Berry Fruit Salad

Berry Fruit Salad is a delicious and nutritious way to start off your day! Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, this colorful combination of fruits is easy to make in advance for quick breakfasts on busy mornings.

Berries like strawberries, raspberries, and mandarin oranges make for an easy treat once they have been tossed with the homemade citrus mint dressing.

Why Make Fruit Salad? 

• It's easy to customize this fresh fruit salad to incorporate any of the fruit you have on hand
• This summer berry fruit salad is a refreshing side or desser on those hot summer days 
• It's an easy way to get more fruit into everyone's daily intake
• This perfect side dish comes together in just a few minutes 
• The hardest part is waiting for the fresh berries to chill and soak up all the yummy dressing

Ingredients

Get more information on the following ingredients for the summer berry salad in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

Berry Fruit Salad:

• strawberries, quartered makes it easier to enjoy them instead of leaving them whole in the fruit salad
• raspberries- these are best if you leave them whole. If you cut them up, they'll start releasing their juices faster and they'll make a soggy salad
• mandarin orange slices - you can use the canned versions, fresh oranges cut up, or the ones in the kids fruit cups with the juices drained

Citrus Mint Dressing:

• mint extract- this can usually be found in the baking aisle near the vanilla extract
• lemon juice- fresh squeezed lemon juice provides the most flavor
• water
• vanilla syrup - this is usually in the baking asile but can be made at home with vanilla extract, water, and granulated sugar
• strawberry glaze- strawberry glaze or strawberry syrup works nicely

Garnish:

• Fresh Mint leaves- these are usually found in the fresh herbs section of the produce area in your local grocery store
• Sugar- this can be optional so you can keep this healthy without it or sweeten it up to make the perfect snack

How to Make Berry Fruit Salad:

In a large bowl, add the fresh strawberries, raspberries, the slices of mandarin orange and mix together with a wooden spoon.

In a separate smaller bowl, add everything for the dressing- the water, lemon juice, mint extract, vanilla syrup, and strawberry glaze. Then whisk it all together until it is completely combined.

Carefully, pour the homemade dressing over the fruit mixture in the large mixing bowl and coat. Use a wooden spoon to mix again.

Cover the fruit mixture in the big bowl and put it in the refrigerator for 1 hour to let the fruit soak up the dressing.

Remove from the fridge and serve fruit salad. Garnish with mint leaves and sugar, if desired.

Storage

The Berry Fruit Salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. Be sure to store it in an airtight container or wrap it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

What other dressing can I use? 

Instead of the citrus mint dressing, you can make a honey lime dressing that is very refreshing and another healthy alternative made from fresh lime juice and local honey.

For more citrus flavor to the original dressing, add some lemon zest or lime zest. 

What other fruit can I add to the mixed berry salad? 

You can add any of your favorite, ripe fruit and it doesn't have to be just berries. Cherries and apple slices would also be nice to add to this simple berry salad.

Blueberries, watermelon, and blackberries would also work nicely in this easy fruit salad recipe. Try adding some fresh pineapple and kiwi to make a kiwi berry fruit salad! 

Can I make this ahead of time? 

Yes. This really takes just a few minutes to throw together, but leaving it for an hour in the fridge helps the dressing have time to soak in.

So, I would say you can make this the night before, but wait to add the dressing until about an hour before you plan to serve this fruit salad.

You can mix the fruits and one bowl and make the dressing in a separate container and then store them separately until an hour before serving. 

​Can I use frozen fruit?

For these fruit salad with the summer berries, for best results, i suggest using fresh fruit over frozen fruit.

If using frozen fruits, you may find that your refreshing berry fruit salad gets runny and some of the fruit may lose its ripe, juiciness. Fresh fruit makes the perfect dessert with vibrant colors and incredible fruit salad dressing.

Tips and Variations 

• If adding fruits that brown in this fresh berry salad, like apples, you will want to make sure they get covered with lemon juice that acts as a natural anti-browning agent. 
• Serve this mixed berry fruit salad over top of a scoop of fresh vanilla ice cream or enjoy a big scoop of it with homemade whipped topping or Cool Whip. You could also serve it with these Strawberry Cupcakes!
• Be sure to wash your berries and pat them dry before assembling the berry salad recipe.
• This salad us a great way to enjoy your favorite berries when they're nice and fresh and in season. But, this can be enjoyed any time of year but may not be as fresh and flavorful as when the berries are in season. 
• For a nice crunch in your summer fruit salad, you can try adding in some poppy seeds, chia seeds, toasted coconut flakes, or sliced nuts like sliced almonds or cashews.
• If you enjoyed this easy berry fruit salad recipe, you need to try these Mixed Berry Cheesecake Bars!

📖 Recipe