Christmas Fruit Salad is such a tasty and fun dish this holiday season! Fresh flavors that are bright and delicious and it looks pretty too!
Last month I shared my Thanksgiving fruit salad and this Christmas I have my favorite Christmas fruit salad! It incorporates delicious in season fruit as well as a tasty orange dressing.
It is so pretty and very refreshing this time of year, especially with all the easy cookies, delicious cakes, and other fun and easy desserts that are so readily available!
What you need for Christmas Fruit Salad?
Green Apple- I love the green color and the tartness, but you can use your favorite apple.
Kiwi- I cut a few into star shapes for extra fun!
Clementines – Mandarin Oranges work fine too.
Blueberries
Pine Nuts- I love the rich flavor of pine nuts especially when toasted!
Orange Dressing
Oranges- this recipe uses the zest and the juice!
Sugar
Garnish- Sprinkle with cinnamon and toss in a few sugared cranberries!
If you like this recipe, make sure to check out my favorite orange jello salad, cheesecake salad, grilled pear salad, and this fancy brie and prosciutto salad!
How to make fruit salad for Christmas?
- Toast pines nuts in a skillet over medium low heat.
- Cube apples. Peel and slice kiwis. Peel and separate clementines.
- Mix together the orange juice, orange zest, and sugar.
- In a large bowl toss the fruit, nuts, and orange dressing.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a handful of sugared cranberries.
Sugared or candied cranberries are a fun way to garnish salads, drinks (like this cranberry margarita), or baked goods (like this gingerbread bundt cake). They are very tart with a sweet outside. These are best placed just on top of the salad after everything is mixed in order to prevent the sugar coating from dissolving.
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How to make sugared cranberries?
- Combine equal parts sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stirring until sugar is fully dissolved.
- Add cranberries and stir until full coated.
- Remove cranberries and let air dry on wire rack for 1 hour. Then roll in sugar.
What goes into a fruit salad for Christmas?
Seasonal fruits like oranges, clementines, and Kiwis are great in Christmas fruit salad. Adding toasted nuts is a way to bring extra flavor as well!
If you like this recipe, make sure to check out my cranberry jalapeno dip- is the perfect appetizer for Christmas dinner, along with this fun cranberry julep drink!
How to store fruit salad?
Store any leftover fruit salad in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Can you make this ahead of time?
This fruit salad is best when made right before serving to prevent the browning of the apples, with the exception of the sugared cranberries which can be made a few days before.
However, if you want to make it the night before I would just wait to add the cranberries and the toasted nuts until ready to serve. The sugar on the cranberries will dissolve sitting in the dressing and the nuts are best when freshly roasted.
Can I use canned mandarins instead of fresh clementines?
Yes. I recommend using 15 oz of canned mandarins packed in water. Drain the mandarins then add to the salad.
If want Christmas dinner ideas check out all my holiday recipes here! You don’t want to miss my herb crusted turkey, make ahead mashed potatoes and gravy without drippings, or my sweet potato rolls, among so much more!
Video
Christmas Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Green Apple
- 2 kiwis*
- 4 Clementines or Mandarin Oranges
- ½ cup blueberries
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted*
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 oranges zested and juiced ~½ cup juice
Garnish
- Cinnamon
Sugared Cranberries- optional
- ¼ cup Cranberries fresh/frozen if making candied, if not candying see notes below
- ¼ cup sugar plus extra for rolling *- if not making candied cranberries omit
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- In a medium skillet add the pine nuts and heat over medium low, stirring constantly until toasted. Once toasted remove from pan so they don’t burn.¼ cup pine nuts
- Cut apple into cubes. Peel kiwis, slice then cut a few into stars (optional). Peel and separate mandarin pieces.1 Green Apple, 2 kiwis*, 4 Clementines or Mandarin Oranges
- In a small bowl mix together orange zest, juice from both oranges, and sugar.2 oranges, ¼ cup sugar
- In a large bowl toss together all fruit, nuts, and orange juice mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and garnish with sugared cranberries (if using).½ cup blueberries, Cinnamon
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
How to make sugared cranberries:
- Rinse Cranberries and remove any soft or bad ones.¼ cup Cranberries
- In a small saucepot combine water and sugar. Heat over medium until sugar is fully dissolved.¼ cup sugar plus extra for rolling *- if not making candied cranberries omit, ½ cup water
- Add cranberries and stir until fully coated.
- Transfer coated cranberries to a wire rack or parchment lined baking sheet and allow cranberries to dry (about an hour), then roll in extra sugar until fully coated.
Notes
- *Kiwis peel really well using a vegetable peeler.
- *Nuts- substitute pine nuts with toasted chopped walnuts or pecans.
- *I love using sugared cranberries for this recipe. They are sweet and tart and look amazing. However, if you don’t have time to make them, I recommend using 1 cup pomegranate seeds to add a nice pop of red.
Lisa says
Everyone loves this salad when I make it!