Honey-Lemon Fruit Cocktail Salad

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Honey-Lemon Fruit Cocktail Salad tastes just like a fruit cocktail–just without the can or all the extra refined sugars. Honey and lemon juice elevate this fruit salad to something extra-special.

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The Secret to a Delicious Fruit Salad

I have tasted my fair share of fruit salads–with whipped cream and without, with no dressing and packed with flavor…

But the most delicious salads (by far!) have been ones with a simple, unassuming dressing of citrus and honey.

Though the method of including the citrus has varied (think zest vs. juice), the tang it has lent to the salad has been unmistakable.

A few years ago, my eldest sister introduced me to a recipe for fruit salad with a zested lime. And man! I was in love!

Because I rarely have fresh limes just sitting around in my kitchen (as cool as that would be), I have experimented with my own versions of that recipe for years.

And today’s recipe for Honey-Lime Fruit Cocktail Salad is the delicious result of those experiments.

Fruit Cocktail Salad without Canned Fruit Cocktail

If you’ve ever tasted fruit cocktail, you know the thickness of the syrup. What you might not have realized (or wanted to know) as you were chowing down on that tasty concoction is that the syrup owes its thick texture to a ton of refined sugar or sugar syrup products.

For a “crunchy” cook, even the name “fruit cocktail” sets off alarm bells.

But the good news today is that you don’t have to lose out on the tastiness of fruit cocktail just because it comes in a can packed with sugar. Instead, there is a way to make fruit cocktail salad without all the nasty refined sugars.

Ingredients for Fruit Cocktail Salad with Honey and Lemon

2 cups chopped Gala apples (about 2 medium-sized apples)
1 1/2 cups chopped Mandarin oranges (fresh, not canned)
1 banana, sliced in half lengthwise and then into coins (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. honey (we prefer linden honey for this recipe)

How to Make Honey-Lemon Fruit Cocktail Salad

1. Mix the apples, mandarin oranges, and banana together in a bowl.
2. Add the lemon juice and honey and mix well.
3. Stir in the raspberries.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the juices to mix well.
5. Serve cold. Enjoy!

How to Store Homemade Fruit Cocktail

This fruit salad is made with all-fresh fruit ingredients. Thus, it will not last much longer than a day or two in the refrigerator. It is best served the same day that you make it.

Can You Freeze Fruit Cocktail Salad?

I highly recommend against this. Freezing fruit cocktail salad will completely change the texture of the fruit.

There is one case in which I would make an exception, however: making a smoothie. If your goal in freezing this fruit salad is to make a smoothie with it later, then by all means go ahead! This salad will freeze well and taste fantastic when blended up with a bit of coconut water!

How to Keep Fruit Salad from Turning Brown

One of the biggest downsides to fruit salad prep is that it often turns brown long before it’s time to sit down at the table. And who wants a mushy brown banana salad?

The key to preserving the vibrant colors of the fresh fruit and to warding off all browning is to mix the fruit with a bit of citrus juice or citrus zest.

In this recipe, we use lemon juice to keep the apples and bananas from changing color, and it works like a charm.

Variations to This Recipe

Try any one of these ingredients to make this salad your own:

• chopped/slivered nuts
• cherries or strawberries
• a dollop of homemade whipped cream

Closing Thoughts

Ok, friends. I love hosting you at our virtual “table.” If you ever get a chance to join us for a real dinner, though, it will be a thousand times better, and you will very likely find this Fruit Cocktail Salad on the menu.

When you try this recipe in your kitchen, don’t forget to tag #thesantoscookbook on social media so we can enjoy it with you. 🙂

And if you’re looking for more meal inspiration, check out this fantastic recipes:

• Brazilian Chicken Coxinha
• Homemade Applesauce with Honey

Pass it along!