Fruit Salad Recipe

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my fruit salad recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

Fresh Fruit:

What goes in a fruit salad? Whatever fruit you’d like! Below is the fresh summer fruit I used in this recipe, as well as alternatives so that you can use whatever you have on hand.

• Berries – I used fresh strawberries and blueberries, but you can use raspberries and blackberries, too. (If you prefer a lower sugar recipe for fruit salad, make it entirely with berries only — they are the lowest sugar fruit.) If you have leftovers, use them to make fruit leather next.
• Green Grapes – I used green, but you could also use halved red, purple, or black grapes as well.
• Mandarin Oranges – Use any type of oranges you prefer. Navel oranges, blood oranges, or temple oranges all make tasty options. You can even add canned ones if you don’t have fresh.
• Fresh Pineapple – Choose one that is firm and fresh, with bright green leaves. It should have a slight yellow color on the outside — although a more yellow color works too — and the skin should give slightly when squeezed.
• Kiwi – Adds a tart, sweet, tangy taste (and loads of vitamin C!). Try other tropical fruits if like.
• Fresh Mint – Optional, but adds a bright and refreshing flavor. You could also opt for other fresh herbs, such as basil, instead.

VARIATION: Add other fruit!

You can use any fruit you like. Try apples, peaches, cantaloupe, pears, honeydew, plums, nectarines, apricots, pomegranate seeds, or even bananas.

To keep the right ratio with the dressing, keep the total amount of fruit to about 8 cups.

Fruit Salad Dressing:

You only need 2 simple ingredients to make dressing for fruit salad:

• Lemon – Since we need both lemon juice and lemon zest to make this simple dressing, a fresh lemon would work best. You can also use a lime (including the lime juice and lime zest) instead to make a honey lime dressing.
• Honey – I like to use zero sugar honey (it’s still sweet and the fruit already has plenty of natural sugar!), but regular honey also works. You can also replace this with maple syrup (or sugar-free maple syrup) instead, or add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for extra flavor.

VARIATION: Use poppy seed dressing instead!

Just make my easy poppy seed dressing recipe here. It’s sweet, creamy, and bursting with poppy seeds!

How To Make Fruit Salad

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Prep the fruit. Peel and cut the kiwi. Peel the mandarin oranges and divide into wedges. Chop the fresh strawberries. Slice the grapes in half (or not). Dice the fresh pineapple. Combine the fruit (and mint, if using) in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Make the fruit salad dressing. Whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, and honey until well combined.

3. Toss. Pour dressing over the fruit and gently toss to coat.

More Fruit Salad Recipes

Fruit and greens: The perfect pairing! Try these easy salads that feature a burst of sweetness from fresh fruit:

Pear Salad

Mango Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Grilled Peach Salad