Fruit Salad for A Crowd is a fresh, delicious, easy-to-make-ahead recipe that can feed a crowd without breaking the bank. Whether you’re hosting a party, family reunion, block party, or holiday celebration, everyone will love this budget-friendly fruit salad recipe!
If you need more recipes to serve lots of people, try my Salad for A Crowd and Macaroni Salad for A Crowd!
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Reader Comment:
THIS salad is amazing! We made 4 batches for my son’s wedding reception. People could not stop eating this! I’m actually making it again this weekend for Memorial Day picnic. (TWO weekends in a row! AND the honeymooners will have returned!) Thanks for this great recipe.
Carole
There’s almost nothing I love more than feeding hungry people. Recently, I hosted my son’s high school drumline for dinner, and you know they came hungry. Even though feeding 28 kids and their director seemed like a big task, I knew I could handle it.
It took some strategic thinking, but I devised a recipe I felt would be a winner. After those kids took one piece of favorite fruit tossed in a bright, sweet dressing, they were all smiles, and so was I.
Why This Fresh Fruit Salad Is So Special?
- It makes serving a large number of people a breeze! Even if you are not serving it to a crowd, it makes a great recipe for meal prep.
- It’s fresh, flavorful, and totally customizable. I use whatever seasonal fruit is the most inexpensive and readily available.
- The tangy citrus dressing elevates this salad from ordinary to great.
How To Pick Ripe Fruit
- Pineapple: Look for a sweet aroma at the base of the fruit. The color should be golden-yellow; if it’s mostly green, it likely needs more time to ripen.
- Mango: Ripe mangoes have a slight give when gently squeezed and will often exhibit a rich, fragrant smell.
- Peaches and Nectarines: When gently squeezed, these should feel slightly soft, and you should detect a sweet fragrance. A greenish hue indicates they are not yet ripe.
- Bananas: Look for bananas with a bright yellow color, ideally with some brown spots. Ultimately green bananas will need a few days to ripen.
- Kiwi: A ripe kiwi will yield slightly to pressure when gently squeezed. It should have a slightly fragrant smell as well.
- Apples and Pears: Apples should be firm and vibrantly colored, while pears should yield to gentle pressure near the stem when ripe.
What Goes Into Making A Salad For A Crowd
- Fruit – I use a combination of red and green seedless grapes, pineapple chunks, cantaloupe, strawberries, and blueberries.
- The dressing – You’ll need orange juice, honey, and cinnamon.
Variations And Additions
For the fruit:
- Honeydew, watermelon, and mandarin oranges.
- Pineapple, mango, banana, and peaches.
- Apples, bananas, blackberries, raspberries.
For the dressing:
- Add lime juice and lime zest for a citrusy kick.
- Fresh mint or parsley for a touch of herb flavor.
- Maple syrup or brown sugar in place of honey.
How to Make A Salad With Mixed Fruit
- Wash and prep the variety of fruit, then place in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the orange juice, honey, and cinnamon to a medium-sized mixing bowl or cup.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Pour the dressing over the fruit and toss. Let it chill until ready to serve.
Donya’s Tips For Making The Best Fruit Salad Recipe
- Choose fruit in season and on sale at your local grocery store for an economical salad to feed a crowd. You can also use frozen fruit for easy, budget-friendly ingredients.
- Cut your fruit into bite-sized pieces for easy eating and mixing.
- Chill your fruit salad before serving to keep it fresh.
- Choose firm, fruit with a pleasant aroma and bright color.
Can This Mixed Fruit Salad Be Made Ahead Of Time?
To make it the day before: Assemble the salad with the dressing and chill it in the fridge overnight. Toss before serving, as some of the dressing will have settled.
To make it up to 4 days in advance: For this far out, I recommend storing the chopped fruit in their own containers or plastic bags (separated by type of fruit). Store the dressing in a mason jar and the fruit in the fridge for up to 4 days. Then, assemble it all the night before. This keeps the fruit from getting soggy.
Commonly Asked Fruit Salad Questions
Yes! Just make sure to thaw the fruit first and drain any excess liquid.
I prefer to use half-steamer-size aluminum containers for easy clean-up. But any large glass bowl, casserole dish, or similar will work!
Drain any excess liquid from the fruit and keep the salad chilled until serving time.
Aim to make about ½ to ¾ cups of fruit salad per person.
Yes, you can. Canned fruits like pineapple, peaches, and pears are readily available and provide a consistent sweetness that pairs beautifully with fresh ingredients.
What To Serve With Fruit Salad
- A dip like this fruit dip or chocolate dip is delicious alongside a classic fruit salad. It’s also great with yogurt or whipped cream.
- If you are serving this at a summer cookout or party, it’s great with grilled pork tenderloin or BBQ chicken.
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 and prep the fruit, then place in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the orange juice, honey, and cinnamon to a medium-sized mixing bowl or cup, then whisk together.
- Pour the dressing over the fruit and toss.
- Cover and place in the fridge to chill before serving.
Video
Notes
- To make it the day before: Assemble the salad with the dressing and chill it in the fridge overnight. Drain any excess liquid from the fruit right before serving – not too much, though; we still want the dressing!
- To make it up to 4 days in advance: For this far out, I recommend storing the chopped fruit in their own containers or plastic bags (separated by type of fruit). Store the dressing in a mason jar and the fruit in the fridge for up to 4 days. Then, assemble it all the night before. This keeps the fruit from getting soggy.
- Honeydew, watermelon, and mandarin oranges.
- Pineapple, mango, banana, and peaches.
- Apples, bananas, blackberries, raspberries.
- Add lime juice and lime zest for a citrusy kick.
- Fresh mint or parsley for a touch of herb flavor.
- Maple syrup or brown sugar in place of honey.
Nutrition
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If I make this fruit salad the day before I need it, should I put the dressing on also OR wait until right before serving?
Hey Marsha, I would wait on the dressing. Some of the fruit can get a bit mushy.
Hope this helps! Thanks for stopping by.
~Donya
How about bananas?
Jane, you could use bananas but I would put them in the salad until the very end. Hope this helps!
~Donya
Is it ok to use frozen fruit?
Yes, Deneko. I would let the fruit thaw then maybe put it in a colander to drain for a bit. Use fruit that a little more firm like pineapple, mango and peaches. Probably not berries because they will get mushy. I hope this help!
XO,
~Donya
I don’t often cook for a crowd that big, so it is super helpful to have all the amounts worked out, like you did here. Thanks!
This will surey become a hit!
This is a perfect healthy party dish! I’d serve it for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
The addition of the cinnamon is a great touch. I imagine it’s great for autumn.
Orange juice or concentrate? TIA
Hey Angela, make it as written, with regular orange juice. Hope you like it!
XO,
~Donya
This is a great salad! I’m making for my son who is a tuba player in his marching band! They will love this! They always love when I bring fruit mix to their competitions and this is going to be the extra sweetness they will love! Thank you ma’am for posting ur fruit salad!
Hey Deana! This is the best comment EVER! I am so sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I’m trying to squeeze out every second of summer and band camp is already gearing up. Tell you son to go get ’em and march strong! I hope you’ll let me know how they like the recipe.
XO,
~Donya
Would watermelon work in this fruit salad recipe?
Hey Julie, great question. I think watermelon would work great. Maybe cut it into someone larger pieces so that it doesn’t get too mushy with the other fruit. Let me know how it turns out.
XO,
~Donya