Creamy Tropical Fruit Salad with Whipped Cream

This tropical fruit salad is the refreshing and creamy salad you’ve been dreaming of! It’s filled with delicious fruit, coconut, pudding mix, and whipped cream- this delicious fruit salad sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

Fruit salads are very popular – especially during the summer months. However, they aren’t always made well. Who wants a salad full of browned fruit, extra juice, and unappetizing fruits? No us! We’ve shared tips for making the best fruit salad in the past, but today, you’re going to learn how to make one of the best fruit salads.

Hawaiian Fruit Salad Recipe

If you are looking for a crisp, refreshing easy side dish for the summer, look no further than this creamy fruit salad with cool whip. It has a blend of delicious fruits, all tied together with a bunch of cool whip.

I love fruit salad as much as the next person, though I am a little picky about how it looks and tastes. It has to have the BEST fruits, and they have to go together.

This fruit salad has some of our favorite tropical fruits, and it’s just so refreshing. You can certainly mix up the fruits for different combinations but make sure they work together. It is similar to an ambrosia salad recipe, but we like this even more!

This creamy, fresh fruit salad will become your go to for Sunday dinners, potlucks, and just for any day of the week! It’s definitely our favorite summer fruit salad. And to make it even more delightful, don’t forget to try our fruit salad dressing recipe. It’s the perfect finishing touch to enhance the flavors of your fruit salad and make it truly special.

Can you make this fruit salad ahead of time?

Yes, you can make it ahead of time. However, because of the bananas and apples, we recommend making it as clos

Can I use all fresh fruit?

You sure can! You can just get some sweet mandarin oranges and peel/cut them (make sure to get the extra white stuff off) and you can chop up your own fresh pineapple, too!

Can I use Cool Whip instead?

You absolutely can!

What are some variations for this salad?

The great thing about this salad is that is very adaptable. You can add different chopped fruit or take out the ones you don’t like. Make sure you always have your favorite fruits!

If you like a little more a zing, you could add 1/4-1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt.

You can add in some stemmed maraschino cherries for some added color and flavor.

You could use fruit cocktail instead of the mandarin oranges and pineapple tidbits.

You could add sliced, seedless red grapes or green grapes (be careful if you have children!)

You could use a different flavored pudding – such as coconut or pistachio pudding.

I don’t live in the United States and can’t find cool whip – what should I do?

Well, we primarily recommend using whipped cream with this recipe, so you can easily make that or find that in the store! Here is a great recipe that is similar to Cool Whip! https://www.somethingswanky.com/homemade-cool-whip/

Fruit Salad with Cool Whip

Ingredients

• 15 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
• 20 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained
• 2 medium bananas, sliced
• 2 large apples, any variety – diced
• 1 cup shredded coconut flakes
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 3 cups of freshly made whipped cream or 1 container of cool whip (which is about 3 cups of cool whip)
• 3-ounce box of vanilla pudding

Instructions

1. Open the cans of fruit and drain excess liquid
2. Right before you are ready to prepare it, slice the bananas and apples.
3. Combine the chopped fruits and canned fruits in a large bowl and mix
4. Fold in coconut, cool whip, and vanilla pudding
5. Chill for a few hours before serving.

How long will this stay good in the fridge for?

Ideally, this will be eaten pretty quickly after it’s been made. However, if there are leftovers, they should be okay the next day. Some of the fruit may have browned, though!

How do you make homemade whipped cream?

There are various methods to make whipped cream. You need heavy whipping cream, and I usually recommend a little bit of vanilla extract and a little bit of powdered sugar. You need a stand mixer, electric hand mixer, or a whisk and a lot of time! Here are some more tips for making whipped cream. https://www.clarkscondensed.com/secret-amazing-whipped-cream/

How can I help this salad to stay fresh for longer?

While you can’t really prolong how long fruit salad stays fresh for you can do a few things to help it last a day or so after making.

You can add a little bit of lime or lemon juice into your salad to help it last until the next day. So you have nothing to worry about when preparing your fruit salad the night before.

If you add bananas to your fruit salad you can count on them going brown and getting mushy- but the lemon or lime juice should help a little. You can also add a watermelon to the recipe. This is a crucial addition depending on the freshness of the watermelon. Here are some tips for picking a good watermelon.

Can I omit the pudding mix?

Yes you can. This dish actually tastes amazing with and without it!

More Salad Recipes You May Enjoy

• Sparkling Jello Salad with Soda Pop (Non-Alcoholic)
• Creamy Orange Jello Salad with Mandarin Oranges
• Easy Strawberry Jello Salad
• Copycat Costco Chicken Salad Recipe
• Easy Frito Corn Salad Recipe
• Easy Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe

Fruit Salad with Cool Whip will be your new favorite salad this summer! This recipe is so easy combining fresh fruit mixed with whipped cream that is a delicious combination!