Honey Lime Fruit Salad is the easiest and most gorgeous fruit salad recipe you can make. The dressing adds just the right amount of tart and sweet.
I can’t think of a better recipe to bring to a summer potluck. If you’re hosting your own backyard BBQ, you can’t go wrong if you make some classic deviled eggs or macaroni salad to go along with this fruit salad!
EASY FRUIT SALAD RECIPE
My kids are so incredibly spoiled when it comes to food. I hear about what their friends bring for lunch to school. Most everything is pre-packaged and they have very little fruits and veggies.
My kids have something like this tasty fruit salad in their lunch almost every single day. I can’t help it. I like to make their friends jealous. Never once have I packed this easy fruit salad and had anything other than an empty container come home in their lunch box. WIN!
The best fruit to use in a fruit salad:
I’m ridiculously opinionated on the subject of what fruit to use in a fruit salad. Now, keep in mind there are a lot of variations of fruit salad. Some are a bit more decadent like a naughty grape salad that is swimming in a creamy sauce, others have marshmallows mixed in.
What I’m talking about in this post is a straight up, colorful, fresh fruit salad that is lightly dressed with a sweet and tangy dressing.
The main thing to keep in mind when deciding on which fruit to use in a fruit salad are the colors and if the flavors will go well together.
- I always use some kind of red berry, and strawberries or raspberries are my favorite.
- A splash of green is always appealing and you can’t get better color or flavor than a perfectly ripe kiwi.
- For that splash of orange, my preference is fresh mango but you can always add orange segments.
- Banana adds a nice neutral light color to the mix.
- Deep, dark blueberries are the perfect final addition to this fruit salad. Black berries are fantastic as well.
It’s all about the dressing.
I used to just cut up fruit in a big bowl and call it fruit salad. Was it good? Yes. What’s not to love about a bowl of washed and cut fruit.
But the dressing adds just what this recipe needs to take it from really good to amazingly delicious.
My fruit salad dressing is simply a combination of lime juice, lime zest, honey (raw and local if you can find it), and fresh mint.
I will whisk the dressing long enough to completely dissolve the honey. The real trick, however, is to really mash up the zest and mint to let all that flavor and essence out while it soaks. The flavors are subtle and fantastic.
Can you make this fruit salad ahead of time?
Honestly, I really think fruit salad is best on the same day that you make it. Almost all fruit oxidizes as soon as it is cut. If you want the firmest, freshest, most vibrant fruit possible, you’ll need to serve this fresh fruit salad almost immediately.
Understandably, sometimes we need to make recipes like this ahead of time, so I’ll tell you what I do.
Tips and tricks to make the very best fruit salad ahead of time:
- If you wash your fruit, allow it to air dry on a kitchen towel. Any additional moisture in the fruit salad will cause the fruit to get soggy faster.
- If you can avoid cutting fruit like strawberries, they’ll hold up better if they remain whole.
- Use fruit that is barely ripe. For example, find firm bananas that are even slightly green versus bananas with brown spots. This will help them hold their shape and texture longer.
- Don’t add the dressing until you are ready to serve your fruit salad. Remember: moisture = soggy.
Honey Lime Fruit Salad
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 2 tablespoons lime juice from two limes
- 1 teaspoon lime zest from one lime
- 6 mint leaves sliced into thin strips
Fruit Salad:
- 1 pint strawberries stem removed and halved or quartered
- 2 champagne mangoes peeled and cut into small chunks
- 4 kiwi peel and sliced into small chunks
- 2 bananas peeled and sliced, slightly underripe is best
- 1 pound blueberries about 3 1/2 cups
Instructions
To make the dressing:
- Combine honey, lime juice, zest and mint in a small bowl. Whisk to combine and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes.
To prepare fruit salad:
- Combine all fruit in large bowl. Just before serving, cover with dressing and toss to combine.
- Add entire fruit salad to serving dish and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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I love a good fruit salad and adding honey and lime flavors really takes this salad over the top. This would be great to serve a summer brunch.
This salad has everything in it that I love. It’s sweet and zesty. Pretty spectacular 🙂
This is such a perfectly colorful and sweet salad! Great for summer; yum!
Your fruit salad looks gorgeous! It’s got to be delicious, and no wonder your kids devour it for lunch. Thanks for sharing!
Had it for a bbq and it was gone so fast! Everyone loved it, and all the fruits were so colorful and beautiful!