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Fresh fruit tossed in a bright citrus dressing with just a hint of cinnamon is a great, easy-to-make dish when you’re feeding a crowd. It’s always one of the first dishes to go on my buffet table. Whether you’re hosting a holiday party, family reunion, block party, or tailgating, this fruit salad will be a fan favorite!
A couple of weeks ago, I had the honor of hosting my son’s drum line for dinner. It may seem a little daunting to have 28 hungry kids and their director over for dinner, but it’s actually quite easy, thanks to several easy recipes for feeding a crowd, especially this one!
On the menu was pasta with sauce, meatballs, garlic bread, cupcakes along with this fruit salad for a crowd!
I specifically wanted to make something fresh and full of flavor and knew my fruit salad was just what was needed. It’s a great mix of fruit (I always chose what goes in by what’s on sale) with a citrus dressing sweetened with honey. At the end of the meal, I think they agreed, since there were just two little grapes left in the pan.
Ingredients Needed To Make Fruit Salad For A Crowd
- Red Grapes
- Green Grapes
- Pineapple – cubed
- Cantaloupe – cubed
- Strawberries – washed with caps removed and sliced in quarters
- Blueberries
- Orange juice
- Honey
- Cinnamon
People Often Ask…
The beautiful thing about fruit salad is it’s super versatile, I always say you can just use what’s on hand. The ingredients in this recipe are my go-to fruit salad recommendations, but here are a couple other fruits you could include.
– Banana
– Peaches
– Raspberries
– Blackberries
– Honey Dew Melon
Tips For Making Fruit Salad For A Crowd
- When purchasing fruit, buy what is on sale. I always use grapes because they tend to be on sale and add volume to the salad. Plus, almost everyone likes grapes.
- Stay away from “odd” fruit. This salad is meant to feed a crowd, so you want the ingredients to be something that most people will like.
- Melons that are pre-cut can be found in the produce cooler section. I often buy what’s on sale and then cut into small pieces which will fill out my salad.
- Apples are a great addition to this salad. Make sure you place chopped apples into cool lemon water before adding to the salad to deter browning.
- Metal pans
– I buy several large ones at a time and keep them on hand until needed.
– I buy several large ones at a time and keep them on hand until needed.
As you can tell from this photo, this is a special group. They are the perfect mix of all things that are good and positive about high school. These young men and women encourage each other and build each other up. When they are together, there is NO judgment. They work hard at their craft, their studies and strive to be leaders in their communities. They have a wonderful leader in Chris, their director and he’s every parent’s dream when it comes to someone being involved in your child’s life.
So, here’s to the drumline – they are the best of the best. Also, here’s to the parents of these great kids who spend tireless hours volunteering for our school. As an added benefit, I get to make lots of new friends with the moms and dads. So, I guess you can tell, I love this group…they are my kind of people.
More Great Salad Recipes You’ll Love!
Ingredients
- 3 cups red seedless grapes
- 3 cups green seedless grapes
- 2 cups cubed pineapple
- 2 cups cubed cantaloupe
- 3 cups quartered strawberries – washed with caps removed
- 2 pints blueberries
- 1 and ½ cups orange juice
- ½ cup honey
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Wash grapes and blueberries. Set aside to drain.
- Place all fruit in a large tin foil baking pan and set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together orange juice, honey and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Pour dressing over fruit and gently toss with large spoon. Cover fruit with plastic wrap and place in fridge or cooler until ready to serve.
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This is a fabulous fruit salad for a crowd. We have a church brunch between services. This is just perfect. Thank you.
Thank you, Sue! I am so glad everyone liked the recipe and I appreciate the outstanding rating.
~Donya
Made it for my Church Thanksgiving Gathering. It was gone in a flash. Everyone loved it.
Hey there Donna!
Wow! I am so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed this recipe, I bet this made a wonderful addition to a Thanksgiving Celebration! Thank you so much for your kind words of support and your phenomenal rating, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays!
~Donya
Delicious! Fed 32 people as a side dish, got many wonderful comments.
Hey there Heather!
Wow! I am thrilled to hear that everyone enjoyed this recipe, I can’t believe it ended up feeding 32 people, that’s amazing! Thank you so much for your kind, thoughtful words and your phenomenal rating, I really appreciate your support!
~Donya
Can you use maple syrup instead of honey ? Will it taste the same ?
Hey there Sharon!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a great question! You can absolutely substitute maple syrup for honey in this fruit salad, I would just use the same measurements. The flavor will be slightly different, it’ll have more of a mapley after taste but it’s still totally delicious, I use maple syrup any time I don’t have honey and it always turns out well! I hope this is helpful, let me know how the recipe turns out, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
~Donya
I was wondering what would be the best fruit to substitute for the Melon. They aren’t in season right now and can’t find frozen. Wanting to make for Easter breakfast for a crowd.
Hey there Lisa!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, it’ll be perfect for Easter Brunch! One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it’s super flexible, if one of the fruits isn’t in season you can really just leave it out of the recipe since there’s a variety already. If you wanted to add another fruit in, I would recommend bananas, or you could just double the portion of pineapple, grapes, or strawberries, it’s completely up to you. I hope this helps, let me know how the recipe turns out! Enjoy!
~Donya
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.
Hey there Monica!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe and for your phenomenal rating, this fruit salad is a perfect dish to make for kids. It’s a super easy to make dish that’s full of fresh flavors. Thank you so much for your support, if you have any other questions about a recipe please don’t hesitate to ask! I hope you have a great Labor Day!
~Donya
I made this for a HOT South Florida picnic (the recipe for 20). Everything was organic, down to the OJ and honey. Although it wasn’t much of a hit, I brought a substantial amount home. I’ve tweaked the recipe somewhat and will DEFINITELY make this again, even if it’s just for my personal use. (I LOOOOVE IT!!). Marinate the fruit for 11-12 hours (four just didn’t do it for me). THEN, freeze everything (including the juice) in individual portions. This is a very refreshing (and healthy!) treat once everything is frozen. (It sure goes a long way when you’re living in 90 degree South Florida summers). Highly recommended!
Hey there Melanie!
Thank you so much for this sweet comment, and your fantastic rating! I am thrilled you enjoyed this recipe. I completely agree with you, it’s a very refreshing treat, which sounds just about perfect for this hot summer that’s starting. Thank you so much for your kind words of support!
~Donya
Can I add whip cream?
Hey there Crystal!
Yeah absolutely! If you like whipped cream with your fruit salad, I think that would be a delicious addition, I hope you enjoy!
~Donya
can this be mad in a big bowl or does it have to be an aluminin pan?
Hey Janice.
You can use a glass, plastic or whatever kind of bowl you have. I used the metal pan for easy transport and clean up.
Enjoy!
I am going to try this recipe for a baby shower the end of the month. I need to make it the night before. I will put all the fruit in their own containers. I am thinking I will add some apples the morning of if I think I need a bigger salad. This recipe looks much easier than some other fruit salad recipes I have found. Looking forward to trying it out. It gets a new name.. The Hungry, hungry Caterpillar Fruit Salad. The shower is a children’s book theme. My daughter is the one expecting and she and I love books! We need to start the Wee One out with a book themed shower! Never to early to foster reading! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Does the cinnamon give it more a sweet, dessert-like taste? I’m doubling this and making this for a bridal shower tomorrow… was thinking about doing it as listed, but leaving the cinnamon out.
Hey Lindsey!
The cinnamon adds a warm, lovely flavor. It does NOT make it dessert-like. You can leave it out but I think the cinnamon is what makes this fruit salad special. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
~Donya
Hi! I’ll be making this fruit salad for my son’s wedding reception in a few weeks. What size is the pan you used for this quantity as stated in the recipe? Is it a 9×13 (cake pan) sized pan? Or a half-steamer table size? or full steamer table size? I’m just trying to figure out how many of what size pans I’ll need to make this five times over! Thanks 🙂
Wow, Jenny! I’m honored you’ll be using one of my recipes. I use the half-steamer table size. I get mine at Costco. I hope this helps. I’d love for you to send me pictures if you have time. Best wishes and congratulations to the bride and groom!
XO,
~Donya
Thanks, Donya, for your quick reply! I will try to get a photo to share. I made a small sample of the dressing last night, and loved it. Looking forward to sharing this with our crowd ?
I would like to make the fruit salad for a crowd but don’t want to use cinnamon. Can I just use the orange juice and honey alone for the dressing or maybe add a bit of chopped fresh mint?
Sure, you can leave the cinnamon out. Adding mint is a great idea!
XO,
~Donya
Hi! I am making this for Staff Appreciation luncheon on Tuesday (today is Saturday) for 100 staff members. Is it too early to put it together you think if I did it today and stored in the fridge? Should I buy all the stuff today and then put it together on Sunday night? It would be served on Tuesday at lunch. Let me know what you think! I’m shopping today! Thank you!
Angel in Northern CA
Hey, Angel. Ok, here’s what I would do – cut up all the fruit and keep it in their own containers or zip top bags. Make the dressing and keep it in a mason jar or sealed container. Keep all in the fridge. On Monday night, put the fruit in your large metal (or whatever container) and store in fridge. Tuesday morning, pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss with fruit. Right before serving, toss again.
Angel, I am honored that you are serving this recipe! Please tell the staff – congratulations, from A Southern Soul, on whatever you all are celebrating!
Let me know if you have other questions.
Have a wonderful party, Angel,
XO,
~Donya