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The post How To Make Fruit Salad Dressing appeared first on Family Dinners.

]]> Have you ever wondered how to make fruit salad dressing? Our delicious fall fruit salad dressing is super quick and easy to make and adds immense flavor to any fresh fruit salad blend. Spiced fruit salad dressing is a combination of orange juice, sugar, orange and lemon zest as well as apple pie spice. Simply combine the ingredients, simmer, strain and cool. This is the best fruit salad dressing. It will bring your fruit salads to the next level and make even the harshest fruit critics go for seconds and thirds.

dressing being poured over fruit salad
Fall Fruit Salad

What is Fruit Salad Dressing?

Fruit salad dressing is generally a blend of three main ingredients. Firstly, a sweetener, such as sugar, honey or maple syrup. Secondly, freshly squeezed citrus juice, such as lemon juice, lime juice or orange juice. And thirdly, citrus zest and spices, such as cinnamon, apple pie spice or ginger. Fruit salad dressing adds incredible flavor to a summer fruit salad or fall fruit salad and even makes it last longer. Whip up this easy fruit salad recipe with for favorite combination of fruit and this easy dressing.

dressing being poured over fruit in a bowl

Why You’ll Love This

  • Notable: sweet, citrusy and full of warm fall spices
  • Main Ingredients: orange juice, sugar, apple pie spice, lemon zest, orange zest
  • Cooking Method: stovetop
  • Cooking Time: 5 minutes
  • Pairs well with: all kinds of fruit salad blends — pour over your favorite fruit salads
  • Diets: gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan
  • Special Equipment Needed: small saucepan, zester, whisk
zesting lemon into the saucepan with the dressing ingredients
strained thanksgiving fruit salad dressing in a glass

Ingredients

You may have all of these fall fruit salad dressing ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts and print the recipe.

  • Pantry Ingredients: sugar
  • Refrigerated/Frozen Ingredients: orange juice
  • Produce Ingredients: orange zest and lemon zest
  • Spices: apple pie spice
  • Fruit Mixture: For best results use your favorite fruits, enough to fill a large bowl. We suggest cutting fruits into bite sized pieces. Use ripe fruits for a fresh flavor. Suggested fruits include: stone fruits like peaches or nectarines, apples, red grapes, green grapes, pears, oranges, fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries, mangoes, pineapple chunks, papaya or avocado.

Variations:

Orange Juice: Substitute the orange juice for fresh lime juice, pineapple juice or apple juice.

Sugar: Substitute white sugar for brown sugar (light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work).

Spices: Try a pumpkin pie spice instead of apple pie spice.

Zest: Substitute for lime zest.

ingredients for thanksgiving fruit salad

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: This flavorful fruit salad dressing pairs really well with our Fall Fruit Salad for Thanksgiving and Christmas. A nutrient-dense fruit blend with apples, oranges, grapes, pecans and dried cranberries.

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Fine-mesh strainer – This helps remove any small spice particles that you don’t want in your finished fruit salad.

Instructions

This section shows how to make fruit salad dressing on the stovetop, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. You can print the recipe with or without photos.

COMBINE INGREDIENTS: In a small saucepan, mix orange juice, sugar, apple pie spice, zest of 1 lemon and zest of 1 orange.

mixing dressing ingredients in a small saucepan
whisking fruit salad dressing in a saucepan

COOK: Place over medium heat. Whisk to combine. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

straining fruit salad dressing through a fine mesh strainer
strained thanksgiving fruit salad dressing in a glass

STRAIN: Strain in a fine mesh strainer and cool completely.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: Fruit salad doesn’t always have to be sweet. Stef’s delicious Peach Burrata Salad with Cherries, Pistachios and Berries combines refreshing flavors from berries, cherries, fresh peaches, and creamy burrata cheese!

Make Ahead

This delicious fruit salad dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Cool it completely, transfer to an airtight container or jam jar and store in the fridge until ready to use.

How To Pick Fruit For A Fruit Salad

When you are choosing fruit for a fruit salad make sure you pick lots of different colored fruit. The more colorful a fruit salad is the more scrumptious it looks. Different textures are also a plus, such as crunchy apples, soft berries or juicy oranges. Moreover, combining lots of different kids of fruit ensures a great variety of nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and fiber. Tip: Use your favorite fresh fruit! Or try to stick to seasonal fruit. Cut enough to fill a big bowl.

Some good choices for our favorite fresh fruits for fruit salad are:

  • apples and pears
  • oranges and mandarin oranges
  • berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
  • seedless grapes
  • melons (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew)
  • peaches and nectarines
  • tropical fruit (pineapple, kiwi, mango, papaya)

Additionally, you can add toasted nuts for some crunch. We like using pecans, walnuts or almonds. Dried cranberries, poppy seeds, chia seeds or fresh herbs, like basil or fresh mint, for example, are also popular add-ins for fruit salad.

Stef says….

Mangos are a sweet, tropical super fruit packed with over 20 different vitamins and minerals. While I love eating it plain, it also tastes fantastic in a fruit salad. If you ever wondered how to cut a mango, then take a look at my post and you will be an expert in no time.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best fall fruit salad dressing.

  • Tip: Use organic oranges for zest. To avoid ingesting harmful pesticides or additives try to use organic citrus fruits for zesting.
  • Tip: Use freshly squeezed orange juice. Freshly squeezed orange juice produces the best dressing.
  • Tip: Don’t skip straining the dressing. This way you wont end up with bigger spice parts or zest in your finished salad. Those might make it look unappetizing.

How To Store

Room Temperature: You can leave the ready made dressing on the counter if you are planning on using it within a couple of hours.

Refrigerate: If you are not using the dressing right away, or in case you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container or jam jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Leftover fruit salad that is already mixed with the dressing will store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days though the fruit will lose freshness after 1-2 days. It is best to eat the next day.

dressing being poured over fruit in a bowl

Where To Serve Fruit Salad

Fruit salads are easy to make ahead or take to your next event. Consider making it for one of these:

Showers: Bridal showers or baby showers are a great place to serve a sweet fruit salad.

Cookout: A fruit salad is a beautiful dish for a summer BBQ or backyard summer cookouts. It makes the perfect summer side dish.

Holiday Meal: These are a great addition to a traditional holiday meal.

Common Questions

How do I zest a lemon without a lemon zester?

It’s not a problem if you don’t own a lemon zester. You can also use the fine side of a box grater to rub off the lemon zest. Another way to zest a lemon is using a vegetable peeler. First, peel off very thin slices of lemon peel (avoid the white part) and then chop the lemon peel finely on a cutting board with a knife.

Is it ok to substitute any other sweeteners for the white sugar?

Yes. In fact, you can use any sweetener that you prefer. You could try honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or coconut sugar. Flavor as well as the degree of sweetness may vary a bit using another sweetener.

Should I use store bought or freshly squeezed orange juice for this dressing?

We prefer freshly squeezed orange juice for this dressing, but you can also use store bought in a pinch.

dressing being poured over fruit in a bowl
Print

Fall Fruit Salad Dressing Recipe

Skip the creamy, heavy sauces and learn how to make this easy to make fruit salad dressing full of citrus flavor and fall spices.
Course Dessert, Side Dish
Cuisine American, vegan, vegetarian
Diet Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword how to make fruit salad dressing, recipe for fruit salad dressing, what to serve with fruit salad
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 portion
Calories 250kcal
Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

  • small saucepan
  • whisk
  • fine-mesh strainer

Ingredients

  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon apple pie spice
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • zest of 1 orange

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, mix orange juice, sugar, apple pie spice, zest of 1 lemon and zest of 1 orange.
    mixing dressing ingredients in a small saucepan
  • Place over medium heat. Whisk to combine. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
    whisking fruit salad dressing in a saucepan
  • Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
    straining fruit salad dressing through a fine mesh strainer
  • Cool completely and store in the fridge until ready to use.
    strained thanksgiving fruit salad dressing in a glass

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 60g | Vitamin A: 249IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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