch or dinner so it isn’t technically considered a type of dessert. Fruit salads are also typically eaten with other food which makes them have less calories than if they were eaten on their own.

Who invented fruit salad?

There aren’t any specific individuals who are credited with inventing fruit salad, but it is believed that they have been around since the 1800s. During this time period people typically made fresh, homemade fruit salads similar to ones you would make at home today. These recipes were passed down from generation to generation and eventually evolved into new variations on the salad.

What is fruit salad called in other countries?

Fruit salad typically goes by different names around the world, but there are some general names that you can use to describe this dish. Some common names include mixed fruit salad (UK), fresh fruit mix (New Zealand), salada de frutas (Brazil), and ensalada de frutas (Chile). This dish can also be referred to as ambrosia salad in some countries, which typically has similar ingredients to fruit salad.

I hope that this guide to “How to Make Fruit Salad” will make your next fruit salad attempt the best yet!

Whether you are looking for a simple fruit salad or something that is a little fancier with lots of different types of fruit, people are sure to be pleased whenever you follow these instructions for building your favorite fruit salad recipes.

Other Salads You May Enjoy:

• Easy Strawberry Jello Salad
• Easy Snickers Salad with Apple
• 5 Ingredient BLT Pasta Salad
• Easy Avocado, Corn, and Black Bean Salad
• Easy Watergate Jello Salad
• Easy Red Skin Potato Salad with Bacon (Stove and Instant Pot Instructions)
• Easy Tortellini Pasta Salad