Summer Fruit Salad is so simple and easy to make with the very best dressing to keep this salad from turning brown!  This fruit salad recipe is flavorful, fresh, and sweet!

fruit salad

What Does a Fruit Salad Contain?

We’ve used our favorite combination of fruits, but you can always swap out for what is in season, or what you have on hand!  I like to use a mixture of strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, peaches, grapes, and oranges.  The dressing is a simple mixture of orange juice, lemon juice, and honey! This fruit salad recipe is almost embarrassingly easy to make!  But, we love it so much and it’s something that I have enjoyed every year since my grandmother, and mother both always made it too!  Sometimes we need a simple recipe, especially during the summer when it’s just too hot to cook!  I call this summer fruit salad, but it really can be made year round.  It’s perfect, slightly tangy and never overwhelmingly sweet.  Also, if you’re grilling soon, this salad is perfect served with our Grilled Chicken Thighs!

Fruit Salad Swaps:

  • Bananas:  Swap these out for a couple of your favorite chopped apples if you don’t like them!
  • Blueberries:  Raspberries or blackberries work great here.  Or, you can just add extra strawberries.
  • Peaches: If you don’t have these, use nectarines, plums, or even small cubes of watermelon!
  • Kiwi and Grapes:  You could sub in sliced up pears, or even pitted summer sweet cherries for either of these.
  • Oranges:  I just use navel oranges.  You can use tangerines, fresh or canned pineapple, or sub in a regular sized can of mandarine oranges instead.

fruit salad ingredients on cutting board

How Long Does Fruit Salad Last?

Our special dressing of honey, orange, and lime, contains enough citrus to keep this from turning brown so fast!  Once mixed up, I do think it’s generally best to eat this salad within about 3-4 days.  If you don’t eat it quickly enough it turns brown-ish and the fruit starts to break down and become a little mushy. If you want to make this ahead and have it look its very best, then I’d suggest making no more than 8-10 hours in advance.  The bananas are usually the biggest concern for turning brown.  You can always leave them out and then just slice and add them closer to the time you are ready to serve.  The same goes with using fruits like apples or pears.

A Few Recipe Notes:

While you will want to add citrus here, you can definitely be flexible with what you use!  I prefer a combo of fresh orange and lemon juice.  For the orange, you only need one Tablespoon of juice and you can use fresh, or a bottle of OJ if you have some in your fridge.  For the lemon, you can swap out with lime juice if that’s your preference!  Make sure that you use FRESH lime/lemon juice, the bottled stuff does not taste the same!

fruit salad in bowl

Enjoy!

~Nichole

5 from 10 votes

Summer Fruit Salad

Summer Fruit Salad is so simple and easy to make with the very best dressing to keep this salad from turning brown!  This fruit salad recipe is flavorful, fresh, and sweet!
Prep 20 minutes
Servings 10 People

Ingredients 

  • 2 Tablespoons Honey
  • 1 Tablespoon Orange Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
  • 2 Cups Sliced Strawberries
  • 2 Cups Blueberries
  • 2 Cups Grapes Cut in half
  • 3 Kiwis Sliced and cut into chunks
  • 2 Nectarines/Peaches Sliced
  • 2 Bananas Sliced
  • 2 Oranges Segmented and cut into chunks

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl whisk together the honey, orange juice, and lime juice until well combined.
  • Add the sliced Strawberries, blueberries, grapes, kiwi, nectarines, bananas, and oranges to the bowl.
  • Gently stir with a large spoon until the fruit is well coated in dressing.
  • Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. This salad is best eaten within 3 days.

Notes

NOTE ON SUBSTITUTIONS:  You can see the post above for our favorite substitutions.  Feel free to swap in your favorite fruits such as raspberries for blueberries, nectarines or plums for the peaches, or apples for the bananas.  Watermelon and mango are also great in this salad!
NOTE ON SERVING:  This salad is best served the same day, but can be made 3 days ahead and the citrus in the dressing will keep it from browning.  If using fruits like bananas, apples, or pears, slice them and add them in right before serving for best results.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5Cup, Calories: 114kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 2mg, Potassium: 355mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 228IU, Vitamin C: 48mg, Calcium: 27mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Like this? Rate & review this recipe below!

 


Hey! Nice to meet you! I'm Nichole!

Welcome to The Salty Marshmallow! I'm a mom, animal lover, photographer, & kitchen mess-maker. Here you will find the result of my decades-long passion for chasing the best flavors in the kitchen, all meant to be cooked by regular people with busy lives just like you and me.

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10 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I absolutely love fruit salads in the summer time and this one is no exception. Especially with that delicious dressing!

  2. 5 stars
    Such a perfect salad for summer picnics and cookouts and great to keep on hand for a refreshing snack or breakfast!

  3. 5 stars
    Just give me that bowl and a big spoon and I’m in heaven. I love fruit and what you have in that summer fruit salad is exactly what I enjoy. A bit of cottage cheese on the side and that is the perfect lunch for me.

  4. 5 stars
    So fresh and inviting that I can’t wait to get to the store and get everything I need for it. Every fruit would be perfect in this weather. Can’t wait! 🙂

  5. 5 stars
    This fruit salad is so delicious and beautiful too! I almost didn’t want to serve it and just keep it as a centerpiece on the table!

  6. 5 stars
    Perfect! You can never go wrong with a delicious fruit salad! Its so colorful and who doesn’t love fruit?

  7. 5 stars
    I love a recipe that can be used in multiple ways. This is great for breakfast, brunch, dessert or an afternoon snack.
    Nothing beats fresh fruit, especially in the summer. So refreshing.