Creamy Fruit Salad

Creamy Fruit Salad is deliciously creamy, surprisingly light, and not too sweet. This is a very easy fruit salad recipe to make, with fruit cocktail and other tasty ingredients! This is our favorite Holiday and special occasion side salad recipe.

Creamy Fruit Salad

This fruit salad recipe is rich, creamy, and has just the right amount of sweetness. I really like the simplicity of this recipe, and it can be jazzed up as you like with other add-ins.

This is a family recipe from my late husband's side. When I first tasted it, I was surprised! I had never had a fruit salad like this before, and it was so creamy and had a savory hint to it.

Ingredients in this Fruit Salad Recipe

This delicious 4-ingredient salad is made with pantry staples like fruit cocktail and mandarin oranges, and made extra luscious with cream cheese and whipped topping.

Tips & Variations

• Use fruit in juice, not heavy syrup for a lighter version.
• Add mini marshmallows or shredded coconut for a more classic ambrosia-style fruit salad.
• Add in some chopped nuts, such as pecans for a nice crunch (add just before serving).
• Fresh pineapple chunks, halved grapes, or fresh strawberries make for a more customized mix.
• To make it even richer, fold in a spoonful of sour cream or vanilla yogurt with the cream cheese.

It is a wonderful Thanksgiving fruit salad recipe. With such a heavy meal, the lightness of this salad is so nice.

How to Make This Fruit Salad

1. Add the cream cheese to a bowl and mix it until smooth and fluffy.
2. Add the whipped topping and fold it in.
3. Mix in the drained fruit.
4. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Make Ahead

• You can make this fruit salad up to a day in advance. Keep it tightly covered in the fridge and give it a gentle stir before serving.
• Garnish right before serving.

Creamy Fruit Salad Storage Tips

• Refrigerate: Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge. It should be refrigerated within 2 hours of serving.
• Shelf Life: Best enjoyed within 2–3 days. The texture may start to change after that as the fruit releases more juice and the creamy base thins out.
• Do Not Freeze: This salad doesn't freeze well. The texture of the whipped topping and fruit becomes watery and grainy after thawing.
• Stir Before Serving: If stored overnight or longer, give it a gentle stir before serving to redistribute the cream and fruit.

It's hard for me to decide if this is a dessert salad, or if it's more of a side dish fruit salad. I tend to treat it as a side dish because it isn't overly sweet.

This easy fruit salad goes with anything on the Thanksgiving, Holiday, or potluck table!

Here are a few more Fruit Desserts to try:
Fresh Plum Cake
Yogurt Parfait
Easy Apple Galette
Instant Pot Baked Apples
Fresh Fruit Pizza

5 from 1 vote

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Creamy Fruit Salad

Prep Time

10 mins

Chill Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

 

This Fruit Salad is deliciously creamy, and not too sweet. It's easy to make, with fruit cocktail and other tasty ingredients! This is our favorite Holiday and special occasion fruit salad recipe.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: whipped cream fruit salad

Servings: 6

Calories: 267 kcal

Author: Sandy Clifton

Ingredients

• 2 cans Fruit Cocktail in Light Syrup, well drained
• 1 can Mandarin Oranges, well drained
• 1 (8 oz) block Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 1 (8 oz) tub Whipped Topping, thawed
• Maraschino Cherries, optional garnish

Instructions

1. Drain the cans of fruit and let them sit in the strainer while you make the creamy dressing. The drier the fruit, the better.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is creamy and fluffy.

3. Fold in the tub of whipped topping. Mix well.

4. Add the fruit cocktail and ⅔ of the Mandarin oranges. Gently mix.

5. Garnish with the extra slices of Mandarin oranges, and Maraschino cherries, if you have any.

6. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.