You can’t beat this easy fruit salad recipe! This summertime classic is a simple combination of seasonal fruit drizzled with a bright honey lime dressing. It’s deliciously sweet, refreshing on hot days, and a must-have for picnics, potlucks, and beach days!
Why This is the Best Fruit Salad
This fruit salad is easily one of my most requested side dishes at family get-togethers and holidays. The mix of fruit feels perfect for summer days, with a beautiful rainbow of color that includes strawberries, pineapple, grapes, blueberries, kiwis, mandarin oranges, and mangoes. But it’s the zesty honey lime dressing that really amplifies the bright, juicy flavor of all those fruits! Now, truth be told, I used to buy store-bought fruit salads for parties and potlucks. But once you make this fresh fruit salad at home, there’s really no going back. The flavor is just all-around more delicious! I also love that:
- It’s perfect for summer. I’m a big fan of seasonal fruit salads, like my stone fruit salad in the fall and my Waldorf salad in the winter. But this is my go-to for sunny summer days!
- It’s endlessly customizable. You can easily swap in more of your favorite fruits.
- It’s a great make-ahead side dish. I often slice and prep all the fruit the day before, which makes assembling everything quick and effortless the day of a party.
Fruit Salad Ingredients
I love highlighting seasonal fruit in vibrant shades of red, blue, orange, yellow, and green. But truly, use the fruits you love most.
- Strawberries: Look for juicy, bright red strawberries without blemishes. They should be easy to find in the summer!
- Pineapple: Don’t be intimidated to buy a whole pineapple and slice it yourself—it’s really easy to do! And I walk you through it step-by-step in the video below.
- Grapes: Red or green grapes both work beautifully. Just be sure to grab seedless.
- Blueberries: I love using plump, sweet blueberries, but blackberries are a great swap. You can even do a half-and-half mix!
- Kiwis: Their bright green color adds so much visual pop. Choose kiwis that are slightly soft to the touch so you know they’re ripe and sweet.
- Mandarin oranges: I usually grab a bag of mandarin oranges (like Cuties) because they’re easy to peel and segment. You can also use regular oranges. If you do, I recommend supreming them by slicing between the white membranes to remove clean segments.
- Mangoes: I am a big fan of mango! Their creamy, sweet flavor is such a nice contrast to the juicier fruits. If you don’t have mangoes, bananas can give you a similar creamy texture, but be sure to read my tips below before adding them.
- Fruit salad dressing: It’s a simple mix of lime zest, fresh lime juice, and honey. The bright, zingy flavor of lime complements the fresh fruit perfectly!
How to Make Fruit Salad
First, prep the fruit. Wash the strawberries, grapes, and blueberries, then peel the pineapple, oranges, and mangoes. Once everything is cleaned and ready, chop it into bite-sized pieces and add it to a large mixing bowl.
Next, make the dressing by whisking together the lime zest, lime juice, and honey in a small bowl until well combined. Then, drizzle the honey lime dressing over the fruit and gently toss everything together until evenly coated. That’s it!
Don’t Skip These Tips!
- While some people love bananas in their fruit salad, they can quickly brown and become mushy. I only recommend adding a banana if you plan on serving the fruit salad immediately after making it! The same applies to apples (they’ll brown) and raspberries (they’ll go mushy).
- Don’t use frozen fruit! As it thaws, it releases too much liquid and will make the salad watery and mushy. Fresh fruit is definitely the way to go here.
- Speaking of water…make sure to thoroughly dry any fruit after washing it. You don’t want excess moisture pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
- Make sure all the fruit you select is ripe. Pineapple and mangoes are often sold slightly underripe, so I like to buy them a couple of days ahead of time and let them ripen on the counter. If you need to speed things up, place them in a brown paper bag to help them ripen faster.
- If you’re serving this outdoors on a hot day, place the salad bowl over a larger bowl filled with ice or use a chilled serving bowl or ice mat underneath to keep it nice and cool.
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
Fruit salad is best when it’s made up to 4 hours before serving. But you can also slice and dice all of the fruit and place it in a covered bowl up to 24 hours ahead of time in the fridge, then toss it with the dressing right before serving.
For any leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container. If you notice the fruit starting to soften too much, you can easily toss them into fruit smoothies, so nothing goes to waste!
More Summer Salad Recipes
- Caprese Salad: An Italian classic for summer dinner parties.
- Greek Salad: With the best Greek salad dressing!
- Watermelon Salad: So juicy and hydrating.
- Easy Cucumber Salad: The easiest side salad to whip up.
- Or give these other summer salads a try!
If you make this fruit salad recipe, let me know how it turns out in the comments below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’d like to see more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free email community here.
Description
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Fruit Salad
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- ½ fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cubed (approx 2 ½ cups cubed)
- 2 cups grapes
- 2 cups blueberries
- 4 kiwis, peeled and sliced
- 3 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
- 2 mangoes, peeled and diced
Honey Lime Dressing
- 1 teaspoon lime zest (from one lime)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from one lime)
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Slice all the fruit. Wash and dry all the strawberries, grapes, blueberries. Then peel the pineapple, oranges, and mangoes. Slice all the fruit into bite-sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, and honey.
- Stir together. Drizzle the honey lime dressing on top of the fruit salad, gently toss everything together, and enjoy!
Lisa’s Tips
- This white serving bowl is my go-to for serving up large salads!
- Make-ahead tip: Slice and dice all the fruit, place it in a covered bowl in the fridge up to 24 hours ahead, then toss it with the dressing right before serving.
- Storage tip: Store them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container.
Nutrition
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This recipe was originally posted May 2021, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
I am disabled, but I still can make food. I am making meals for the homeless. Thank you for inspiring me with healthy and comforting meals to share.
You’re. more than welcome, Sharon! I’m happy you loved this fruit salad and that’s wonderful that you make meals for the homeless. I’m sure they appreciate it!
This is a great fruit salad for potlucks! I think the dressing adds a really nice tart flavor that also brings out the sweetness of the fruits. I also love that this recipe is super easy to make, especially to prep ahead of time.
This is definitely a great salad to prep ahead of time. Enjoy, Taylor!
This is my go-to for a delicious fruit salad. It is easy to make and take to a function.
The Honey Lime dressing adds a special zing to the salad. I served it separately once – not the same – much better drizzled over the top of the fruit salad and gently tossed as per the recipe – works wonders with the flavour. Everyone loves this recipe. I encourage all to look at this as well as Lisa’s other scrumptious, healthy recipes.
Thanks so much, Louise! It really is amazing how much the simple dressing adds so much oomph to this fruit salad. I’m glad you love it!
I always cut my kiwi in half and then scoop it out with a spoon. I find it faster than peeling the whole fruit, and I’m able to get most of the kiwi this way.
The best fruit salad ever!
Hi Sophie – Happy to hear you love this fruit salad!
Did you know you can eat all of the kit fruit skin and all. What I do is top and tail them then quarter then half then eat. P.S. don’t forget to wash them first.
It looks delicious! Now all I need is a big enough crowd to bring to a potluck! Would you suggest keeping a cold ice mat under it for a potluck?
Hi Sharon – Yes, I think that’s a great idea. Hope you and your friends enjoy it!
I made this for a family gathering and everyone loved it! We are getting together again this weekend, and I was asked to “bring the fantastic fruit salad I brought last time”. I did add bananas to it just before serving. It is so good.
Hi Julia – Happy to hear everyone enjoyed this fruit salad!
Just prepared Lisa’s fruit salad recipe for my 12 year old granddaughter and she absolutely loved it. The twist ingredients of honey and lime juice mix was the icing on the cake as we say here in the UK. I hasten to add I used a couple of different fruits from the recipe but that made no difference. It was great . Thank You, I’ve just discovered your page Lisa and will certainly try more of your recipes.
Hi Rosemary – Happy to hear your granddaughter loved this fruit salad!
Just prepared Lisa’s fruit salad recipe for my 12 year old granddaughter and she Looking absolutely loved it. The twist ingredients of honey and lime juice mix was the icing on the cake as we say here in the UK. I hasten to add I used a couple of different fruits from the recipe but that made no difference. It was great . Thank You, I’ve just discovered your page Lisa and will certainly try more of your recipes.
Hi Rosemary – Happy to hear your granddaughter loved this fruit salad!
A great recipe for a fruit salad. The lime sauce makes it. It ties all the different fruit together while enhancing the flavors. I didn’t use pineapple or mangos and it was delecious. This is a keeper!!! I’ll be making this again…
Yes, the dressing really does make this recipe. So happy you loved it!
Fabulous dressing flavor and so customizable to any season! I made this for Christmas brunch and everyone loved it! Due to the season- I stayed with a green and red theme (grapes), and also added pineapple, tangerine segments (we have little kids that ate it as well), kiwi and a few raspberries (just on the top so they wouldn’t mush as Lisa said!) My family loved it! We were still eating it for Christmas dinner and we have left overs (yes!) so easy to prep the fruit the night before and put together and added the dressing just before we left. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you again Lisa for another fabulous recipe!!!
I love how you tweaked this recipe for Christmas! And yes, leftovers are the best, especially in that syrupy sauce. Enjoy!
Can u make it the night before?
Love the recipe. Subbed lemon for the lime (didn’t have it on hand). Still came out great!
Please clarify the amount of pineapple needed for the fruit salad. Re: X1 1/2 pineapple, approximately 2 1/2 cups, X2 1 pineapple, approx 2 1/2 cups , X3 1& 1/2 pineapple, approx 2 1/2 cups. Thanks.
What is the serving size for this recipe, 1 cup or 1/2 cup?
Made this 5 times and it turned out perfectly every time. The mangos do add that creaminess. I recently made it for my daughter’s 4th birthday party and it was favored by adults and children alike.
That’s great to hear this fruit salad has been the perfect dish to make for all your parties!
I made this for a school party! So Good everyone was asking for recipe! I am definitely making again!
Oh yay! I’m happy to hear this fruit salad was a hit.
Californian here! Summer fruit is going off and I was thinking of fruit salad. Thanks Lisa, this came together beautifully, light and sweet.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Claudia!
I thought I had a fresh lime but only bottled juice. Will it be terrible without the zest?
That’s fine!
I made this fruit salad for my niece’s bridal shower for 20 people. It was delicious & so colorful. I can’t wait to make it again in a smaller amount.
I’m so thrilled you loved it, Teresa!
I made this for Easter and it was a huge hit! Everyone especially loved the mango.
Glad this salad was a hit for Easter!
Beautiful salad and delicious! My only comment is that’s a lot of salad. I’m going to share with friends.
This salad is definitely meant for a crowd :)
An additional comment – we had a small amount left over that we brought home and plopped into our blender the next morning to make an absolutely lovely smoothie. It didn’t need any additions at all. So thanks again for a fruit delight that has more than one use!
Fantastic. Took to a New Year’s Day party and it was a hit with everyone asking for the recipe. Am bringing a smaller bowl to the Australian Open finals this weekend. Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe!
You’re welcome, Patti! So glad you loved it. :)
I’m gonna try it with other fruits next time :)
I really love it!
Love it! I’m definitely making it again :D
Love it! I’m definitely making it again !:D
This Because a fam favorite for the holidays! Thank you
Big hit! The lime and honey really bring out the flavor
What could I swap for the strawberries? I’m allergic :/
You can honestly add in any other of your favorite fruits :)
I made it ! It is so delicious! Thanks for sharing it
Fantastic combination of fruit, and looked so beautiful.. The lime drizzle was an extra bonus,! (BTW the slicing of grapes trick was genius)
Can’t forget the lime drizzle to tie all the flavors together :)
Wow! Looks so delicious, I and my daughters loved fruit salad, I will definitely try it your way, looks seem easy to make :D. Thanks so much for this guide. Looking forward to seeing more.
Hope you enjoy this classic fruit salad!
Love this fruit salad recipe. My husband and I enjoyed it while we were traveling to ashville, NC to spend our weekend.
Glad you and your husband enjoyed this fruit salad on your latest travels :)
Great recipes keep them coming
Thanks so much Fannie! Hope you loved this fruit salad :)
I had to make a couple moderations considering one of the two mangos I purchased was bad on the inside, and the store was out of mandarin oranges, but it turned out absolutely delicious with extra blueberries and blackberries, and was a huge hit at the post-baptism brunch I made it for! The dressing made it so, so bright and flavorful. I did have some leftovers, which I diced up into even smaller pieces and used to flavor a batch of kombucha! Another perfect recipe from your blog. Thank you!!
Happy to hear you were able to make the most of the fruit salad! Love the idea of adding leftovers to kombucha as well :)
Absolutely delicious! My second time making this. We have been using it throughout the week for our lunches!
Glad you enjoyed this fruit salad!
Your blog post is stunning. Thanks!!
Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy all the recipes :)
Beautifully done video! I’ll have to give the lime dressing a try. I’ve never used one on a fruit salad before. BTW, you probably already know this, but I never toss the pineapple core. It has more bromelain than the whole rest of the pineapple. I always chop it in a few pieces and then throw them into my vitamix for smoothies.
Thanks for the heads up on the pineapple core, almost forgot!
First of all – the beautiful colors of this fruit assortment is so lovely. I was surprised at how scrumptious and refreshing this was. Brought to a Memorial Day celebration and left with an empty bowl.
I usually like my fruit plain, but this added a fresh pop to it- not overwhelming at all.
Will definitely make again.
Wonderful! Glad this was a long weekend winner :)
I agree with you, the best fruit salads are homemade fruit salads. Given the pandemic, one cannot afford to eat out more often than before.
Yes, and it’s so easy to make at home! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Loved this recipe! 👍
Glad you enjoyed this fruit salad Cathie!
Delicious fruit salad. Made for Memorial day and was a family favorite! My nieces & nephews love it! Can’t wait to make it again for the 4th of July. Thank you!