Creamy Fruit Salad

Indulge in our delightfully creamy fruit salad, a refreshing blend of juicy fruits, and a luscious creamy lemon dressing. Perfect for BBQs, potlucks, or family supper!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword fruit salad recipes

Prep Time 45

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 423kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

Dressing:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salad

4 apples, cut into 3/8 inch cubes
water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups strawberries, cut in half or quartered depending on the size
4 cups grapes, cut in half
2 cups blackberries left whole
2 cups blueberries left whole
1 (10-ounce) can mandarin oranges, left whole, very well drained
1 cup pecans toasted and chopped
1 cup shredded coconut toasted
2 tablespoons fresh mint, slivered

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese (8 ounces), sugar (2/3 cup), vanilla (2 teaspoons), and lemon zest (1 tablespoon) until the mixture is light and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat the cream (1 1/2 cups) and lemon juice (3 tablespoons) until the mixture is frothy. Continue beating on medium-high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Fold half of the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream mixture. The dressing will be pretty thick.
Fill a bowl of water large enough to accommodate the chopped apples. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and stir to combine. Add apples then, continue to prep the rest of the fruit, letting the apples sit for about 10 minutes. Drain well! (excess moisture can dilute the dressing too much.
Add fruit, toasted coconut (1 cup), and pecans (1 cup) to a large bowl. Pour dressing over top. Gently toss until the fruit is evenly coated. Sprinkle the slivered mint (2 tablespoons) over the salad. Serve immediately.

Notes

No Chill Time: Another thing I love about this recipe is that it doesn't require or suggest chilling this salad before serving! It's best served immediately after tossing. I start with cold food and dressing ingredients (except the cream cheese) so the salad is cool.
When Choosing Your Fruit: Look for ripe fruit, not overly ripe, and in season for the best flavor.
Cutting: Cut the fruit uniformly for a more appealing presentation. Bite-sized pieces are best.
Dry Fruit Well: The dressing will be pretty thick before it's added to the fruit. When it's added to the fruit, it will thin out quickly, so it easily coats the fruit. It's essential to dry the fruit thoroughly after washing to prevent excess moisture, which can dilute the dressing too much.
Be Gentle: When tossing the dressing with the fruit, use a gentle folding motion to avoid breaking the fruit pieces.
Fun Mix-Ins: This salad is delicious with mini marshmallows added!
Switch The Nuts: Pecans are a family favorite, but sliced or slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, pistachios, or macadamia nuts work wonderfully!
Put A Cherry On Top: I really like maraschino cherries! They're fabulous in this salad. If I add them, I rinse them a few times, then dry them. With all the info circulating in our country now about food die, I'm shying away from these.
Canned Fruit: For a shortcut, you can use canned fruit cocktail, pineapple chunks, or pineapple tidbits to replace some of the fresh fruit. Drain it well and dry off excess moisture by laying the fruit out on a thick layer of paper towels.

Nutrition