Here’s an easy fruit salad recipe that takes minutes to prepare and tastes fantastic! This no-stress side dish is perfect for summer picnics, barbecues, holiday parties, or dinner! It's so easy to make and tastes like you spent much more time on it than you did!
Easy Fruit Salad
If you have tried our recipes before, you know I LOVE any quick and easy recipes that taste amazing and don't cost a fortune. You may already have all the ingredients for this easy fruit salad in your pantry and fridge.
It’s the perfect easy winter fruit salad recipe!! All the fruit comes from a can, so you do not have to stress that it will cost a fortune to make this in the winter. It’s pretty much the perfect year-round fruit salad recipe!
I do my best to keep all the ingredients in the pantry to quickly whip up this simple fruit salad recipe at the last minute.
It is perfect when you forget to bring something to that upcoming work potluck. Plus, there is fruit in it, so no one can pin the blame on you for being the person who always brings cookies and cakes to the office party.
You brought fruit that deserves a crown and a pat on the back. We will ignore the marshmallow goodness in this fruit salad and focus on the fruit.
Don't worry, I have your back! I know what those office parties are like when you just want to eat in your car and not hear your annoying co-worker drone about how amazing they are.
I have been there and done that, and I’ve rolled my eyes at the wannabe Oscar award-winning performances during those lunches.
If you want to be the person who brings the amazing dessert recipe along with this easy fruit salad, whip up these Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars that look like you spent hours on them but begin with a cookie mix.
We serve this side dish for Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner every year. I love how quick and easy this marshmallow fruit salad is to prepare.
This easy fruit fluff salad also works great for Easter brunch. The fruit cocktail flavors all come from using canned fruit!
Sadly, I can't ship you my favorite Lick Me spatula because I only bought one while I was in Ireland, and now I kick myself daily. I should have brought the entire rack home with me. It makes sense to take home spatulas from Ireland and not every green leprechaun I could stuff in a suitcase. LOL!
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients needed to make an epic Easy Fruit Salad! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.
- Miniature Marshmallows
- Pineapple Chunks/Pineapple Tidbits
- Mandarin Oranges Slices
- Maraschino Cherries (without stems)
- Sour Cream
Optional Add-Ins: Pecans, Nuts, Coconut Shreds/coconut flakes, Banana, Grapes, Cool Whip Whipped Topping, cottage cheese
Equipment Needed
- Large Mixing Bowl: We are big fans of this glass batter bowl with a handle. It makes it easy to mix ingredients and keeps the mixing bowl steady on the counter.
- Serving Bowl
- Spatula/Wooden Spoon
How to Make Easy Fruit Salad
I've included complete instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here's a quick version.
- Drain all fruit well in a large mixing bowl.
- Fold mini marshmallows, canned fruit, and sour cream in the bowl.
- Stir in more sour cream as needed for moisture.
Preparation and Storage
Make-Ahead: This easy dessert salad side dish is make-ahead-friendly! I usually make this dessert salad up to a few hours before serving and store it in the refrigerator. Add the marshmallows right before serving as the marshmallows will get softer the longer they sit in the salad.
This easy fruit salad is best served chill.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and enjoy them within three days.
Freezing/How to Freeze: We don’t recommend freezing this Easy Fruit Salad, as the sour cream separates and becomes grainy when thawed.
Recipe Variations
Substitutions: You can add or replace any fruit you like! Bananas, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, and peaches are fantastic add-ins or substitutions.
You can also replace the sour cream with Cool Whip or Greek yogurt or reduce the sour cream with equal parts of either ingredient for a slightly different take.
Vegetarian Option: This recipe is vegetarian-safe if you use vegan marshmallows, as many marshmallow brands at the grocery store contain animal-derived gelatin.
Vegan Option: In addition to the guidance for vegetarians, vegans should replace the sour cream with a plant-based alternative to make this Easy Fruit Salad safe for a vegan diet.
Gluten-Free: The ingredients in this sweet side dish typically don’t contain gluten, even down to the marshmallows. Gluten-free eaters should avoid marshmallows containing wheat starch or glucose syrup, as these ingredients contain wheat.
Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: The written recipe makes eight servings. Scale it up or down to your desired yield; this recipe doubles easily!
Sugar-Free: The written recipe contains 32 grams of sugar per serving. Use mini marshmallows, pineapple chunks, mandarin orange slices, and maraschino cherries with no sugar added to lower the sugar content.
Tips for the Best Easy Fruit Salad
- One thing to know when you make this recipe is to mix it in a large mixing bowl and then scoop it into your serving bowl, as this helps you get everything combined and stirred together.
- I used a slotted spoon to transfer it to keep the extra juice in the mixing bowl and ensure you don't end up with cherries and pineapple chunks flying all over the counter.
When to serve Easy Fruit Salad
- Holiday meal staple
- Cookout side dish
- Family dinner
- Party Fruit Salad
What to Serve with Easy Fruit Salad
Our Easy Fruit Salad scales up easily to feed large groups, making it the perfect side dish to go along with other potluck favorites. Here are some menu planning suggestions.
Sides: Broccoli Casserole, Apple Stuffing, Funeral Potatoes, BLT Pasta Salad, Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon, Air Fryer Baked Potato, Jiffy Cornbread with Sour Cream, Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Yams, Southern Style Green Beans, CrockPot Bourbon Baked Beans
Main Dishes: Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken, Stovetop Meatloaf, Chicken Casserole with Ritz Crackers, CrockPot Rosemary Pork, Cracker Barrel Chicken & Dumplings, CrockPot Macaroni & Cheese with Ham, CrockPot Salisbury Steak, CrockPot Ham & Cheese Grits
Desserts: Ooey-Gooey Butter Cake, Lemon Bars, Lemon Icebox Pie, Best Rice Krispie Treats, Bisquick Blueberry Cobbler, Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding, Bisquick Apple Cobbler, Bisquick Peach Cobbler, Molasses Cookies, Banana Bread, Classic Chocolate Brownies
Drinks: Coke Slushie, Red Robin Freckled Lemonade, CopyCat McDonald's Sweet Tea
Other Great Party Food Recipes
If you are heading to a party and need to bring a couple of dishes, these are our favorite easy party food recipes:
Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and CrockPot Recipes.
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Easy Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups Mini Marshmallows
- 20 Ounce pineapple chunks
- 15 Ounce mandarin orange slices
- 10 Ounce Cherries without stems
- 8 Ounce Sour Cream approx.
Instructions
- Drain all fruit well.
- Mix marshmallows, fruit, and sour cream in a large bowl
- Add more sour cream if it doesn’t seem moist enough.
Kitchen Tools
- Large Mixing Bowl
Sylvia Salazar
I tried this recipe for the first time and it came out really good! I will definitely keep making it!
Dawn
My grandmother always made this for the holidays. The only difference is we also put in shredded coconut. Recently I used Fage 0% Greek yogurt instead of sour cream to try and make it a bit healthier. It was wonderful. The longer it sits the better it gets. We like our marshmallows soft. So good.