This fall fruit salad is made with fresh, crunchy and colorful fall fruits tossed in an vibrant citrus dressing. The combination of sweet fall fruits adds a beautiful pop of color and is a refreshing addition served alongside hearty fall dishes. It’s simple to make and is the perfect refreshing salad for fall meals, family gatherings or as an easy Thanksgiving side dish.
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Why Make This Recipe
Fresh, flavorful and easy to throw together, a refreshing fruit dip or salad can transform any meal. My Strawberry Salsa and Peach Salsa are a couple of fresh fruit recipes I love for spring and summer. This fall fruit salad recipe is another one I know you will love.
- Layers of flavors and textures. From the bright and tart kiwi and orange slices to the fresh and sweet blackberries, grapes, pears, apples and pomegranate seeds mixed with crunchy nuts all covered in a vibrant maple orange dressing, this Thanksgiving fruit salad will delight your tastebuds.
- Easy to make and bake. Simply dice, toss and enjoy. This fall salad comes together in a few minutes with a handful of fresh ingredients and is so easy to customize.
- Perfect for fall meals. Mix up a bowl of your favorite fall fruits, add a handful of toasted nuts, top with a bright and fresh citrus dressing for the perfect fall side dish or as a simple Thanksgiving salad to balance out the heavier dishes of the meal.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This light and fresh salad with fall fruit requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need and substitutions if you are missing an ingredient.
- Grapes: Use fresh, in season grapes you like. Make sure the grapes are sweet and ripe, but still firm.
- Blackberries: If you can find great tasting blackberries where you like when you make this salad, toss some in the bowl. If not, add more apples, grapes or pears.
- Apples and Pears: Feel free to use all pears or all apples. Make sure the apples and pears are ripe, fresh and firm without bruising.
- Kiwi, Oranges and Pomegrantate: These are fun fruit additions and add complementary colors to the salad. If you prefer, use another type of kiwi or simply omit and add more of another fruit you like. Any type of orange works well. If you prefer to skip pomegranate seeds, an easy swap is raspberries for the flavor. Just make sure the berries are firm and only add right before serving to prevent them from getting mushy.
- Pecans: If you like nuts with fruit, I recommend adding toasted and chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds. If you prefer, you can omit or add more pomegranate seeds.
- Maple Syrup: Use honey in place of maple syrup.
- Orange: This is the preferred citrus for the other ingredients. Lemon or lime would also work, but the dressing will be more tart and less sweet.
When to Make Fall Fruit Salad for Thanksgiving
The Day Before Thanksgiving:
- Wash and thoroughly dry all the fruit.
- Prepare the fruit that holds up well after cutting.
- Slice apples and pears, if using, and toss them with lemon water to help prevent browning.
- Drain and pat the treated fruit dry.
- Store prepared fruit in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- Prepare any dressing separately, if your recipe includes one.
Thanksgiving Morning:
- Combine the prepared fruit and any dressing.
- Gently toss everything together.
- Taste and adjust if needed.
- Keep the salad covered and refrigerated until serving.
Just Before Serving:
- Give the fruit salad a gentle toss.
- Add any delicate fruit or crunchy toppings that you've reserved.
- Transfer to a pretty serving bowl and enjoy!
My recommendation: For the freshest flavor and best texture, prepare the fruit the day before and assemble the salad on Thanksgiving morning. Keep it refrigerated at 40°F or below until ready to serve. Don't leave it sitting out for more than 2 hours.
How To Make
Learn how to make fall fruit salad in a few easy steps.
- Prepare the fruit. If you are using pears or apples, wash, core and dice the fruit into about ½ inch pieces. Add the diced apples or pears to a large bowl filled with 4 - 5 cups water mixed with 1 teaspoon salt. Soak the apples and/or pears in the water for about 5 minutes. Drain the fruit and pat dry with paper towels. Soaking the apples and pears in the salt water mixture will help prevent browning. Wash, cut and pat dry the remaining fruits suggested in the recipe. Whatever fruit you are using, ensure that all the pieces are around the same size. Add the fruit and any nuts to a large salad or mixing bowl. There is no need to mix yet. Cover the salad with a lid or plastic wrap. Transfer the fruit salad to the fridge to chill until serving time.
- In a small bowl or mixing cup, whisk the freshly squeezed orange juice with maple syrup or honey and ground cinnamon. Wait to top and mix the dressing with the fruit salad until a few minutes before serving.
- When it is time to serve the fall salad, pour the prepared dressing over the fruit. Gently mix all the fruit in the dressing until well combined.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store: Store fruit salad in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 - 3 days. Although, this fruit salad is is best enjoyed within 1 day of being made.
- Freeze and Thaw: I do not recommend freezing and thawing the fruit salad. The texture of changes so much from the texture when the fruit is prepared fresh.
M’s Expert Tips
- Use fresh, ripe and in season fruit. The beauty of this fall fruit salad is using all the fruit you love that is ripe and ready to enjoy in the fall. I aim to get around 5 - 7 different types of fruit if possible. Vary the texture, sweetness and tartness of the fruits for the best salad. For example, add apples, grapes and pomegranate seeds for sweet and tart crunch. Kiwi, oranges and berries add sweet and slightly softer textures.
- Add other ingredients you like. If you prefer to add or take away any of the other ingredients, feel free to do so.
- Cut fruit into similar-sized piece. Cutting the fruit into bite-sized pieces makes the salad easier to serve and ensures you get a little of everything in each bite.
- Add delicate fruit last. If your recipe includes softer fruit, gently fold it in toward the end to help prevent it from breaking apart.
- Prevent browning for the apples or pears. Fill a a large bowl with about 4 - 5 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the cut apples or pears to the water. Soak the apples or pears in the water for about 5 minutes. Drain and dry the cut fruit on a paper towel. Then use in the salad.
- Taste as you go. Make the recipe as directed and then taste. Need more acidity, add more orange juice or even a bit of lemon or lime.
- Chill before serving. Refrigerating the fruit salad before serving allows the flavors to come together and makes it especially refreshing.
- Serve in a pretty bowl. A clear glass bowl or a favorite serving dish makes the beautiful colors of the fruit stand out, especially on a Thanksgiving table.
FAQs
Can I make Fall Fruit Salad ahead of time?
You can prepare much of the fruit ahead of time to make serving easier. For the freshest appearance and best texture, I recommend combining everything closer to serving time. Keep the prepared fruit covered and refrigerated in separate, airtight containers until ready to assemble.
How do you keep fruit salad from turning brown?
Soak the apples or pears in a salt water mixture for a few minutes to prevent them from browning.
Can I use frozen fruit in fruit salad?
Fresh fruit is generally best for this recipe because it holds its shape and provides a better texture. Frozen fruit tends to become softer and release extra liquid as it thaws.
How do I keep fruit salad fresh when serving it at a gathering?
Keep the fruit salad refrigerated until serving time. If you're serving it at a gathering, place the serving bowl over a larger bowl of ice to help keep it chilled. Refrigerate leftovers promptly.
Other Thanksgiving Side Recipes to Try
If you try this Fall Fruit Salad recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
Fall Fruit Salad Recipe
This refreshing fall fruit salad is a delicious addition to casual family meals, fall gatherings, or your Thanksgiving dinner table. Naturally sweet, simple to prepare, and full of fresh flavor, it's a lovely way to add something light and refreshing to your fall meals.
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
Ingredients
Fruit Salad
- 1 large apple (like Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, Kanzi)
- 1 - 2 pears
- 3 cups blackberries
- 3 cups seedless grapes
- 1 large orange or 8 oz. canned mandarin oranges
- 1 - 2 kiwis
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup toasted, chopped pecans
Oraneg Maple Dressing
- ¼ - ⅓ cup (60 - 80 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 - 4 tablespoons (30 - 60 ml) maple syrup or honey
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare the fruit. If you are using pears or apples, wash, core and dice the fruit into about ½ inch pieces. Add the diced apples or pears to a large bowl filled with 4 - 5 cups water mixed with 1 teaspoon salt. Soak the apples and/or pears in the water for about 5 minutes. Drain the fruit and pat dry with paper towels. Soaking the apples and pears in the salt water mixture will help prevent browning.1 - 2 pears, 1 large apple
- Wash, cut and pat dry the remaining fruits suggested in the recipe. Whatever fruit you are using, ensure that all the pieces are around the same size. Add the fruit and any nuts to a large salad or mixing bowl. There is no need to mix yet. Cover the salad with a lid or plastic wrap. Transfer the fruit salad to the fridge to chill until serving time.3 cups blackberries , 3 cups seedless grapes, 1 large orange , 1 - 2 kiwis , ½ cup pomegranate seeds, ½ cup toasted, chopped pecans
- In a small bowl or mixing cup, whisk the freshly squeezed orange juice with maple syrup or honey and ground cinnamon. Wait to top and mix the dressing with the fruit salad until a few minutes before serving.¼ - ⅓ cup (60 - 80 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice , 2 - 4 tablespoons (30 - 60 ml) maple syrup or honey, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- When it is time to serve the fall salad, pour the prepared dressing over the fruit. Gently mix all the fruit in the dressing until well combined.
Notes
Store: Store fruit salad in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 - 3 days. Although, this fruit salad is is best enjoyed within 1 day of being made.
Tip: Make this salad using the fruits you love. Aim to have around 3 - 5 different colors or textures of fruit for a total of 9 cups fruit. Add 1 cup crunchy items like pomegranate seeds and/or toasted chopped nuts. Choose your favorite seasonal citrus and mix with honey or maple syrup. Taste and adjust as needed.
Troubleshooting Your Fall Fruit Salad
- My fruit salad is getting watery. What happened? Some fruits naturally release juice after being cut, especially when they sit for several hours. Drain any excess liquid before serving and avoid cutting very juicy fruits too far in advance.
- My apples and pears are turning brown. How can I prevent this? Toss sliced apples and pears in the suggested salt water mixture. Let them sit for a few minutes, then drain and gently pat dry before adding them to the salad. This helps slow browning and keeps the fruit looking fresh.
- My fruit salad is becoming mushy. How can I prevent this? Start with fruit that is ripe but still firm. Avoid overmixing, and gently fold everything together rather than stirring vigorously. If making it ahead, consider adding softer fruits closer to serving time.
- My fruit salad tastes too tart. How can I fix it? If your fruit is naturally tart, try adding a little more of the sweeter fruit included in your recipe. You can also adjust any dressing slightly. Taste as you go so the flavors remain balanced.
- My fruit salad looks dull instead of colorful. What can I do? Use a variety of colorful fruits and avoid overmixing. Gently tossing the ingredients helps preserve their shape and keeps the salad looking fresh and inviting.
- Can I fix fruit salad that has been left out too long? Unfortunately, no. If cut fruit has been left at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour when temperatures exceed 90°F), it should be discarded for food safety. Refrigerate leftovers promptly.
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