This Thanksgiving Fruit Salad is the perfect fruit side dish for thanksgiving. It’s a fluffy, creamy, crowd-pleaser that’s welcomed at any holiday meal.
Looking for a fruit side dish for the big feast? You’re in the right place! This fruit salad is EASY-to-make from scratch with no Jell-O or Cool-Whip in sight.
(PS – It’s my kids favorite part of Thanksgiving!)
To me Thanksgiving is all about the sides and the side line-up wouldn’t be complete without a creamy, fruit salad.
This thanksgiving fruit salad is my favorite combination – with sweet chunks of pineapple, mandarin oranges, cherries, grapes and bananas.
It is a crowd-pleaser and always one of the first dishes to go at any get-together!
You also might like this easter fruit salad or 4th of july fruit salad!
Why You’ll LOVE fruit salad for a Thanksgiving side!
- Make-ahead dish
- Perfect balance of sweet and tart
- Creamy
- Kid-approved
- Best way to add a fruit side to your spread!
For more Thanksgiving sides, try this gluten-free sweet potato casserole, this gluten-free stuffing or this gluten-free cornbread stuffing. You also might like this full collection of gluten-free thanksgiving desserts.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pineapple Custard: This recipe includes an easy, homemade custard made with pineapple juice from the canned pineapple.
- Whipped cream: Use the real deal! This is a no cool-whip fruit salad.
- Cherries: You want to use jarred or canned cherries packed in juice. You don’t want cherry pie filling or cherry topping. Royal Anne cherries are best if you can find them!
- Apples/Banana: Save these two to add right before you serve the salad so they don’t get brown.
How to Make It
- In the bowl of a double boiler, combine the pineapple juice, lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch and butter.
- Set over a double boiler and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. This usually takes 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before adding to the fruit salad.
- Combine all the ingredients except the whipped cream and bananas. Fold in the cooled pineapple custard and whipped cream.
- Refrigerate overnight.
Before serving you’ll add the apples and banana. This way they’ll stay fresh and not brown.
Tips for Making Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
- What makes this salad especially special is the addition of marshmallows that get soft and sponge-like as the salad sits overnight. Be sure to let it sit for at least 6 hours.
- Use the right kind of cherries! You want jarred or canned cherries packed in thin, liquid juice. Do not use cherry pie filling or topping.
- This fruit salad is incredibly versatile! You can use any fruit you have on hand. I also sometimes like to add 1/2 cup shredded coconut.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
If you try this recipe be sure to leave me a comment/rating below! I’d also be happy to help with any questions. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
Video
Ingredients
For the Pineapple Custard:
- 3 tablespoons pineapple juice from the can of Dole Pineapple Chunks
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the Fruit Salad:
- 20 oz pineapple tidbits drained (save 3 tablespoons for the pineapple custard)
- 1 cup jarred cherries drained (not cherry pie filling or topping)
- 15 oz mandarin oranges drained
- 1 cup grapes
- 2 cups marshmallows mini or large (halved if using large)
- 1 cup whipped cream beat into firm peaks
- 2 bananas sliced
- 1 green apple diced
Instructions
For the Pineapple Custard:
- In the bowl of a double boiler, combine the pineapple juice, lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch and butter.
- Set over a double boiler and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. This usually takes 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before adding to the fruit salad.
For the Fruit Salad:
- Combine all ingredients except the whipped cream, bananas, and apples. Fold in the cooled pineapple custard and whipped cream.
- Refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours. Add the sliced bananas and apples just before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- What makes this salad especially special is the addition of marshmallows that get soft and sponge-like as the salad sits overnight. Be sure to let it sit for at least 6 hours.
- Use the right kind of cherries! You want jarred or canned cherries packed in thin, liquid juice. Do not use cherry pie filling or topping.
- This fruit salad is incredibly versatile! You can use any fruit you have on hand. I also sometimes like to add 1/2 cup shredded coconut.
made this for our Thanksgiving brunch. was a hit. Didn’t add bananas because get mushy in leftovers. Easy salad to put together and especially the day before. Yummy
Hi Barbara, thanks for the review! Happy to hear your Thanksgiving guests enjoyed it!
Hi Erin! In the instructions section for the fruit salad, step one says to combine all ingredients except the whipped cream and bananas. Then step two says to add bananas and apples just before serving. Are we adding apples with the bananas before serving, or are those getting mixed in with everything else in step one?
Hi Kala, sorry for the confusion! Add the apples and bananas just before serving—otherwise they turn brown.
Mine is pretty runny even after draining all fruits but I used tidbits bc I was confused with what recipe says. Will it thicken at all over night?
Hi Katie, yes, hopefully it will thicken a bit in the fridge, although it is important to drain them well. But you’re right, tidbits are what the recipe calls for. Hope you enjoy the salad!
Is nutrition information per recipe or serving. If serving looks like 72 net carbs.
Hi Cheri, nutritional facts are by serving. For this one, it would be by serving if you divide the recipe into 6 servings specifically. We hope you enjoy the fruit salad!
I have a question regarding the pineapple juice/chunks/tidbits. Instructions say use the juice from a can of pineapple chunks. As far as I can see the chunks aren’t mentioned again we are to add pineapple tidbits to the salad. So, do we just use the juice from the chunk can and not the chunks or do we add the chunks and the tidbits together? Thank you!
Hi Kris, sorry for the confusion! Chunks and tidbits were used interchangeably. The recipe just needs one 20 oz can of pineapple chunks. You’ll drain the juice from the can of pineapple chunks and use 3 tablespoons of juice in the custard, then use the actual pineapple in the fruit salad. We hope this helps!
Best fruit salad hand down!! Yummy!
It will be a repeat for Christmas!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Polly. We hope it’s a hit at Christmas too! Thank you for your positive feedback!
When do you add the whipped cream. Someofus are bachelors who havent made tbis kind of stuff. We need specific instructions. Are we adding the whipped cream with the bananas?
Hi James, you’ll beat the whipping cream into stiff peaks and then fold it into the fruit salad when you add the pineapple custard. You can find it in step 1 of the “for the fruit salad” instructions: “Combine all the ingredients except the whipped cream and bananas. Fold in the cooled pineapple custard and whipped cream.” We hope this helps!
Can I use something else instead of the cornstarch? I have family members who are allergic to it.
Hi Layne, we haven’t tested it, but our first pick would be to try potato starch in place of the cornstarch. Tapioca starch or arrowroot may work well too. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
This reply doesn’t make sense. I am still confused about when to add the whipped cream. It says “combine all the ingredients except for the whipped cream and bananas” then says “fold in the pineapple custard and whipped cream” right after that. So when do we add the whipped cream?
Hi Olivia, sorry for the confusion! You’ll add the whipped cream right the step that says “combine all ingredients except for the whipped cream and bananas.” For clarity: combine the pineapple, cherries, oranges, grapes, and marshmallows. Then fold in the cooled pineapple custard and whipped cream.
Hi if I buy heavy whipping cream do I add anything to it to make it sweet or just whip it? Thank you!
Hi Megan, we just whip it by itself. If you’d like it sweeter, you can whip in some powdered sugar too. Or even add vanilla. It’s really up to preference. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Looking to make this recipe for Thanksgiving.
is the jarred cherries maraschino cherries?
Thank-you!
Hi Renata, good question! We’d recommend canned pitted cherries, not maraschino cherries. We hope you enjoy the fruit salad!
Came out really good! Was a big hit for Thanksgiving. Thank you.