Easy Fruit Salad Recipe (with a citrus vanilla dressing) (2024)

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This fresh fruit salad is lightly sweetened with a citrus vanilla dressing. Toss your favorite colorful mixture of fruit in a bowl and you will agree this recipe is super easy and delicious!

No matter the season, I love a simple fruit salad. This recipe dresses up a simple bowl of fruit with a quick homemade vanilla syrup. Use any mixture of fruit to match the time of year! Serve to guests or keep in your fridge a few days for snacking. (Or, in my usual case, do both!)

Easy Fruit Salad Recipe (with a citrus vanilla dressing) (1)

I always like to have a fruit option on our dinner plates. Typically, I'm scrambling to quickly slice up an apple or be ordinary with a few grapes on our plates. But, every once in a while I like to have a huge bowl of fruit in my fridge ready to spoon onto our plates. Instead of plain fruit (which is also delicious) why not dress it up a little to change things up? That's where this fruit salad comes in.

The best way to prepare this is when you're having guests for dinner because it makes a bunch! You can set aside half in the fridge for later because it will be plenty to serve and to keep. I love a recipe like this that stretches its use.

Easy Fruit Salad Recipe (with a citrus vanilla dressing) (2)

Ingredients for this recipe

Typing out measurements for this recipe is difficult because I typically just toss my favorite fresh fruits into my mixing bowl until it's full. But, this can get your started and you can mix it up with the fruits you like best for your fruit salad. You'll also need a few items for the citrus vanilla syrup. Gather these ingredients:

Grocery List for Fruit Salad

  • Strawberries
  • Pineapple
  • Mandarin oranges
  • Green grapes
  • Red grapes
  • Blackberries
    For the syrup:
  • Orange juice
  • Pineapple juice
  • Brown sugar
  • Vanilla extract

These are the fruits I typically use. You can also throw in kiwi, bananas, blueberries and raspberries or any other fruit you like!

How to make simple fruit salad

Making this fruit salad is as simple as it gets! The syrup also comes together very quickly on the stovetop. The longest part is letting the fruit salad chill to allow the fruit to soak up those yummy juices!

Easy Fruit Salad Recipe (with a citrus vanilla dressing) (3)

Here are the steps to make a simple fruit salad:

  1. Wash and dry your favorite colorful fruits.
  2. Layer fruits in a large bowl.
  3. Boil orange juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice, brown sugar. Stir in vanilla.
  4. Let syrup cool then pour over bowl of fruit; toss.
  5. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Click here for full recipe ingredients and instructions.

The fruit salad will last in your refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. I typically have ours gone by day 3 because we eat it for snacks, breakfast, lunch AND dinner!

Other delicious fruit salad recipes

  • Easy Grape Salad
  • Winter Fruit Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing
  • End of the Rainbow Fruit Salad
  • Glazed Fruit Salad

Easy Fruit Salad Recipe (with a citrus vanilla dressing) (4)

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Easy Fruit Salad Recipe (with a citrus vanilla dressing) (5)

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4.28 from 18 votes

Easy Fruit Salad with Citrus Vanilla Dressing

This fresh fruit salad is lightly sweetened with a citrus vanilla dressing. Toss your favorite colorful mixture of fruit in a bowl and you will agree this recipe is super easy and delicious!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Chill Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Fruit, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy fruit salad, fruit salad, fruit salad dressing, fruit salad recipe

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 103kcal

Author: Nikki Gladd

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups cubed pineapple
  • 2 cups green grapes
  • 2 cups red grapes
  • 1 cup sliced strawberries
  • 1 cup blackberries
  • 1 cup mandarin orange segments

Instructions

  • Whisk together orange juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice, brown sugar and vanilla in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

  • While the vanilla dressing is cooling, wash and dry the fruit. Layer in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the fruit and toss to combine.

  • Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

Notes

  • Nutritional information is an estimation only and varies widely depending on fruit used and varied measurements.

Nutrition

Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

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About Seeded At The Table

Thanks for visiting! We’re the Gladd family! We love donuts, Disney, LEGO and Jesus. Not in that order, of course. 🙂 Ben shares DIY wood-working projects and Nikki shares delicious recipes. You’ll also find a sprinkling of travel adventures and other family fun ideas!

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Easy Fruit Salad Recipe (with a citrus vanilla dressing) (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep fruit salad from getting watery? ›

The acidity in the lemon and the orange will keep the fruit from turning brown and keep it crisp and refreshing. This will also concentrate the juice and give it a thicker, syrupy consistency, instead of a thin, watery consistency.

What is a creamy fruit salad made of? ›

Beat cream cheese and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Mix in whipped topping on high speed until incorporated. Fold in pineapple, fruit co*cktail, bananas, apple, coconut, pecans, raisins, and cherries. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Which fruit is not eaten together? ›

It is recommended to avoid mixing watermelons, muskmelons, cantaloupe, and honeydrops with other fruits. “Melons should only be eaten with melons as they are digested more rapidly than other fruits. Melons have high water content, so they might not digest properly when combined with fruits,” said Dr Reddy.

What is fruit salad dressing made of? ›

In a saucepan, combine the flour, pineapple juice, orange juice concentrate, sugar, honey and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Cook the ingredients, stirring, until thickened and bubbly, about two minutes. Use a silicone spatula to scrape down any juices that bubble up the sides of the pan.

Should you cover fruit salad in the fridge? ›

To properly store fruit salad, you need to hit the sweet spot regarding moisture. You don't want the fruits to be completely dried out, but it's unappetizing for them to be soggy and water-logged, as well. By storing them in an airtight container, you can strike the right balance.

Does lemon juice keep fruit salad fresh? ›

To prevent the effects of oxidation, fruit needs citric acid, and lemons are full of it. As a natural antioxidant, lemon juice can help prolong the life of fruit salad (as well as its visual appeal) by inactivating the enzyme polyphenol oxidase, which is responsible for the browning.

Will vinegar keep fruit from turning brown? ›

Lemon juice, Vinegar, clear soda will all prevent food from turning brown quickly. These liquids are acidic, so they will lower the pH of the food surface. Olive oil, will also prevent food from browning, but is less effective than the acids.

What can I put in my fruit salad to keep it fresh? ›

“To prevent fruit salad from turning brown, you can toss the fruits in a mixture of citrus juice (like lemon or orange juice) before combining them, as the citric acid in the juice helps inhibit enzymatic browning by reducing the fruits' exposure to oxygen,” she says.

How to stop fruit salad from going soggy? ›

How to Keep Fruit Salad Fresh
  1. Orange Juice or Pineapple Juice. The easiest way to keep fruit salad fresh without any extra effort is to use an acidic juice. ...
  2. Simple Syrup. This fruit-saving hack is a great option if you want to amp up the sweet vibes of your fruit salad. ...
  3. Acidulated Water. ...
  4. Sprite or 7-Up. ...
  5. Dressing.
Jun 16, 2021

What is the main ingredients in fruit salad? ›

The best fruit for fruit salad:

For our fruit salad, we chose a combo of strawberries, blueberries, kiwis, raspberries, oranges, grapes, mangos, and apples. But, you can customize this completely based on your preferences: blackberries, cherries, pineapple, and banana would all be delicious.

What is the difference between mixed fruit and fruit salad? ›

A mixed fruit jam is a blended combination of multiple fruits with sugar and preservatives. While fruit salad is a combination of multiple cut fruits, with cream acting as it's binding agent.

What's the difference between a fruit cup and a fruit salad? ›

A fruit salad is sometimes known as a fruit co*cktail (often connoting a canned product), or fruit cup (when served in a small container). There are many types of fruit salad, ranging from the basic (no nuts, marshmallows, or dressing) to the moderately sweet (Waldorf salad) to the sweet (ambrosia salad).

What fruits should you not put together in a fruit bowl? ›

Avoid mixing your watermelons, muskmelons, cantaloupe and honeydews with other fruits. Try not to mix acidic fruits, such as grapefruits and strawberries, or sub-acidic foods such as apples, pomegranates and peaches, with sweet fruits, such as bananas and raisins for a better digestion.

Which fruit combination should be avoided? ›

Orange with Carrot: Avoid eating these combinations together as it can cause heartburn and kidney damage. Papaya and lemon: We often squish lemon over papaya to make it tangy and sweet at the same time. But you should stop combining the two together as it can cause anemia and hemoglobin imbalance.

What fruits Cannot be together? ›

The fruits that produce ethylene, including peaches, bananas, apples, and honeydew melons shouldn't be kept in the same place as avocados, grapes, lemons, onions and other fruit and vegetables intolerant to this chemical.

Which raw fruits should be avoided to mix in gelatin salad? ›

If you like making gelatin for dessert, the box often recommends not adding certain kinds of fruit, including pineapple, kiwi, mango, ginger root, papaya, figs or guava. People have a hard time getting the gelatin to solidify when they add these fruits.

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