Honey Lime Rainbow Fruit Salad

The Best Fruit Salad Recipe

I first shared this recipe 5 years ago but it’s one of my favorite recipes, so for new readers or in case you missed it I thought it needs to be revisited. Plus I thought this exactly what mom’s want on Mother’s Day for brunch paired with waffles, crepes or Eggs Benedict!

I know Skittles are good, but I’m thinking this has got to be the right way to get a taste of the rainbow. This blend of colourful fruits all come together to make a gorgeous rainbow, made with healthy ingredients!

Kids will love this this fruit salad and it is an easy way to get them to eat plenty of fruit at once.

A Fruit Salad Dressing without Cream or Pudding

Plus this version is so much better than those frozen whipped topping fruit salads.

This recipe shows you how to make fruit salad without the heavy, creamy fruit salad dressing that you’re used to seeing. It leaves plenty of room for all the flavours of the fruit to shine without drenching it in sugar and other random flavours.

Plus it doesn’t use any of those packaged pudding mixes. Why should we coat all the vibrant and incredible flavors of the fruit with an artificial flavor from a pudding mix?

Let’s not ruin a good thing like fresh fruit by coating it with packaged ingredients where we can’t even pronounce the ingredients on the label.

All it takes is a little honey and lime to really make that fresh fruit sing. 100% natural honey and lime make this fruit salad shine (literally and figuratively).

Ingredients for this Easy Fruit Salad

Strawberries – to select good strawberries it’s kind of a no brainer. They should have a nice red color, no dark spots, no mold, and check out the leaves – those green tops should look vibrant and fresh.

Pineapple – to pick a good pineapple smell the bottom, it should have that sweet pineapple scent. To know when it’s ripe the skin should be turning yellow and it should have some give when pressed.

Blueberries – I like those plump juicy blueberries here. They tend to be sweeter.

Red grapes – to choose good grapes squeeze a couple of them, they should be firm and plump, they should also look tight and intact to the stems (not loose) and they should have a nice color.

Kiwi – to select kiwi look for some that are fairly soft when pressed. Those that are firm are sour and unripe. Small or large size won’t matter.

Mandarin oranges – I used to use canned mandarins here but I prefer fresh now. Either will work great. Mangoes work well as a substitute for the oranges.

Bananas – These are optional. If you do add them just use yellow bananas. No green peel (not sweet enough) and no brown (too mushy).

Honey – I don’t recommend substitutions for this unless there’s an allergy (if so I’d maybe try maple syrup or brown rice syrup).

Limes – in a pinch lemons would work too.

How to Make Fruit Salad

Prepare fruit: chop fruits (except blueberries) and add to a large mixing bowl.
Make dressing: in a small mixing bowl, whisk together they honey, lime zest and lime juice.
Toss fruit with dressing: pour dressing over fruit just before serving and toss to evenly coat.
Easy as that!

Tips for Perfect Fruit Salad:

Use a variety of fruit. Just about any fresh fruit will work here but use a blend to add a variety of flavor and eye catching color.

Use ripened fruit. As in you may need to plan ahead and buy the pineapple and kiwi nearly a week in advance because they take time to ripen.

Wait to add the bananas, or even hold the bananas. These will brown if not served shortly after preparing.

Don’t zest the lime with a cheese grater. Chances are you’ll end up with some white pith of the lime peel which will make the fruit salad taste bitter. Use a zester and use light pressure.

Ingredients

1 lb fresh strawberries, chopped
1 lb chopped fresh pineapple,
12 oz fresh blueberries
12 oz red grapes, sliced into halves
4 kiwis, peeled and chopped
3 mandarin oranges*
2 bananas, sliced (optional)

Honey Lime Dressing
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp lime zest (zest of 2 medium limes)
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Instructions

Add all fruit to a large mixing bowl.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together they honey, lime zest and lime juice.
Pour over fruit and toss to evenly coat, serve immediately**.

Recipe Note

*1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges in juice or light syrup, drained well will work here too (which was what was previously listed, I just now prefer the fresh).
**Fruit can be chopped 1 day in advance (except banana) and dressing can be made 1 day in advance and kept separate and chilled, toss together just before serving.
Recipe originally shared June 2014, photos have been updated.