Fruit Cocktail Salad is a refreshing dessert to beat the summer heat. Full of color, micronutrients and hydrating fruit!
Maybe this is a controversial opinion, but I think fruit salad is a top tier dessert. There is something special about a beautiful, colorful bowl of fresh fruit, especially when it's super hot out. My fruit cocktail salad is not only delicious, but super refreshing and a great way to stay hydrated beyond sipping water. It's up there with my strawberry banana cheesecake salad and protein ice cream in my summer dessert line up.
Bring it to barbeques, picnics, or keep a big meal prepped bowl in your fridge. I'm always grateful when I have this fruit cocktail salad ready to go!
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Nutrient dense. Fruit is an amazing source of key nutrients. This fruit cocktail salad has fibre, antioxidants, and 100% of your daily vitamin C needs.
- Eat the rainbow. We know that eating a diverse variety of plant foods supports gut health, and fruit salads make it effortless to do so.
- Great for meal prep. Prepping your fruits makes it so much easier to eat them throughout the week. I love pairing this fruit cocktail salad with lunches or enjoying for snacks and dessert.
Ingredients
Fruit cocktail. This is my secret ingredient to adding bulk to any fruit salad with minimal effort. I always recommend using a canned fruit cocktail packed in water with no added artificial sweeteners or added sugar, like this one.
Fruits of choice. I recommend opting for fruits that will stay intact while in the salad such as kiwi, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, apples and oranges (see below for a few more notes on fruit choices).
Orange juice. The ascorbic acid in OJ is doing double duty: providing lots of flavour, and preventing enzymatic browning. This means your fruit salad will stay bright and colorful for longer.
Lemon. We use both the zest and juice of one lemon in this recipe. The tartness of the lemon brings out the sweetness of the fruit. Like the orange juice, it also helps prevent browning.
Salt. A pinch of salt helps bring out the flavours of the fruit and keeps the salad fresh.
Optional:
Mint. I find that fresh mint leaves compliment the sweetness of the fruit perfectly to really round out the flavours in this fruit cocktail salad.
Honey. I love a bit of added sweetness, but you can skip this.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add a drained fruit cocktail. Top with additional diced fruits including kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, apple, peach, mandarins and mango.
- Top with lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. If you are using it you may also add the honey, fresh mint and vanilla extract here.
- Toss to combine. Serve fresh or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: this recipe is naturally gluten-free.
To make dairy-free: this recipe is naturally dairy-free.
To make vegan: omit the honey or swap for maple syrup.
To make nut-free: this recipe is naturally nut-free.
The choice of fruit you use is 100% up to you. I recommend using a total of approximately 6 cups of additional fruit (excluding the fruit cocktail), however you can mix and match any fruits you like.
I love this recipe because you can really make it your own based on what is in season, what you have available and what is on sale! But here are some fun ways to switch it up:
- Choose a coloured theme. You could do Fourth of July (blueberries, strawberries and apples), Christmas (kiwi, apple and strawberry), etc.
- Embrace a tropical fruit salad. Think kiwi, papaya, dragon fruit, mango, pineapple.
- Choose a two fruit salad. Keep it simple! All you need for a fruit salad is at least two fruits so get creative.
- Have fun with shapes. If you want a really beautiful fruit salad, try using cookie cutters to slice apples, kiwis and other firm fruits into fun shapes like stars.
Equipment
Storage
Fruit cocktail salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-5 days in an airtight container. It is natural for the juices of the fruit to gather at the bottom of the container, but this shouldn’t affect the texture and should just add a nice fruit juice dressing to your salad. If you are finding your salad is getting too soggy, you can use a colander to drain out some of the excess juices.
Top Tips for Success
Your selection of fruit is key to a good fruit salad. Look for firmer fruits that will hold together such as apple, orange, blueberries etc. I do not recommend using raspberries or bananas as they typically are softer.
I always recommend using a produce chopper to help minimize time spent cutting fruit.
For a beautiful fruit salad, choose a variety of colours. A visually appealing fruit salad is always more enticing to eat than one that is just one single colour.
Don’t skip the citrus! Adding lemon juice and orange juice helps reduce the browning of fruits and will keep this fruit salad fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
I love pairing fruit salad with cottage cheese (try my blended cottage cheese) or plain Greek yogurt for a protein boost. You can also top with some chopped nuts for a balanced snack or meal.
I don't recommend using frozen fruit, as it tends to hold a lot of excess moisture. This results in less firm fruit once defrosted, which isn’t the ideal option for a fruit salad.
I highly recommend adding the orange juice to help maintain peak freshness in this fruit salad.
You're not wrong- fruit does contain naturally occurring sugars. But as a dietitian, that's not something I'm concerned about. Eating fruit that contains sugar isn't the same as eating a sugary dessert. That's because it contains fibre, which buffers the blood sugar response. Most of us aren't eating enough fruit to start with, so a recipe like this with lots of different fruits is actually a great choice.
More Healthy Dessert Recipes
Try these refreshing desserts next:
- Healthy Strawberry and Banana Cheesecake Salad
- Peanut Butter Banana Popsicles
- Gluten Free Blueberry Crisp
- Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt Bark
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this fruit cocktail salad, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Fruit Cocktail Salad
Ingredients
- 1 540 ml can fruit cocktail stored in water, drained
- 4 kiwis diced
- 1 cup strawberries diced
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 medium apple diced
- 1 medium peach diced
- 1 mango peeled and diced
- 3 mandarin oranges peeled
- ⅓ cup 100% orange juice
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Optional:
- 1-2 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup fresh mint finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add a drained fruit cocktail. Top with additional diced fruits including kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, apple, peach, mandarins and mango.
- Top with lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. If you are using it you may also add the honey, fresh mint and vanilla extract here.
- Toss to combine. Serve fresh or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
Tonia says
I recently made this fruit salad for an office party ( I paired it with some grain free cinnamon sugar chips) and it was a huge hit! It's super simple to make and very refreshing as a summer treat!
Rasha says
this was very refreshing and tasty. very easy to make too.
Ashley B says
Loved this recipe! It was a perfect side to my breakfast or lunch! Easily stored and stayed fresh for the work week! Kids loved it too! Will absolutely make again! 😀
Nicole Addison says
the ULTIMATE fruit salad (and perfect for an easy meal prep)!! I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!!