These Thanksgiving fruit salad recipes are a great way to bring natural sweetness to your holiday meal. I love fruit salads because you can customize them your way.....meaning, select your favorite fruits for your salad. I like to throw in a few nuts too for added crunch.
A beautiful Thanksgiving fruit salad is one of the best ways to celebrate Thanksgiving meal. In fact, this is a great way to celebrate any special occasion.
So grab a large bowl and your favorite fruits, choose a great recipe from this list, and start making it. At this time of year, people love to enjoy time together with their favorite meals. It's one thing the holiday seasons are most known for.
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Tips For Making The Perfect Fruit Salad
Fruit salads are light and fresh, a perfect ending to a rich Thanksgiving meal. They are also easy to make and can be made ahead of time.
An easy Thanksgiving fruit salad can be made with a variety of seasonal fruits that takes your family dinner to the next level.
- Start with a base of crisp apples and tart cranberries for a traditional Thanksgiving fruit salad.
- Then, add some sweet pears and grapes for sweetness. Finally, top it off with a light dressing of your choice.
- For a more unique Thanksgiving fruit salad, try using colorful fruits like oranges, kiwis, and pomegranates.
- Or, you can add some unexpected ingredients like pears, pecans, or even chocolate chips.
No matter what you put in your Thanksgiving fruit salad, it's sure to be a hit!
Why Add Fruit Salad To Your Thanksgiving Meal
As you'll see from this list of recipes, there are so many great ways to enjoy your Thanksgiving fruit bowl!
- It can be a great snack, a precursor to the holiday meal, or make a great Thanksgiving side dish. You can enjoy it any time during the winter months. This time of year is all about great good, friends, and family.
- Fruit salad is a great way to lighten up your plate since many holiday dishes can feel heavy. You can add some green grapes, orange juice, lime juice, maraschino cherries, red apples, or any other seasonal fresh fruit. Some people like to top it with some mini marshmallows, too. I prefer adding almonds and nuts for a heartier salad.
- Thanksgiving fruit salad recipes are usually a mix of seasonal fruits, like cranberries, apples, and pears, mixed with a variety of nuts and spices. The key to a good fresh fruit salad is to mix the right proportions of sweet and savory flavors. Too much of either can ruin the dish.
Fruit Salad FAQs
Thanksgiving day is busy with lots of cooking and setting up, so anything that can be prepared ahead of time, helps. And yes, fruit salad can be made the day (or night) before Thanksgiving.
Add a splash of lemon or orange juice to your fruit to keep them from browning. Pineapple juice also helps, and it adds a delicious flavor to your salad.
If you add orange, apple, or pineapple juice to your fruit salad, you can skip the dressing. But if you really want to add a dressing, mix yogurt or cream with a bit of honey, lime juice, and some coconut flakes, and you're all set.
Fruit salad can last up to 5 days in the fridge if stored in a tightly closed glass container. But unless you made a huge amount, it won't last, because it's delicious!
Thanksgiving Fruit Salad Recipes
There's nothing quite like a delicious fruit salad, and these Thanksgiving fruit salad recipes are perfect for the holidays, or any time of year. Check out these ideas!
This simple salad is super easy, looks pretty and most kids will love it. Fruit cocktail, whipped cream, extra cherries, and bananas (optional).
This Couscous Fruit Salad, an eat-clean recipe, makes a beautiful side dish for any occasion. Add this to your Thanksgiving dinner for a light and healthy alternative.
This winter fruit salad recipe is a colorful variety of fresh fruit tossed in a light honey poppy seed dressing. The perfect side dish for brunch or a holiday meal!
This Honey Lime Poppyseed Fruit Salad is a delicious and easy side dish! It is filled with colorful, juicy fruit tossed in a tangy, slightly sweet dressing. Paleo, gluten free, dairy free!
Main dish or side dish, this Lentil, Rice and Fruit Salad is a recipe you will make over and over. Add it to your vegan Thanksgiving dinner, or take to your next holiday potluck supper.
This light, fluffy salad is so refreshing and the perfect side dish for a heavy Thanksgiving meal! It's made with just a few simple ingredients and is ready in just 5 minutes.
Grape Salad with Cream Cheese Dressing is a must-have classic at many families’ holiday buffets. Our updated version features a lighter, healthier vanilla-cream cheese dressing (yay – no guilt here, and plenty
of room for all the other Thanksgiving goodies) ... but it’s still every bit as refreshingly sweet and delicious!
This Healthy Fruit Salad with honey lemon dressing deserves a spot front and center at any breakfast or brunch. Enjoy the perfect combination of classic tastes, textures, and colors in this sweet, zesty fruit salad!
Old Fashioned Fruit Salad With Whipped Cream {Easy + Delicious}
This old-fashioned fruit salad is perfect for Thanksgiving. It is a nostalgic treat that guests will love!
My cousin insists on having fruit salad on every holiday. This is our family's go-to recipe and it's always a favorite.
Cranberry Fluff Salad is an amazing Thanksgiving version of a year-round favorite. You’ll find it hard to not fill your plate with seconds and thirds of this sweet-tart salad!
With all the heavy food on Thanksgiving, everyone needs a bite of something fresh. Crisp apples, plump blueberries, dried cranberries, and pistachios are oh-so tasty with a little honey and lime drizzled on top.
This creamy orange fruit salad is loaded with an easy combination of mandarin oranges, crushed pineapple, coconut flakes, and an orange-flavored cool whip mixture that’s topped with maraschino
cherries.
This refreshing Berries Salad is a delicious party in a bowl. The colors pop and the dish can be served as a side to add vibrance to the festive spirit!
Easy Fruit Salad recipe is made with fresh strawberries, blueberries, grapes, pineapple, raspberries and mandarin oranges. The dressing on it is whipped up using a vanilla pudding mix along with vanilla and almond extract. This salad is perfect for entertaining during the summer. Quick, easy and makes a big batch for potlucks, backyard parties and BBQs! It also makes the perfect salad for an easy brunch.
Final Thoughts
Thanksgiving fruit salad can easily be made ahead of time, freeing up valuable time on Thanksgiving day. With so many different flavors, textures, and colors, this easy salad is sure to be a hit with everyone at the table.
Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.
