Brighten up your winter mornings with this easy Christmas fruit salad recipe with orange juice and honey! Our healthy holiday fruit salad is super simple to prepare but fancy enough for Christmas morning, a holiday brunch, or serving alongside your holiday meal. Made with fresh mixed fruit and a yummy homemade citrus dressing, family and friends will rave about this festive fruit salad! {Gluten-free, dairy-free & vegetarian}
Easy Christmas Fruit Salad Recipe – Perfect for the Holidays!
I’m a huge fan of bright and refreshing fruit salads, so why not incorporate one into the Christmas menu? With hints of citrus, sweet honey and lots of fresh fruit, this festive Christmas fruit salad recipe is the perfect addition to the holidays or other special occasions. It’s made with a colorful blend of red and green fruits, making it a beautiful option for your holiday table.
Not only is this simple fruit salad recipe quick to prepare, it’s also packed with nutrients and a good boost of fiber to help promote digestive health. I know that’s not always what we think about when it comes to holiday meals, but it can help you feel so much better and makes it easier to stick to your nutritional goals!
For more Christmas fruit ideas, check out this Christmas Fruit Wreath, Fruit Christmas Tree and Chocolate Dipped Oranges!
Why We Love This Christmas Brunch Fruit Salad
- Super simple and easy to throw together
- Great flavor everyone loves – it’s a crowd-pleaser!
- Formulated by a Registered Dietitian to be packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber
- Naturally sweetened with orange juice and honey – no marshmallows or Cool Whip added!
- Festive option for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter
- Can be served with any meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner)
- Great way to sneak in some extra produce during a decadent time of year
Ingredient Notes
- Kiwi: Look for ripe, slightly firm kiwi, to avoid having mushy kiwi in your salad. Kiwi is a great source of fiber, which keeps our digestive system moving.
- Bartlett pears: Pears are another great source of fiber and vitamin C. You can peel the pears or leave the skin on for extra fiber. Crisp apples can also be used.
- Fresh strawberries: Packed with vitamin C, manganese, folate and potassium, the red strawberries are a vibrant complement to our green fruit.
- Pomegranate arils: Remove seeds from a whole pomegranate or look for pomegranate seeds in the produce section. Pomegranate arils are rich in fiber, antioxidants and vitamin C.
- Mandarin oranges: Provide a nice citrus flavor, antioxidants, and vitamins A and C. You can also use canned mandarin oranges packed in water if you prefer to skip the peeling.
- Orange juice: Freshly squeezed orange juice is best, but use what you have available. The citric acid in the oranges prevents the fruit from browning in the salad. You could also sub in pineapple juice if preferred.
- Honey: Use local honey if you have it. Adjust to your preferred level of sweetness.
- Olive oil: This may sound like a strange addition to a fruit salad, but it adds some extra richness to the dressing, in addition to antioxidants and monounsaturated fats. Use a mild tasting olive oil as opposed to extra virgin, which has too strong of a taste.
How to Make Fruit Salad for Christmas – Step by Step Instructions
- Add prepared fruit to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the fruit salad dressing with orange juice and honey.
- Pour dressing over the fruit and gently mix well. Allow the mixed fruit to sit for a few minutes to marinate in the dressing before serving.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Tips for the Best Christmas Fruit Salad
- Do not use kiwis that are on the mushier side, since they won’t hold their shape very well when you cut them up and mix them in the salad. Instead, opt for ripe yet still slightly firm kiwis.
- You can keep the peel on the pears or remove it. I had a few brown spots on the peel of my pears so I decided to remove it, but it’s a personal preference.
- To save time, purchase pomegranate arils that have already been removed from the pomegranate.
- Adjust the amount of honey used depending on how sweet your fruit is. If it tends to be more on the sour side, you may wish to increase the amount of honey used.
- If using the olive oil for extra richness, be sure to use a very mild tasting olive oil. Avoid extra-virgin olive oil since it tends to have a stronger flavour which will alter the taste of the fruit salad.
- For the best taste and presentation, serve this salad shortly after preparing it. If the salad has been sitting in the dressing for a while, the acid in the dressing will start to break down the fruit, giving it a mushier consistency similar to canned fruit. This salad is best served fresh.
Recipe FAQs
Fresh fruit salad is best served within the first few hours of preparing since the fruit will get broken down by the acid in the dressing and become more soft and mushy if made too far in advance.
Adding a salad dressing with citric acid (i.e. orange juice, lemon juice or lime juice) helps to prevent the fruit from browning. The citric acid slows down the oxidation on the surface of the fruit, keeping it more fresh and vibrant.
The dressing is optional but it helps prevent the fruit from turning brown. If you would like a less sweet fruit salad, reduce the amount of honey used in the dressing.
Storage Guidelines
This winter fruit salad is best served soon after preparation. However, if you have leftovers, store the fruit salad covered in the bowl in the fridge or in an airtight container for 1-2 days. The fruit will start to get more mushy the longer it’s stored.
What to Serve with Holiday Fruit Salad
This Christmas fruit salad is right at home with all of your brunch favorites, including sweet and savory options, like breakfast casserole, baked oatmeal, high protein cinnamon rolls, waffles or bacon and eggs. It also makes a beautiful dessert or side for Christmas dinner or holiday potlucks.
Serve it with a dollop of yogurt fruit dip or whipped cream for a fancier touch, or try it as a side dish with any of the following:
- Pesto Breakfast Sandwich
- High Protein Breakfast Casserole
- Turkey Sausage Egg Muffins
- Mini Egg Bites
- Mini Crustless Quiches
- Banana Protein Pancakes
- Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
Recipe Variations
- Use different fruits: Feel free to use any seasonal fruits available to you. Some good red fruits to consider include red apples, red grapes, raspberries, etc. For a special treat, you can also add maraschino cherries! For green, try green grapes, green apples, or honeydew.
- Cut out shapes: Use a small cookie cutter to cut out stars or other shapes in the pears, kiwi or fresh pineapple for an extra fancy touch.
- Lower sugar: Use half the amount of honey to lower the sugar content or omit it altogether.
- To make vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey.
- Sprinkle with shredded unsweetened coconut: To add a snow effect, sprinkle the finished winter fruit salad with unsweetened shredded coconut.
More Delicious Fruit Ideas
- Watermelon Christmas Trees
- Healthy Christmas Snacks
- Christmas Wreath Salad
- Rainbow Fruit Tray
- Halloween Fruit Tray Ideas
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries With Nuts
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Easy Christmas Fruit Salad – So Festive!
Ingredients
For the fruit salad:
- 5 green kiwis, peeled, quartered and sliced
- 4 Bartlett pears, diced
- 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate arils
- 5 Mandarin oranges, peeled and divided
For the orange juice dressing:
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2-4 tablespoons honey (adjust depending on how sweet you like your fruit salad)
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil (optional for added richness)
Instructions
- Add the kiwi, pears, strawberries, pomegranate arils and mandarin oranges to a large serving bowl.
- In a small mixing bowl or jar, whisk together the orange juice, honey, and oil (if using).
- Pour over fruit and toss to evenly coat with dressing. Allow it to sit for several minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Do not use kiwis that are on the mushier side, since they won’t hold their shape very well when you cut them up and mix them in the salad. Instead, opt for ripe yet still slightly firm kiwis.
- You can keep the peel on the pears or remove it. I had a few brown spots on the peel of my pears so I decided to remove it, but it’s a personal preference.
- To save time, purchase pomegranate arils that have already been removed from the pomegranate.
- Adjust the amount of honey used depending on how sweet your fruit is. If it tends to be more on the sour side, you may wish to increase the amount of honey used.
- If using the olive oil for extra richness, be sure to use a very mild tasting olive oil. Avoid extra-virgin olive oil since tends to have a stronger flavour which will alter the taste of the fruit salad.
- For the best taste and presentation, serve this salad shortly after preparing it. If the salad has been sitting in the dressing for a while, the acid in the dressing will start to break down the fruit, giving it a mushier consistency similar to canned fruit. This salad is best served fresh.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in December 2022 and was updated in December 2024 to include more helpful tips and photos.
