This Old Fashioned Fruit Salad is the way my Mom makes it, and it's the best! So obviously, I wanted to share it here. So what makes this fruit salad so special? It's the combination of the fruits she uses (cantaloupe, strawberries, pears, kiwi, peaches, oranges, and grapes) and the addition of crushed pineapple. But I also serve it with a honey lime dressing that elevates it to that next level of deliciousness. Seriously, it's to die for!
Fruit salad is an easy-to-make and great guilt-free dessert for any time. This one also makes an excellent choice for a breakfast fruit salad. It pairs perfectly with almost any breakfast or brunch, but especially with my Easy Eggs Benedict with Prosciutto & Quick Blender Artichoke & Roasted Red Pepper Hollandaise Sauce. This Classic Fruit salad is also ideal for brunch and is one of my favorite potluck breakfast recipes!
Recipe Overview: The Best Fruit Salad
- Ready in: 15 minutes
- Serves: 10 servings
- Calories: 95 kcal per serving
- Main Ingredients: Variety of fresh seasonal fruit (berries, melon, citrus, grapes), fresh lime, and honey.
- Dietary Info: Healthy, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free.
- Weight Watchers Points: 1 WW Point per serving (based on the honey in the dressing).
- Difficulty: Easy / Beginner
- Why You'll Love It: This is the ultimate fruit salad recipe for busy people! It's a "Lazy Way" masterpiece that uses a 3-ingredient dressing to not only enhance the natural sweetness of the fruit but also keep it from turning brown. It's the perfect high-volume, low-point side dish for any occasion.
Summarize and Save this Content on:
Jump to:
- Recipe Overview: The Best Fruit Salad
- Summarize and Save this Content on:
- Why this is the Best Fruit Salad Recipe
- 🥘Ingredient Notes
- The Best Fruits for Classic Fruit Salad Recipes
- 📖Variations & Substitutions
- The "Lazy Way" Prep Hacks for Perfect Fruit Salad
- 🔪Step-by-Step: How to make Old fashioned Fruit Salad
- 🎥 Videos
- Expert Recipe Tips
- The Secret to a Fruit Salad that Doesn't Turn Brown
- 🥘Main Dishes to accompany this classic fruit salad
- 👪 Serving size
- 🌡️Storage
- ❔ Recipe FAQs
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
- 🍰More Healthy Desserts
- 📋Old Fashioned Fruit Salad Recipe (with honey lime dressing)
If you're looking for fruit salad recipes, this easy fruit salad is ideal as a dessert on its own or as an addition to a dessert buffet. A lot of people like to serve a classic fruit salad with holiday meals, such as Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas dinner, or Easter ham!
Why this is the Best Fruit Salad Recipe
If you have ever been disappointed by a bland, watery bowl of chopped fruit at a potluck, this recipe is for you. Most fruit salad recipes rely solely on the ripeness of the fruit, but my "Award-Winning" secret is the Honey Lime Dressing.
The zest and juice of the lime don't just add a bright, citrusy "pop"-the acidity acts as a natural preservative, keeping the fruit crisp and vibrant for much longer than a standard salad. It turns a simple bowl of fruit into a gourmet side dish that is always the first thing to disappear!
🥘Ingredient Notes
My Mom never uses blueberries or raspberries in her fresh fruit salad recipe because the colors run. This is especially important if you're making it a day in advance.
I like to make it in advance because there's a lot of chopping. You can use fresh or canned fruit (oranges or peaches, depending on availability).
For this old fashioned recipe, you'll need:
I use this specific combination of fruit for both color and texture:
- Mandarin oranges. You can use fresh or canned, but I try to use fresh if available.
- Peaches. You can use fresh or canned, but I usually use canned peaches.
- Grapes. I have used both red and green, and they both work well.
- Canned Crushed Pineapple. Adding canned crushed pineapple not only prevent this fruit salad from browning, it adds an extra special and unique flavor to this fruit salad recipe!
Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
The Best Fruits for Classic Fruit Salad Recipes
When choosing fruit for your salad, think about Texture Contrast. A great salad needs a balance of three things:
- Crunch: Apples, grapes, or firm pears.
- Juice: Pineapple, oranges, or melon.
- Creaminess: Bananas, mango, or kiwi.
By mixing these textures, you prevent the salad from feeling one-note. If you are a Weight Watchers member, this is the ultimate "ZeroPoint" dessert or side dish that feels incredibly indulgent thanks to the sweetness of the honey!
For the Honey Lime Dressing, you'll need:
- Fresh lime. I use the lime juice and the zest
- Honey. Liquid honey works best.
Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
📖Variations & Substitutions
This delicious fruit salad is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and Weight Watchers friendly!
- Vegan - use agave instead of honey - just use ½ the amount
- Bananas - if you want to use bananas, add them to each individual serving at the time of serving.
- Watermelon - add watermelon if you like (my Mom does sometimes)
- Pineapple- you can use pineapple chunks instead of crushed or fresh pineapple instead of canned
- Honey Lime Dressing - you can make this without the dressing if you want to save on calories/WW points, but it really does taste even more amazing with the dressing!
- Yogurt Dressing- serve it with vanilla yogurt, mango, strawberry, or the yogurt of your choice.
- Whipped cream- Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream, Cool Whip, or another whipped topping
- As a Topping- serve it over plain Greek yogurt (for a healthier snack, you may need to add a little extra honey), serve over vanilla yogurt, ice cream, or pancakes!
The "Lazy Way" Prep Hacks for Perfect Fruit Salad
To get that professional, restaurant-quality look with minimal effort, follow these three simple hacks:
- The Uniform Chop: Try to cut all your larger fruits (like melons, pineapples, and apples) into uniform ½-inch pieces. Not only does this make the salad easier to eat, but it also ensures that every bite has the perfect ratio of fruit to dressing.
- The "Berry Buffer" Rule: Always add delicate fruits like raspberries, blackberries, or sliced strawberries last. Fold them in very gently right before serving so they don't bleed their color or get crushed by the heavier fruits.
- The Mason Jar Dressing: To make things easier, put the honey, lime juice, and zest into a small mason jar and shake it vigorously. It's the easiest way to emulsify the honey and ensures the dressing is perfectly blended before it hits the fruit.
🔪Step-by-Step: How to make Old fashioned Fruit Salad
- Slice the cantaloupe in half, remove the seeds and skin, and cut the cantaloupe into cubes.
- Hull and slice strawberries (see video on "how to hull strawberries below). Peel oranges and separate into segments
- Drain peaches and set aside juice (don't throw away - see Top Tip)
- Chop peaches.
- Remove skin from kiwis and chop. * I use the spoon method to peel - it's the easiest - see video below.
- Remove the core from the pear, peel the skin, and chop.
🎥 Videos
Add all chopped fruit to bowl, as well grapes. Then add the canned crushed pineapple (and liquid) and mix together.
To make the citrus dressing:
- Juice half a lime
- Add the zest from half the lime and honey to the lime juice and whisk together.
- Pour over salad and mix.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Choose ripe but firm fruit: Overripe fruit can make the salad mushy and overly sweet. Look for fruit that's fragrant and just slightly soft to the touch.
- Drain canned fruit well: Excess liquid can dilute the dressing and make the salad watery. Be sure to drain canned peaches and mandarin oranges thoroughly before adding them.
- Don't skip the lime zest: The zest adds a bright, aromatic flavor that enhances the dressing far more than juice alone.
- Add delicate fruit last: If you decide to include softer fruits like bananas or raspberries, add them right before serving to keep them from breaking down or staining the salad.
- Chill before serving: Letting the salad sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving helps the flavors meld and makes it extra refreshing.
- Mix gently: Use a large spoon or silicone spatula to combine the fruit so it doesn't bruise or release too much juice.
- Use the peach juice: Instead of discarding it, add it to your morning juice or smoothie-it's a delicious, no-waste option (just like Mom used to do!).
- Keep the dressing separate if prepping ahead: If you're making this salad for a potluck or event, store the honey lime dressing in a small container and add it just before serving for the freshest taste and best texture.
The Secret to a Fruit Salad that Doesn't Turn Brown
The #1 question I get about making a classic fruit salad recipe is: How do I stop the fruit from turning brown?
The "Lazy Way" secret is all about the citrus. Oxidation (the process that turns apples and bananas brown) is slowed down significantly by Vitamin C and citric acid. By tossing your fruit in the honey-lime glaze immediately after chopping, you create a protective barrier. This keeps even the most sensitive fruits looking fresh, glossy, and "just-cut" for hours, making this the perfect make-ahead dish for parties.
🥘Main Dishes to accompany this classic fruit salad
This makes a great brunch or breakfast fruit salad and pairs well with my Brunch Bites, Pumpkin Sheet Pan Pancakes, Healthy Eggs Benedict (shown below), or this Raspberry Cream French Toast.
👪 Serving size
This Old-fashioned Fruit salad serves 10 (1 cup servings). But you can half, double or triple the recipe by simply clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. I like to serve it in small individual dessert bowls (affiliate link).
🌡️Storage
If you want to make this Old Fashioned Fruit salad in advance, I don't recommend making it any sooner than the night before. Add the dressing right before serving. Leftovers are good for 2 days in the fridge in an airtight container (affiliate link).
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Definitely. Mix the honey, lime juice, and zest up to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge in a sealed container. Stir or shake well before using.
No, this fruit salad doesn't freeze well. The texture of most fruits changes after thawing, becoming mushy and watery.
It's best to use fresh or canned fruit for this recipe. Frozen fruit becomes mushy once thawed and will water down the salad. However, you could use frozen fruit if it's all you have - just thaw and drain it very well first
Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
Ask AI to answer based on this specific recipe
Have a holiday breakfast or brunch coming up? After so much holiday indulging, this delicious fruit salad is the perfect light accompaniment to your meal!
🍰More Healthy Desserts
Did your family❤️this recipe? Did you know that commenting and⭐rating recipes is one of the best ways to support your favorite recipe creators? If you LOVED this recipe, please comment and rate it in the recipe card or share photos on social media using the hashtag #foodmeanderings or tagging @foodmeanderings !
📋Old Fashioned Fruit Salad Recipe (with honey lime dressing)
Ingredients
- 1 whole cantaloupe *chopped
- 454 g strawberries * about 1 lb
- 3 mandarin oranges *separated into segments
- 540 ml container peaches (no sugar added) * drained (save liquid to add to juice)
- 4 kiwis *chopped
- 2 whole pears *peeled, cored and chopped
- 1.5 cups grapes, whole *about ⅓ bag
- 398 ml - can of crushed pineapple * small can - do not drain liquid
Honey Lime Dressing:
- ¼ cup liquid honey
- ¾ tablespoon fresh lime juice * about the juice of ½ a lime
- ¾ teaspoon lime zest * about the zest of ½ a lime
Instructions
- Slice cantaloupe in half, remove seeds, skin and and cut cantaloupe into cubes.1 whole cantaloupe
- Hull and slice strawberries. Peel oranges and separate into segments454 g strawberries, 3 mandarin oranges
- Drain peaches and set aside juice (for another use- see NOTES)540 ml container peaches (no sugar added)
- Chop peaches.
- Remove skin from kiwis and chop.4 kiwis
- Remove core from pear, peel skin and chop.2 whole pears
- Add all chopped fruit to a large bowl, as well as grapes. Then add the canned crushed pineapple (and liquid) and mix together.1.5 cups grapes, whole, 398 ml - can of crushed pineapple
Honey Lime Dressing
- Juice ½ a lime¾ tbsp fresh lime juice, ¾ tsp lime zest
- Mix honey with lime juice and lime zest.¼ cup liquid honey
- Pour over salad and mix.
- Serve immediately
Notes
- The Uniform Chop: Try to cut all your larger fruits (like melons, pineapples, and apples) into uniform ½-inch pieces. Not only does this make the salad easier to eat, but it also ensures that every bite has the perfect ratio of fruit to dressing.
- The "Berry Buffer" Rule: Always add delicate fruits like raspberries, blackberries, or sliced strawberries last. Fold them in very gently right before serving so they don't bleed their color or get crushed by the heavier fruits.
- The Mason Jar Dressing: To make things easier, put the honey, lime juice, and zest into a small mason jar and shake it vigorously. It's the easiest way to emulsify the honey and ensures the dressing is perfectly blended before it hits the fruit.
- Crunch: Apples, grapes, or firm pears.
- Juice: Pineapple, oranges, or melon.
- Creaminess: Bananas, mango, or kiwi.
- Choose ripe but firm fruit: Overripe fruit can make the salad mushy and overly sweet. Look for fruit that's fragrant and just slightly soft to the touch.
- Drain canned fruit well: Excess liquid can dilute the dressing and make the salad watery. Be sure to drain canned peaches and mandarin oranges thoroughly before adding them.
- Don't skip the lime zest: The zest adds a bright, aromatic flavor that enhances the dressing far more than juice alone.
- Add delicate fruit last: If you decide to include softer fruits like bananas or raspberries, add them right before serving to keep them from breaking down or staining the salad.
- Chill before serving: Letting the salad sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving helps the flavors meld and makes it extra refreshing.
- Mix gently: Use a large spoon or silicone spatula to combine the fruit so it doesn't bruise or release too much juice.
- Use the peach juice: Instead of discarding it, add it to your morning juice or smoothie-it's a delicious, no-waste option (just like Mom used to do!).
- Keep the dressing separate if prepping ahead: If you're making this salad for a potluck or event, store the honey lime dressing in a small container and add it just before serving for the freshest taste and best texture.
Sarah Jane Lukehart says
How many does this salad serve ?
Terri Gilson says
Hi Sarah,
It serves 10 (1 cup servings).
Enjoy!
Terri
Terri Gilson says
Everyone loves this fruit salad and the honey lime dressing makes it extra special!