Take advantage of all the fruits summer has to offer and make The Best Fruit Salad, a bright, delicious mix of sweet fruit with pops of mint!

Cooling and lightly sweet, The Best Fruit Salad is simple to make and really showcases all the best fruit of summer. Cube, peel and dice up all of your summer fruit faves and dress them in a sweetened mint and citrus dressing for a side dish the family will love all summer long.

the best fruit salad in a serving bow with wooden spoons with recipe name at the bottom

Fruit Explosion

I can’t be the only one who hears the words fruit salad and automatically thinks of the Wiggles, right? Their song, Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy? Anyone? Well, even if you don’t know it, we all know that yes, fruit salad is indeed very yummy! Refreshing and sweet, it’s the perfect side or dessert throughout the long summer days and a great way to get more fruit into our meals.

I was a little hesitant about the mint when I first made it because mint can be a little overpowering at times, but I found this addition to be amazing and made this fruit salad extra cooling. The whole family loves how we can make this super basic, with just a few fruits, or go full-on kitchen sink, where we throw in everything we absolutely love. Simple or extravagant, the choice is yours with this beautiful fruit salad.

Other Recipes to Serve with The Best Fruit Salad

Keep the fresh summer flavors going with a tall pitcher of Summer Punch! This punch has sweet fruit and your favorite white wine and champagne, so it’s perfect for sipping all day long.
Whip up an appetizer with some creamy and savory flavors, while still enjoying all that fruit, with Fruit Goat Cheese Bruschetta. You’re heading for a sweet day on the patio with all these ideas!

Ingredients

Fruit: While you can choose any fruits you like, think about the combinations you most enjoy and build from there. Some ideas are strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, oranges, and grapefruit.

Herbs: Fresh mint really brings a lot to this fruit fest so buy enough for the dressing and to sprinkle on the salad.

Sugar: A little bit of brown sugar, added to the dressing, brings out a lot of sweetness from the fruits and mint.

Juice: Orange juice is needed for the dressing, which can be freshly squeezed or from pre-made juice.

How to Make The Best Fruit Salad

STEP ONE: Prepare all of the fruit by peeling, cubing, or slicing as directed.

sliced and chopped fruit on a cutting baord

STEP TWO: Add the fruit to a large bowl as well as most of the chopped mint, but save a few tablespoons for the dressing.

fruit arranged in a mixing bowl with mint on top

STEP TWO: To make the dressing, add the orange juice, brown sugar, and the remaining mint to a blender or food processor. Blend the dressing until it is smooth. You’ll want to refrigerate the dressing if you’re not serving the salad immediately.

fruit salad dressing ingredients in a blender

STEP THREE: When you are ready to serve up the salad, pour enough dressing to cover the fruit to your liking and then toss gently until everything is well coated. Then sprinkle some chopped mint and a little bit of brown sugar over the top of the salad for garnish.

citrus brown sugar dressing being poured over fruit salad

Tips for Success

Use all of the fruits you love in this salad but think about what fruits you love together and which ones you don’t. Banana can be kind of picky when it comes to pairing and doesn’t always taste great with grapefruit, for example, but is so delicious with oranges. On the other hand, tossing in a handful of pomegranate seeds would taste amazing with all those berries! Go with what you like!
Due to the texture of defrosted fruit, it’s not a good idea to use frozen fruit in this recipe so save the frozen stuff to make mouthwatering smoothies instead.
We all know how wilted fruit can get after a while so this is not a “make ahead” dish. The dressing would be fine to make the day before and then you can just focus on making The Best Fruit Salad the day you need it. Of course, leftovers will still be super good but the presentation will not be as vibrant as it was the day you made it.

close up of the best fruit salad recipe topped with chopped mint and brown sugar

What does fruit salad contain?

A typical fruit salad is usually a mix of berries, melons, grapes, and kiwi. The versatility of a fruit salad is one of the reasons it is not only popular, you do see some versions on most restaurant menus, but also a wonderful way to appreciate seasonal offerings. Berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries, are in season before melons like watermelon and honeydew are. Your fruit salad can show off beautiful berries at the start of summer and you can send summer off with a bowl full of melon bliss.

Is fruit salad healthy?

The key to everything is moderation but yes, fruit salad is healthy! The various fruits provide many vitamins and minerals that keep us healthy and this salad is a wonderful alternative to a sugar-laden dessert. The water in a lot of these fruits also helps us to stay hydrated, which is super important in the summer, and paired with the decent amount of fiber in a lot of fruits, keeps our systems running well.

bowl of the best fruit salad recipe with some on a serving spoon

Keep the summer fruit train rolling with these can’t miss ideas!

*This post was originally posted on 07/02/2018.