Discover a delicious Thanksgiving fruit salad recipe featuring a colorful mix of blackberries, pears, apples, pomegranate, kiwi, orange, and spiced citrus honey dressing. Easy to make, healthy, and great way to add balance to your Thanksgiving menu.
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Lookin for more healthy Thanksgiving sides? Check out Honey Glazed Carrots, Best Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Garlic Roasted Green Beans.
Whether you’re looking to dress up your holiday table, need a kid-friendly fruit tray or prefer a light side to go along with the traditional Thanksgiving sides, a good fruit salad is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving menu!
Bright citrus, warm spices and a mix of flavors and textures all blend together nicely in this special festive fruit salad.
Recipe Highlights
- An easy side dish that’s simple to make and easily customizable, using your favorite fruits.
- Since this is a fruit salad recipe, it is very dietary friendly for vegetarians, gluten-free folks and more.
- Perfect for making ahead to ease the Thanksgiving day stress.
- The use of fresh fruit and vibrant colors will most certainly brighten your Thanksgiving table.
Ingredients List
A Thanksgiving Fruit Salad can really be made in a variety of ways. I went with a mix of seasonal fruit while choosing a blend of textures, flavors and color. Here is what we’re using:
- red apples – choose sweet and juicy crisp apples, like Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, Sugarbee or Sweet Tango.
- green pears – I went with green Anjou pears, which offer a sweet and juicy flavor with a hint of citrus. They’re in season October through July. You could also use Bartlett pears, which are readily available at most grocery stores and in season from August through February.
- kiwi – the next green fruit on the list that offer a soft texture and is both sweet and tangy. If you don’t love kiwi, feel free to sub with another fruit.
- blackberries – adds a new depth of color and texture, and often still in season through the fall months. If blackberries are higher priced, you can swap them for red grapes.
- pomegranate seeds – also known as pomegranate arils, they have a bright, tangy-sweet flavor with a hint of tartness, similar to a mix of cranberries and red berries. The seeds themselves add a subtle crunch with a satisfying pop in each bite.
- mandarin oranges – Mandarin oranges provide a nice citrus addition. Canned mandarin oranges are inexpensive and quick for prep. You can also use clementines like Halos or Cuties or naval orange segments work too.
Light citrus honey dressing:
The fruit salad dressing is a simple mix of orange juice, honey, cinnamon, ginger and fine sea salt. The cinnamon adds a warming spice, perfect for fall.
Note: if you have vegan family members, feel free to swap the honey for maple syrup.
Find the full detailed instructions with measurements in the recipe card below, at the end of this post.
Fruit Cutting Tips
For this fruit salad, you’ll be be dicing the pears and apples into small pieces. To keep the apples and pears fresh, you can sprinkle on some lemon juice or simply cut them last to avoid the flesh being exposed to air for too long.
The blackberries can remain whole, unless very large and you want to cut in half.
For the kiwi, cut the ends and peel the skin – you can use a vegetable peeler or a pairing knife – then slice into about 1/4″ thick, and cut in half.
Canned mandarin oranges will need to be drained well. You can lay out on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
To get the pomegranate seeds out, start by cutting off the crown (top) of the pomegranate. Then, gently score the skin every few inches, don’t cut too deep or you’ll damage the seeds. Gently pull the pomegranate apart along the scored lines to separate it into sections. Fill a bowl with water and submerge each section. Gently pry the seeds away from the white membrane with your fingers. Then you can strain the seeds from the water. You need about 3/4 for this recipe, or about 1/2 of a pomegranate.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
This fruit salad works best when you add the fruit in layers, with the hardier fruits on the bottom, and the more delicate fruits on top.
Start by putting almost all of the diced apples and diced pears in the bottom of a large bowl or serving dish. Then add kiwi, blackberries, and pomegranates.
Next drizzle on the half of the dressing and finish by adding the mandarin oranges and the remaining apples and pears. Finishing off with dressing again.
Now you can gently toss it altogether. Or if you’re happy with your presentation. Leave as is.
Note: If using Cuties or Halos, you don’t have to be as gentle with the mix.
Make Ahead for Thanksgiving Prep
This fall fruit salad recipe is something that can easily be made ahead for Thanksgiving, so it’s one less thing you have to worry about the day of. Just store in an airtight container in the fridge, one day in advance for so the fruit maintains it’s freshness and flavors.
I still recommend adding in the mandarin oranges last, as they are delicate. If you’re using clementines (like Halos or Cuties), they will hold up much better.
Flavor & Ingredient Additions
You really can get creative with a Thanksgiving Fruit Salad – from swapping out fruits to adding in fresh herbs or nuts. Here are some ideas:
- Add grapes – Grapes are something all kids love, inexpensive more or less, and they’re readily available year round. Feel free to add them in or swap them out for another fruit.
- Swap mandarins for clementines – clementines will hold their shape better than canned mandarin oranges, but a little more work for peeling.
- Throw in some fresh herbs – If you’re looking to elevate the flavors of this salad, a little fresh basil or mint goes a long way.
- Nuts – Tossing some nuts into a fruit salad adds extra texture. Toasted Walnuts or candied pecans would be a great addition.
- Citrus zest – Lemon zest, orange zest and even grapefruit would be a nice finishing touch.
How to Store Fruit Salad
To store fruit salad, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it immediately. Fruit salad generally stays fresh for 1-3 days. The flavors for this Thanksgiving Salad will enhance after day 1 but I wouldn’t make more than one day in advance.
Recipe FAQs
How far in advance should I make fruit salad?
I would not make this salad more than 1 day in advance, so the softer fruits hold their texture. You can also the berries and dressing just before serving, if you prefer.
How long does fruit salad last?
Can I use other fruits for this fall fruit salad?
The options and combinations are yours to choose! I chose the fruits in this recipe based on season and a blend of colors for an autumnal vibe.
It doesn’t need to be a special occasion to make this colorful fruit salad, so I hope you enjoy it through the season and even in the winter months!
Let me know if you make this Thanksgiving Fruit Salad recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained well and laid out on paper towel
- 3 kiwis
- ¾ cup pomegranate arils, about ½ of average sized pomegranate
- 2 medium red crisp apples, such as Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, Sugarbee
- 2 medium green pears, such as Anjou or Bartlett
- 6 ounces blackberries
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Wash all fruits and vegetables, drying off with a tea towel.
- Prepare fruit: Drain mandarin oranges and let sit in mesh strainer or lay on paper towel.To cut kiwi, cut off ends and remove skin with vegetable peeler or pairing knife. Cut in half and then cut into about 1/4" thick slices.To remove pomegranate seeds, cut off top and score along skin, every couple inches, being careful not to cut too deep. Pull apart the pomegranate at the cuts and remove the seeds gently.Core apples and pears, the cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Make dressing: In a small bowl whisk together orange juice, honey, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
- Assemble: In a large serving bowl or serving dish, start by putting almost all of the diced apples and diced pears in the bottom of a large bowl or serving dish. Then add kiwi, blackberries, and about half of the pomegranates. Next drizzle on the half of the dressing and finish by adding the mandarin oranges and the remaining apples, pears and pomegrantes. Finishing off with dressing again. Now you can gently toss it altogether. Or if you're happy with your presentation. Leave as is.
- Serve: Cover and refrigerate the fruit salad until ready to serve.
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