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    Home » What We're Eating » Easy Fruit Salad with Vanilla Pudding

    Easy Fruit Salad with Vanilla Pudding

    Published: Jun 17, 2021 by Blair Lonergan

    Jump to Recipe
    Long collage image of easy fruit salad with vanilla pudding
    Close overhead shot of a bowl of fruit salad with vanilla pudding and text title box at top
    Side shot of a bowl of fruit salad on a table with text title box at top
    Close overhead image of a bowl of fruit salad with text title box at top

    This easy fruit salad recipe comes together in just minutes, and is packed with fresh flavor! Pick your favorite in-season fruit -- from strawberries, blueberries and peaches to bananas, apples or grapes -- and toss everything in a bright, tangy dressing made with lime juice and vanilla pudding mix. The sweet, tart, refreshing side dish works well with waffles or egg casserole for brunch, with grilled chicken or burgers at a picnic, or even with ice cream for a light dessert.

    Close overhead image of a bowl of the best fruit salad recipe served in a white handmade bowl

    Every home cook should have a go-to easy fruit salad recipe that always garners rave reviews. It's one of those versatile sides that goes well with almost anything else on the menu, and only requires a few minutes of effort. A fresh fruit salad is a cool, refreshing option on warm summer days, but it's also a nice way to balance rich, hearty meats or casseroles at other times of year. Add a vanilla pudding glaze and some fresh lime zest and you've got a restaurant-quality dish that's fancy enough for entertaining...and simple enough for busy weeknights.

    Fruit Salad Dressing

    Sweet, juicy, ripe, fresh produce is hard to improve upon in its natural state, but this recipe includes a secret ingredient that truly sets it apart. You wouldn't know from first bite, but the base of the dressing starts with vanilla instant pudding mix! Simply whisk together lime juice and the dry pudding mix for a sweet, tart, flavorful dressing that perfectly coats every piece of fruit. The pudding mix thickens the dressing to a glaze-like consistency, which mixes with the juices from the fruit. There's nothing quite like it!

    Side shot of fresh fruit salad on a table in front of a dark background

    Ingredients

    This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you'll need for the best fruit salad. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

    • Fresh fruit: a total of about 8 cups, so pick your favorite in-season fruits to use in this recipe. I've shown summer berries and peaches here, but other good options include grapes, bananas, apples, pineapple, pears, kiwi and oranges.
    • Lime zest: adds a nice, bright flavor to the salad.
    • Instant vanilla pudding mix: thickens the dressing and provides a sweet vanilla flavor.
    • Lime juice: mixes with the vanilla pudding to create the fruit salad dressing. Substitute with lemon juice or orange juice, if desired.

    How to Make Easy Fruit Salad

    This quick and colorful side dish comes together in just minutes!

    1. Wash and chop the fruit.
    2. Stir together the fruit and lime zest.
    3. Whisk together the dressing.
    4. Toss the dressing with the fruit to coat.
    5. Serve immediately or cover and chill for 1-2 hours.
    Fresh summer berries in a colander
    Overhead shot of a bowl of fresh summer fruit
    Ingredients for fruit salad dressing with vanilla pudding mix
    Process shot showing how to make fruit salad
    Square shot of a white bowl full of the best homemade fruit salad

    What to Serve with Fruit Salad with Vanilla Pudding

    The simple fruit salad recipe is delicious at any time of day! For breakfast or brunch, pair the dish with egg casserole, quiche, pancakes or waffles. Later in the day, serve the salad at picnics, potlucks, cookouts, or holiday tables. It's a nice, light contrast to heavier entrees like pulled pork, grilled chicken, fried chicken, roasted turkey, a holiday ham, or grilled steak. Finally, you can't go wrong with fresh fruit and a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert!

    Make Ahead

    You can assemble most of the ingredients for this salad in advance, but do not add the dressing to the bowl with the fruit until just before serving (or about 1-2 hours in advance). Keep the fruit covered in the bowl in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before dressing.

    Does lemon juice or lime juice keep fruit salad fresh?

    If you're worried about some of the fruit browning before you're ready to serve the salad, you can toss that particular fruit with some additional lime juice or lemon juice. The acid in the citrus juice will fend off some oxidation, which causes the unappetizing brown color.

    Storage

    This salad is best enjoyed within 1-2 hours of preparation. The acid and sugar in the dressing will start to break down and soften the fruit as it sits, so it's not nearly as good the next day. That said, leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days if you don't mind some mushy, watery fruit!

    I do NOT recommend freezing this fruit salad. When thawed, the fruit will have a mushy texture.

    Overhead shot of a simple fruit salad recipe with vanilla pudding

    How much fruit salad per person?

    If serving a crowd, it's safe to assume about 1 cup of fruit salad per person. This recipe yields approximately 8 cups of salad, so you'll need to double or triple the ingredients for a big group. For instance, to serve 20, I would prepare 2½ times the recipe.

    Recipe Variations

    • For a slightly sweeter, less-tart dressing, replace the lime juice with orange juice.
    • Lemon juice and lemon zest are also good substitutes for the lime juice and lime zest.
    • Almost any combination of fresh (or even canned) fruit will work here, so pick your favorites or use whatever is in season. Just make sure that the total amount comes to about 8 cups.
    • For a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and only prepare 4 cups of salad.
    • Summer: focus on fresh berries (like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries), as well as nectarines or peaches.
    • Winter: look for more easily-accessible year-round fruits, such as grapes, apples, pears and bananas. Kiwi, oranges, pineapple, and pomegranate seeds are also nice additions.
    Side shot of a bowl of easy fruit salad with vanilla pudding on a vintage table

    Tips for the Best Homemade Fruit Salad Recipe

    • If using bananas in your salad, wait to add them just before serving. The bananas tend to brown faster than other fruit.
    • The acid and sugar in the dressing will macerate or break-down the fruit as it sits, so do not add the dressing more than about 1-2 hours before serving.
    • If using peaches, pears or apples, it's not necessary to peel them before adding them to the dish.
    • When zesting the lime, be careful that you do not include any of the bitter white pith. Just scrape off the thin outer layer of the peel, which contains all of the essential oils (and flavor!).
    • Garnish the salad with fresh lime, additional lime zest, fresh mint, or other fresh herbs like basil or thyme.
    Close overhead image of a bowl of homemade fruit salad with vanilla pudding and fresh lime

    More Fruit Salad Recipes to Try

    • Honey Lemon Fruit Salad
    • Ambrosia Fruit Salad
    • Creamy Fruit Salad with Cool Whip
    • "Angel Fluff" Marshmallow Fruit Salad
    Close overhead image of a bowl of the best fruit salad recipe served in a white handmade bowl
    Print Pin

    Easy Fruit Salad with Vanilla Pudding

    This easy fruit salad recipe comes together in just minutes, and is packed with fresh flavor!
    Course Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Keyword easy fruit salad, fresh fruit salad, fruit salad with vanilla pudding
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes
    Servings 8 people
    Calories 100kcal
    Author Blair Lonergan

    Ingredients

    • 8 cups chopped fruit or berries (such as a combination of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and peaches)
    • Zest from 1 lime
    • 2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix
    • ¼ cup lime juice

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, stir together fruit and lime zest.
    • In a small bowl, whisk together pudding mix and lime juice until smooth and thick (the dressing will have a soft pudding-like consistency, but will thin as it sits in the bowl and mixes with the juices from the fruit). Pour over the fruit and toss to coat.
    • Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

    Notes

    • For a slightly sweeter, less-tart dressing, replace the lime juice with orange juice.
    • Lemon juice and lemon zest are also good substitutes for the lime juice and lime zest.
    • Almost any combination of fresh (or even canned) fruit will work here, so pick your favorites or use whatever is in season. Just make sure that the total amount comes to about 8 cups.
    • For a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and only prepare 4 cups of salad.
    • Summer: focus on fresh berries (like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries), as well as nectarines or peaches.
    • Winter: look for more easily-accessible year-round fruits, such as grapes, apples, pears and bananas. Kiwi, oranges, pineapple, and pomegranate seeds are also nice additions.
    • If using bananas in your salad, wait to add them just before serving. The bananas tend to brown faster than other fruit.
    • The acid and sugar in the dressing will macerate or break-down the fruit as it sits, so do not add the dressing more than about 1-2 hours before serving.
    • If using peaches, pears or apples, it's not necessary to peel them before adding them to the dish.
    • When zesting the lime, be careful that you do not include any of the bitter white pith. Just scrape off the thin outer layer of the peel, which contains all of the essential oils (and flavor!).
    • Garnish the salad with fresh lime, additional lime zest, fresh mint, or other fresh herbs like basil or thyme.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kris

      July 18, 2021 at 10:18 am

      Thank you Blair! Fruit salad in the summer is the best! I’ve never topped it with anything, except whip cream once in a while. This sounds delicious, I can’t wait to try it!
      I really enjoy your weekly email. Between the wonderful recipes & beautiful photos of your recipes, your home & family & the beauty of the area … it’s a treat to explore every week! Thank you for sharing your talents!

      PS: I think you should explore making a coffee table book with all your amazing photos of beautiful Virginia!

      Reply
      • Blair

        July 18, 2021 at 12:30 pm

        Thank you so much, Kris. I really appreciate your kind words and positive feedback! I hope that you love the fruit salad.

        I am always working on improving my photography -- it's a fun hobby! I'm glad that others enjoy it as well. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Barbara Ringley

      July 18, 2021 at 2:39 pm

      If you ever get back into Baltimore, take the boys on a pirate adventure ship in the harbor!

      Reply
      • Blair

        July 18, 2021 at 4:33 pm

        Yes, we saw the ships (but they weren't running during the hours we were there). They look fun!

        Reply

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