Thanksgiving Fruit Salad is flavorful, easy to make, and adds lovely color to your Thanksgiving meal. This fruit salad is full of delicious fruit and tossed in an orange dressing.
Fall salads are a favorite. I’ve shared my apple pecan salad, a brie and prosciutto salad, and a pear and vinaigrette salad- but they are all have the traditional lettuce varieties with tasty toppings.
This time I wanted to share an easy fruit salad that is perfect for Thanksgiving! With delicious fall fresh fruit and a sweet citrus dressing, you will want to make this all the time!
What you need for Thanksgiving Fruit Salad:
- Fresh Fruit: Red Grapes (seedless), Bartlett Pears, Gala Apple, Pomegranate Seeds, Blueberries, Orange Zest
- Additional Mix-Ins: Canned Mandarins, Dried Cranberries, Pecan halves
- Dressing: Orange Juice, Brown Sugar, Pumpkin Pie Spice
For more cold salads check out my family's favorite mandarin orange salad and this tasty cheesecake salad.
How to make Thanksgiving Fruit Salad?
- Prep fruit by rinsing, drying, and chopping. Drain mandarins.
- In a large bowl combine chopped fruit, mandarins, pomegranate seeds, blueberries, and pecans.
- Zest the orange into the bowl, then squeeze the juice into a separate container.
- Add brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice to the orange juice, stir, then pour over the fruit and mix.
- Refrigerate until ready to eat.
Can I use fresh mandarins instead of canned?
Yes. Just peel and pull mandarin slice apart.
What is the traditional fruit of Thanksgiving?
Cranberries. These tart and tasty fruits are delicious and perfect in a sauce or relish.
Tasty Addition: Candied Cranberries are sweet and tart- perfect for this salad! Use them in place of or addition to dried cranberries.
Can you cut up the fruit for a fruit salad the night before?
If you can make it the same day you will eat it it’s best, otherwise you might get some browning of the apples and pears. However, making it the night before in addition to tossing it in the orange dressing should help the fruit from turning brown.
What do you put on fruit salad to keep it from turning brown?
The acid from citrus juice (like lemon, orange, or pineapple juice) helps to keep the fruit from browning.
Don’t miss my other favorite Thanksgiving recipes, including my Turkey Cheeseball, Candy Corn on the Cob, Homemade Gravy and Mashed Potatoes, and my favorite Green Bean Casserole!
Watch how to make this recipe!
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Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
Ingredients
Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
- 1 ½ cups Red Grapes seedless, halved
- 15 oz Canned Mandarins packed in water, drained
- 2 Bartlett Pears
- 1 Gala Apple
- ½ cup Pomegranate Seeds
- ½ cup Blackberries
- ½ cup Dried Cranberries
- ½ cup Pecan halves
- Orange zest – use orange for the dressing
Orange Dressing
- ½ cup orange juice juice from 1 orange
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Rinse and dry all fruit.1 ½ cups Red Grapes, 2 Bartlett Pears, 1 Gala Apple, ½ cup Blackberries
- Halve grapes, and chop pears and apple.
- Combine chopped fruit, drained mandarins, pomegranate seeds, blackberries, and pecans. Zest orange and add to fruit.15 oz Canned Mandarins, ½ cup Pomegranate Seeds, ½ cup Dried Cranberries, ½ cup Pecan halves, Orange zest – use orange for the dressing
- Mix together orange juice, honey, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice.½ cup orange juice, ¼ cup honey, ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ¼ cup brown sugar
- Add the dressing to the fruit and stir.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- I use this easy squeezer to juice citrus and recommend using a good zester like this (amazon affiliate links)
- Make Ahead: If you can make it the same day you will eat it it’s best, otherwise you might get some browning of the apples and pears. However, making it the night before in addition to tossing it in the orange dressing should help the fruit from turning brown.
Lisa
What a great side dish to take to a family Thanksgiving dinner!