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!
In This Post
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
Donya's Top Ten Summer Recipes!
Steal my favorites for a done-for-you menu that packs in the flavor
I was told to bring fruit salad for an open house of about 40 people, so I doubled the recipe, and substituted canned mandarins oranges for the cantaloupe. I made it the night before, and added the dressing just before I left several. There was way too much dressing. I had 3 cups left over.
I got seeral rave reviews on the salad, and when I left there there was one of the two big bowls still left. The hosts told me that they enjoyed the salad for 3-4 more days after the party.
If I ever make this fruit salad again, I will only make one batch and half the dressing called for so as not to waste any.
What do you consider a serving size?
About a cup.
~Donya
I added lime zest and juice from one large lime. Reduced the honey, since the fruit was already pretty sweet. It was Delicious!
As a Northerner, I made the fruit salad for a Independence Day party at a friend’s who grew up in the South. It was a hit! One of the young ladies who attended came up to me and asked me if I would make the salad for her wedding… and she isn’t even dating anyone yet! Will definitely make this again!
WOW! Now this is a great comment. Thank you so much for sharing and the great rating!
~Donya
Typically I use fresh fruit only…but curious about adding the OJ, honey, cinnamon. Do those items help extend the life of the chosen fruits…or are they purely for added flavor? Looks and sounds delicious!!
I made this for 80 people for a retirement party. Everyone loved it!
WOW! I am honored to be part of your celebration.
Thank, Janice.
~Donya
Yummy. Made for Memorial Day
What can I use as a substitute for the strawberries?
You can add whatever you like or just leave them out.
~Donya
What can I use instead of strawberries?
Any fruit that you like!
Enjoy,
~Donya
Can I do another fruit such as bananas or oranges instead of cantaloupe?
Use what ever you like.
Enjoy!
I don’t care for cantaloupe lope , so I substituted canned mandarin oranges. It was delicious.