Easy Fruit Salad
Updated Aug 25, 2023
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I’m going to show you how to turn a rainbow of tropical fruits into the best fruit salad with creamy honey yogurt dressing and mint! For years, this creamy fruit salad has been my go-to for brunches, barbecues, lunches, picnics, and more. It’s easy to customize and perfect for any occasion that calls for a fresh, colorful side dish.
My Favorite Tropical Fruit Salad with Honey Yogurt Dressing
This fresh and tropical fruit salad includes mango, pineapple, kiwi, grapes, and sweet oranges, all tossed with a delicious and creamy homemade yogurt dressing. As much as I love my Moscato fruit salad recipe and classics like a Waldorf salad or Ambrosia salad, today’s creamy fruit salad recipe has been my go-to for years. It’s truly the best fruit salad that everyone can enjoy.
Why Make This Creamy Fruit Salad Recipe?
- Cool and creamy. The honey yogurt dressing is light and sweet, balanced with a touch of fresh orange zest and vanilla. It melds perfectly with the tropical fruit, making this salad a refreshing side dish no matter where, when, or how you serve it.
- Minimal prep. An easy and creamy make-ahead fruit salad is perfect for last-minute gatherings, meal prep, and special occasions.
- Adaptable times infinity. Best of all, a fruit salad is the type of dish that you can really make your own. Adapt the ingredients to any fruit in season at your grocery store or farmer’s market! Instead of a tropical theme, include melon and berries, like my original easy fruit salad. Or, make a Waldorf-style salad with apples, or a winter fruit salad with lots of fresh citrus. The creamy yogurt dressing goes with EVERYTHING.
What You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients I use in my creamy fruit salad recipe. See the recipe card for the complete list, including ingredient measurements.
- Oranges – I like sweet navel oranges (the sweeter, the better), but you can use any kind you’d like, such as mandarin oranges, clementines, and blood oranges. Peel and slice the oranges into wedges.
- Mango – Peeled and cut into cubes. You can use frozen mango in this salad; just be sure to thaw it fully. Consider patting the chunks dry with paper towels if they seem a bit watery after thawing.
- Kiwi – Peeled and sliced.
- Grapes – Try to use seedless grapes if you can and slice them in half. Red, green, any color works.
- Pineapple – Cold and cut into chunks. If you’re using canned pineapple, drain it well.
- Fresh Mint – For garnish, and I love the burst of freshness it adds to the salad.
For the Honey Yogurt Dressing
- Yogurt – This can be plain, Greek, or vanilla yogurt. I use non-fat.
- Honey – Maple syrup or brown sugar would make a good substitute with a slightly different flavor profile.
- Orange Zest – You could also use a splash of orange juice instead.
- Vanilla Extract – Pure vanilla extract adds depth of flavor and subtle warmth to the dressing. You can skip it or try another flavor, like lemon or orange extract, if you’d like.
Tips For the Best Fruit Salad
- Look for the right ripeness. I like to use fruits that are ripe but not overripe. Overripe fruits can be mushy and overly sweet, which offsets the balance of flavor and texture in the salad.
- Mix the dressing in advance. The honey yogurt dressing can be prepared a few days in advance, making your salad assembly a breeze later on.
- Serve it fresh. While the dressing stores well, once dressed, the creamy fruit salad is best enjoyed fresh. The fruit releases more juice the longer it sits.
- Chill the salad ingredients. This salad tastes best when the ingredients are chilled. Aim to use cold ingredients, or chill the finished salad for about two hours in the fridge before serving.
- Avoid excess liquid. If you notice the fruit has released some of its juice, drain the bowl before adding the dressing. This helps prevent the fruit salad from becoming too watery.
Variations
While this salad combines tropical fruits, feel free to substitute or add fruits based on seasonality and preference. These are some easy variation ideas for this creamy fruit salad:
- Fruit options. Change up the fruit with fresh strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries, melon (cantaloupe and honeydew), pears, and pomegranate seeds.
- Apples and bananas. If you’re using quick-browning fruit like apples or bananas, I suggest leaving them out until it’s time to serve. Or, toss the slices in a little lemon juice to coat, which helps slow the browning process.
- Add some crunch. Sprinkle the salad with granola, chopped walnuts, pecans, or toasted coconut flakes just before serving.
What to Serve With a Creamy Fruit Salad
Whether it is for a holiday crowd, potluck side dish, or a Mother’s Day brunch, this is the perfect fresh fruit salad to share with family and friends! These are some of my favorite ways to serve it.
- Brunch favorites: Serve this as a sweet side to savory brunch dishes like quiche muffins, crispy bacon, or a breakfast casserole.
- Pancakes and waffles: Serve as a fresh side dish with a stack of fluffy homemade buttermilk pancakes or protein waffles. Or, heap the fruit salad right on top of a German pancake!
- Grilled dishes: A cool, creamy fruit salad tastes extra refreshing with grilled meats, like grilled chicken, especially during summer barbecues.
- For dessert: Pair your fruit salad with a scoop of vanilla or coconut ice cream, or a dollop of whipped cream.
Turn Leftovers Into a Fruit Smoothie
Add leftovers of this creamy fruit salad to the blender with a splash of almond milk, extra honey, and ice to make a delicious tropical fruit smoothie!
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Creamy Fruit Salad
Ingredients
For The Honey Orange Yogurt Dressing
- 6 ounces nonfat vanilla yogurt
- 1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For The Fruits
- 3 chilled sweet navel oranges, peeled, sliced and slices cut in half
- 2 chilled mangoes, peeled, cubed
- 4 chilled kiwis, peeled, sliced
- 2 cups chilled seedless red grapes, halved
- 1 chilled pineapple, cut into bite-size chunks
- Fresh mint leaves, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
For the Dressing
- Mix. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, honey, orange zest, and vanilla, and whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Taste for sweetness and flavor; adjust accordingly.
- Chill. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days. Stir before using.
Assemble the Salad
- Combine the ingredients. Arrange the fruits in a large serving bowl. Pour the prepared yogurt dressing over the fruits and gently stir to combine.
- Enjoy! Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve.
Notes
- Ripeness: Choose ripe fruits and avoid mushy ones. You can also change up the fruits and use whatever is in season or the ones you like.
- The dressing can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Serve it Fresh: Serve the fruit salad the same day to maintain texture and taste.
- Chill Time: The salad is best served after one to two hours in the fridge.
- Add Crunch: Top with granola or coconut flakes.
- Limit Liquid: Drain excess juice from the fruits before adding the dressing to the fruit to prevent a watery salad.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make This Creamy Fruit Salad
- Combine the fruit. Add sweet navel oranges to a large bowl with red grapes, pineapple chunks, diced mango, and sliced kiwis.
- Make the dressing. Next, combine vanilla yogurt, honey, orange zest, and vanilla. Pour this over the salad if you’re serving right away; otherwise, you can make the dressing up to 5 days in advance.
- Chill. Place the creamy fruit salad in the fridge to chill for up to 2 hours, then serve!
The recent trend to list recipes by “RECIPE #1…#2, etc. is quite annoying. Listing by NAME is so much easier so that we don’t have to open recipes that we are maybe allergic to, don’t like, etc. Please consider going back to listing recipes by name. Any reason for this change?
Cannot wait to try this looks delicious. Thanks for sharing.
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂