Brighten up your winter mornings with this easy Christmas fruit salad recipe with orange juice and honey! This is one of those recipes you can easily throw together at the last minute, yet somehow turns out fancy enough for Christmas morning or even your holiday meal. The homemade citrus dressing makes those fresh fruits pop! {Gluten-free, dairy-free & vegetarian}
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My Go-To Easy Christmas Fruit Salad Recipe
As a Registered Dietitian and mom of two, I’m always looking for ways to serve up more fruits and veggies. With rich slow cooker ham or Christmas beef roast, the traditional holiday dinner could definitely use some more produce, and I don’t mean those creamy fruit salads with whipped cream or mayo.
This version uses a beautiful variety of red and green fruits (plus some mandarin oranges) and uses a simple citrus dressing to keep it light and bright!
For more Christmas fruit ideas, check out this Christmas Fruit Wreath, Fruit Christmas Tree and Chocolate Dipped Oranges!
Why This Holiday Fruit Salad Recipe Works So Well
- Super simple and easy to throw together
- Great flavor everyone loves – it’s a crowd pleaser!
- Created 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.
- 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: 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 My Favorite Fruit Salad for Christmas Morning
- 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.
Scroll to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Tips for the Best Christmas Fruit Salad
- 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 flavor which will alter the taste of the fruit salad.
Storage Guidelines
Since it’s made with lots of fresh fruits, this winter fruit salad is best served soon after preparation.
However, if you have leftovers, cover the serving bowl with plastic wrap and pop it in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. The fruit will start to get more mushy the longer it’s stored.
What to Serve with this Holiday Fruit Salad
This festive 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 this high protein breakfast casserole.
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!
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 salad with unsweetened shredded coconut.
More Holiday Fruit Ideas
If you want to get even more fruit on your holiday table, try these adorable Watermelon Christmas Trees, which my kids like to make on their own!
They absolutely love these Healthy Christmas Snacks, which I pop into their lunch boxes or we make them together during the holiday season!
Or, you can add a mixture of fruits, veggies, and greens to your meal with this Christmas Wreath Salad. It’s light, fresh, and a great way to sneak in some more produce.
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Christmas Fruit Salad
Video
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.
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. The text, formatting and ingredient shot was updated again in December 2025.
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