Honey Lime Fruit Salad

Honey Lime Fruit Salad is made with seasonal fruit and tossed in a fresh lime and honey dressing for a crowd-pleasing summer salad.

This fruit salad combines a rainbow of colour and flavours with a perfect mix of sweet and tang. It’s a refreshing summer salad that is perfect to serve a crowd.

Serve it up at backyard BBQ’s, potlucks and more all summer long.

Can I Use Frozen Fruit to Make Fruit Salad?

You will want to skip on the frozen fruit when making fruit salad. Frozen fruit gets watery and a little unappetizing once thawed, so for best results, stick to fresh fruit.

An exception to the fresh fruit rule though might be canned mandarin oranges. They have such a bright flavour and are so simple to use straight from the can. You could also use frozen grapes, they are one fruit that stand up really well to freezing and it could make the fruit salad a little extra refreshing.

Can I Make Fruit Salad in Advance?

Fruit salad is OK the next day, but it tends to be best when made fresh. This is because the longer the dressed fruit sits, the more the honey lime dressing will macerate the fruit which makes it syrupy and soft.

If you do need to make it ahead, I would recommend preparing the fruit the day prior to serving, and make the dressing as well. Do not combine the fruit and dressing, but rather refrigerate everything separately.

If you are going to include bananas, do not prep them until just prior to combining the fruit and dressing.

Toss it all together and serve when ready.

How long can you store honey lime fruit salad?

Fresh fruit salad is best if consumed immediately but if you do have left overs you will want to store it for no longer than 24-48 hours. After that it tends to macerates too much and becomes unappetizing.

At this point you can use the leftovers to make ice pops. Just toss what is left into a blender with a little fruit juice and pour the puree into ice pop molds and freeze.

Variations on this Fruit Salad

Change things up with these ideas:

1. Add mint or basil to the dressing. Mint and lime go together quite well and it is a flavour combo that does work nicely with a variety of fruit.
2. Change up the fruit. You can play with the colours and flavours of the salad quite a bit by using a variety of different fruit.
3. Toss in some poppy seeds for added texture.

What Fruit can I put in this Fruit Salad?

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Kiwi
• Oranges
• Pineapple
• Watermelon
• Cantaloupe
• Honeydew
• Grapes
• Apples
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Pomegranate

I would avoid more delicately flavoured fruit likes peaches and nectarines that might be overpowered by the dressing. I don’t particularly like them in fruit salads, but if you do add bananas, wait until last minute before tossing them in.

How to Make this Fruit Salad Vegan

To make this fruit salad vegan you need to simply swap out the honey for another sweetener. I would recommend agave here and also recommend not using maple syrup as it doesn’t pair well with lime.

How to Prep your Fruit for Fruit Salad

When prepping your fruit you want to try and slice everything so it is mostly uniform in size. This makes it more visually appealing but also just plain old easier to eat.

You will also want to make sure the fruit is cut to avoid choking, especially if being served to children. (Cut grapes lengthwise if using.)

Can you Freeze Fruit Salad?

For the same reason we do not use frozen fruit to make a fruit salad, we do not freeze a prepared fruit salad. When it thaws the fruit will be mushy and extremely unappetizing.

How to keep the fruit from browning?

The fruit in this salad will not brown thanks to the citrus juice, just keep it chilled and covered when not eating it.

How can I make my fruit salad better?

Make sure you are using fresh, seasonal fruit and toss it in a dressing that will boost the flavours and tie it all together like the simple honey lime dressing we are using in this simple summer fruit salad.

You could also include more exotic fruits to the mix like dragonfruit.

Can I grill the fruit for fruit salad?

If you have the time, grilling some of the fruit can be absolutely amazing.

Watermelon, pineapple and peaches hold up really well on the grill, and the carmelization and smokey flavour pairs really well with the honey lime dressing.

How do you make fruit sweet?

If you have fruit that aren’t very sweet you might want to macerate them ahead of time.

You will want to slice them, then mix them up with some sugar, cover, and then refrigerate for a few hours if you have some particularly sour strawberries or apples.

Most fruit will not need this extra step though, the honey lime dressing will help add lots of tangy sweetness to the fruit in this salad.

What can I serve with fruit salad?

Fruit salad goes with almost everything.

Serve with brunch – it’s delicious paired with crepes, french toast, waffles or even bacon and eggs.

It makes a delicious dessert for picnic style lunches or even with an afternoon tea.

Think grilled chicken or fish for dinner and this fruit salad right after.

Looking for more Summer Dessert Recipes?

Check out some of my favourite recipes for summer desserts:

Looking for summer fresh cupcakes? This recipe for lemon strawberry cupcakes couldn’t be more full of fresh summer flavours – featuring real strawberries and fresh squeezed lemons!

This Pineapple Poke Cake is packed full of tangy sweet flavour that is sure to be a summertime hit.

Watermelon Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips is a refreshing summer dessert or appetizer, perfect for serving at backyard parties. Packed with juicy watermelon, this salsa is a quick and easy summer appetizer the whole family will love!

This strawberry poke cake is a delicious twist on that classic summer treat – strawberry shortcake. Fresh strawberries make this the most delicious strawberry cake you’ve ever had!

How to Make Honey Lime Fruit Salad

Serves: 8-10 | Prep: 20 mins

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh strawberries, sliced
1 lb fresh blueberries
1 medium Pomegranate
4 kiwis, peeled and sliced
4 mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned

For the Honey Lime Dressing:

1/4 cup honey
2 medium limes, zested and juiced

Instructions:

Add all prepared fruit to a large serving bowl.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, lime zest, and lime juice.
Pour the dressing over the fruit and toss to coat.