A bowl of colorful fruit salad dressed with lemon juice and honey is irresistible. It is healthy, nutrient-dense, and gorgeous. It is perfect as a side or dessert for any occasion.

Easy fruit Salad Recipe
Fruit salad is a classic summertime recipe featuring different fruit combinations with a sweet dressing. No complicated recipe, everything you need is fruit. You can use any fresh fruit available to you. Trust me; nothing beats the natural taste of different fruits served in one bowl.
A rainbow of fruits with sweet dressing makes a delicious salad for you and your family on hot days, at the beach, at potlucks, and on other occasions. I don’t fancy pre-made store-bought fruit salad because I have found homemade fruit salad tastier, refreshing and rewarding. I carefully select my favorite fruits; so there is enough room for the natural flavor to shine without artificial sugary taste.
Summer meal with minimal effort
Now, it’s not that fruit salad is a complicated recipe, or an overly specific dish. It can be considered a simple concoction of many fruits combined in one big bowl, with the main ingredient being — you guessed it — fruit. But simple doesn’t always mean unimpressive; some of the most satisfying dishes are those that are prepared quickly and easily, with minimal amounts of prep work and kitchen ingredients.
You also will enjoy the natural, nutrient-dense Classic Tomato Cucumber Salad, Kachumbari, and 7-layers make-ahead salad if you love salads. They are excellent choices with numerous health benefits.

What kind of fruits should I use?
When I think of fruit salad, colors come to mind. So I love to combine fruits and berries for a mix of beautiful colors and flavors. Below is the list of fruit and berries I used.
- Strawberries: Check them well before you buy. A fresh strawberry is a sharp red with no dark spots. It should look vibrant with no mold.
- Pineapple: Use ripe pineapple. You will know that it is fresh when you press it. It is not too soft and gives a sweet fresh pineapple scent. Ripe pineapples usually have semi-yellow or yellow skin.
- Blueberries: plump blueberries are sweeter.
- Kiwis: No matter the size, ripe kiwis are relatively soft while unripe ones are firm.
- Tangerine: ensure that they are ripe and spotless. You can also use mangoes as an alternative.
- Mango: Get one that is ripe but firm to touch.
- Grapes: You can use green or red grapes. Fresh grapes hold tight to the stem and don’t fall off easily. They are plump and firm. You will also know they are fresh with bright and vibrant colors.
- Fruit Salad Dressing: The dressing is like a syrup that enhances the taste and flavor of this recipe. You need honey, freshly squeezed orange juice, zest, and lemon juice for the dressing.
How to make Fruit Salad
- Prepare the fruits by cutting and peeling accordingly
- Mix all fruit in a large bowl.
- Prepare the dressing in a small mixing bowl by whisking the honey, lime zest, orange juice, and lime juice.
- Combine the fruit and the dressing. Toss the fruit for even coating with the dressing.
- Chill until ready to serve.
Adapting and adjusting the recipe
For those of you who like to tinker, feel free to modify the fruits to your own personal liking and make this fruit salad recipe your own.
To make a perfect fruit salad recipe, we need to keep a few key things in mind – the type of fruits, flavor, and texture are the most important things to consider.
Other fruits you can include – Bananas, papaya, apples, raspberries, and much more.

Fruit Salad FAQs
- Can I use other Fruits? Of course, there’s no limit to the type of fruit you can use. Use any fresh fruit you have in the recipe. I also love blackberries, bananas, cherries, pears, peaches, watermelon, honeydew, pomegranate, cantaloupe, and so on. Feel free to make a choice.
- Can I use Frozen fruit? I don’t recommend using frozen fruit for this recipe. Generally, fruits are better refrigerated than frozen because freezing affects fruits’ cell walls. You’ll notice that fresh solid fruit in the freezer will suddenly become mushy and soft after thawing. Using them for fruit salad becomes messy since they don’t maintain their shape again. At best, I prefer using frozen fruit for smoothies.
- Can I use a substitute sweetener instead of honey? Yes, please. If you don’t like honey, you can use maple syrup instead. Maple syrup is neutral but might alter the fruity taste a bit. No worries, you will still enjoy the freshness of the salad.
- Can I make it ahead of time? Why not? Just cut and peel your fruit as needed, cover it well, and refrigerate (do not freeze). Feel free to make it ahead of time but hold on with the dressing till you are ready to eat it. Furthermore, I recommend that the time before consumption shouldn’t be more than 5 hours because some fruits shrivel and oxidizes. For instance, apple cuts get brown. If you are concerned about the apples getting brown, leave them at the bottom layer or toss them in lemon juice to preserve.
- How can I store leftovers? Store leftovers in the refrigerator for a day or at most two days. Please don’t leave it for too long because fruits are perishable. If it is too soft for consumption, consider turning it into a smoothie.

Tips for making Fruit Salad
- Feel free to use any fresh fruit in season. Use different fresh fruits to get a colorful platter.
- Use ripe fruits. If you buy unripe fruits, allow them to be ripe before you use them.
- Always add the delicate fruits last. For instance, bananas, pears, and apples turn brown quickly, so add them last. If you are making ahead, you can hold on with cutting some of these fruits until you are ready to eat the salad.
- Use a zester; don’t apply too much pressure to get the lemon zest. Using a grater will likely grate some lemon peel with the zest, making your dressing taste bitter.
- Don’t use frozen fruits. They get soft and mushy quickly.
- Allow the fruit to drain water after washing, or pat them dry to prevent extra water in the salad.
You can try out other fresh salad recipes
- Tomato Mozzarella Salad
- Classic Creamy Potato Salad
- Classic Tomato Cucumber Salad
- Black-eyed Peas Salad
- Quick and Easy Tomato Salad
- Avocado Chimichurri Chicken Salad
- Kachumbari – Onions, tomatoes, and cucumber salad
- Easy Healthy Salmon Salad
- Easy Creamy Turkey Salad Sandwich
- The classic Nigerian Salad
- Delicious Make-Ahead 7-Layer Salad

Fruit Salad
Ingredients
FOR THE DRESSING
- 1/4 c. honey
- 1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
FOR THE SALAD
- 1 lb. strawberries hulled and quartered
- 1 lb fresh pineapple peeled and chopped into cubes
- 6 oz. blueberries
- 3 kiwis peeled and sliced
- 2 tangerines peeled and wedges cut in half
- 1 mango peeled and chopped
- 12 ounces grapes cut into 2 each
Instructions
- Prepare the fruits by washing, peeling, and cutting accordingly
- Mix all fruit in a large bowl.
- Prepare the dressing in a small mixing bowl by whisking together the honey, lime zest, lime juice, and orange juice.
- Combine the fruit and the dressing. Toss the fruit for even coating with the dressing.
- Chill until ready to serve.
Notes
- Feel free to use any fresh fruit in season. Use different fresh fruits to get a colorful platter.
- Use ripe fruits. If you buy unripe fruits, allow them to be ripe before you use them.
Always add the delicate fruits last. For instance, bananas, pears, and apples turn brown quickly, so add them last. If you are making ahead, you can hold on with cutting some of these fruits until you are ready to eat the salad. - Use a zester; don’t apply too much pressure to get the lemon zest. Using a grater will likely grate some lemon peel with the zest, making your dressing taste bitter.
- Don’t use frozen fruits. They get soft and mushy quickly.
- Allow the fruit to drain water after washing, or pat them dry to prevent extra water in the salad.
Nutrition
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