Need something light for your holiday meal? This Fall Fruit Salad fits right in with the turkey and sides. Mix apples, grapes, and oranges with a tasty citrus dressing. It takes just 10 minutes to make and adds fresh flavor to your table.
Why Add This to Your Holiday Table
After all those rich foods, you need something fresh. This fruit salad does the job perfectly. Crisp apples, sweet grapes, and juicy oranges mix with dried cranberries and toasted pecans. The spiced dressing brings it all together. Serve it as a side or add ice cream to make it dessert. Quick to make and sure to please, it brings color to any holiday meal.
What You Need
- Green Apples: Pick Granny Smith for a tart crunch
- Red Apples: Honeycrisp or Fuji work great
- Dried Cranberries: Adds sweet-tart chewiness
- Pecans: For crunch. Walnuts work too
- Grapes: Red or green, your choice
- Oranges: Navel oranges are best
- Lemon Juice: Keeps apples from turning brown
- Orange Juice: For the dressing
- Sugar: Just enough to sweeten
- Apple Pie Spice: For fall flavor
- Lemon Zest: Adds fresh citrus taste
- Orange Zest: Makes the dressing pop
Steps to Make It
- Toast nuts:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Put pecans on a pan until they smell good.
- Make dressing:
- Mix orange juice, sugar, spices, and zests in a pot. Heat until it thickens a bit.
- Strain it:
- Pour dressing through a strainer. Let it cool.
- Cut apples:
- Slice both kinds of apples. Splash with lemon juice so they stay fresh.
- Fix oranges:
- Peel and cut oranges into bite-size pieces.
- Mix fruit:
- Put all fruit, cranberries, and nuts in a big bowl.
- Finish up:
- Pour cool dressing over everything. Mix well and serve.
Why People Love This Salad
This salad brings fresh flavors to heavy holiday meals. The mix of crunchy apples, sweet grapes, and oranges looks great on any table. The spiced dressing adds that perfect fall touch. Kids and adults both enjoy it because it's light and sweet.
Picking Good Fruit
Get firm, fresh apples - they should feel heavy and look bright. Granny Smith apples give that nice sour bite, while Fuji or Honeycrisp add sweetness. Pick oranges that feel heavy - they're the juiciest. If you're using the peel for zest, buy organic if you can.
Making the Dressing Special
Fresh orange juice makes the best dressing. Add apple pie spice for that cozy fall feeling. When you zest the oranges and lemons, just get the colored part - the white stuff tastes bitter. Let the dressing cool before you pour it on the fruit to keep everything crisp.
Making It Early
Toast the nuts up to a week before and keep them in a sealed container. Make the dressing three days ahead and keep it cold. Cut and mix the fruit right before serving so it stays fresh. Leftovers last two days in the fridge.
Make It Your Own
Switch things up if you want. Try adding pomegranate seeds for color, or use pears instead of apples. Mix in some mandarin oranges or swap pecans for walnuts. Play around until you find your perfect mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make this the night before?
Keep it in a tight box in the fridge for 1-2 days. It tastes even better the next day.
- What if I don't have pecans?
Use walnuts or almonds - they're just as crunchy and good.
- Is this ok for vegans?
Yes! It's all fruit and nuts - no animal stuff.
- How do I keep apples from going brown?
Mix them with some lemon juice right away. Works like magic!
- Should I warm it up?
Nope - it's best cold from the fridge, but room temp is fine too.
Some More Ideas
Want more holiday treats like this salad? Try baking apples and pears with spice and sugar on top. Make sweet nuts with orange juice. Or bake some breakfast treats with dried cranberries and orange zest. They all taste like fall and fit right in at holiday meals.