Description
This vibrant Christmas Fruit Salad features jewel-toned fruits in festive red, green, and white colors, tossed in a honey-lime dressing that keeps everything fresh. Ready in 20 minutes and perfect for holiday gatherings!
Ingredients
**For the Fruit Base:**
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup pomegranate arils (seeds from 1 large pomegranate)
1 cup red grapes, halved
1 cup green grapes, halved
3 kiwis, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 large green apple, cored and cubed
2 bananas, sliced (add just before serving)
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup mandarin orange segments (or 2 fresh oranges, segmented)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
**For the Honey-Lime Dressing:**
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon lime zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Pinch of salt
**For Garnish:**
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
Fresh mint leaves
Extra pomegranate arils
Instructions
1. Wash all fruits thoroughly under cold water and pat dry with clean towels.
2. Hull strawberries and slice into uniform pieces. Halve grapes. Cut pineapple into bite-sized chunks.
3. To seed pomegranate: cut in half crosswise, hold cut-side down over bowl of water, tap firmly with wooden spoon. Arils sink, pith floats. Drain and remove pith.
4. Peel kiwis by cutting off both ends and slicing down the sides to remove skin. Slice into rounds.
5. Core and cube apple into bite-sized pieces.
6. Segment oranges by cutting off peel and pith, then slicing between membranes to release segments.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together honey, lime juice, lime zest, vanilla extract if using, and pinch of salt until smooth and well combined.
8. Add fruits to large serving bowl in layers: start with firmer fruits (apples, grapes, pineapple), add medium-soft fruits (kiwi, oranges), top with delicate fruits (strawberries, pomegranate, blueberries). Do not add bananas yet.
9. Drizzle honey-lime dressing over layered fruits.
10. Using large spoon or salad servers, gently fold and toss fruits to coat evenly with dressing using gentle folding motion to prevent bruising.
11. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours to allow flavors to meld.
12. Just before serving, slice bananas and gently fold into salad.
13. Arrange reserved beautiful fruit pieces on top for garnish. Sprinkle with coconut flakes and tuck mint leaves around edges.
14. Serve chilled and enjoy your festive Christmas Fruit Salad!
Notes
Ensure all washed fruit is thoroughly dried before cutting to prevent watery salad.
The honey-lime dressing prevents browning of cut fruits—toss apple pieces immediately with dressing.
Add bananas just before serving to prevent browning.
Prepare all fruit components except bananas up to 24 hours ahead and store separately refrigerated.
Make dressing up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate.
Assemble dressed salad up to 4 hours before serving.
Use firm but ripe fruits—not underripe (won’t be sweet) or overripe (will turn mushy).
Avoid overly watery fruits like watermelon that dilute dressing.
Store leftovers refrigerated up to 2-3 days, though texture is best within 24 hours.
For vegan version: ensure honey is replaced with maple syrup or agave nectar.
Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly.
Serve in clear glass bowl to showcase beautiful colors.
Can customize with nuts, coconut, or marshmallows added just before serving.
Great for Christmas, potlucks, brunches, and any holiday gathering.
- Prep Time: 20
- Category: Side Dish/Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 95
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: christmas fruit salad, holiday fruit salad, festive fruit salad, fruit salad recipe, christmas side dish