15-Minute Fresh Fruit Salad

Learn how to make a Fresh Fruit Salad with pineapple and berries in 15 minutes from a dietitian! This easy fruit salad recipe will quickly become your new 'go to' for school lunches, snacks and side dishes!

I'll even show you how to cut a pineapple without waste!

This homemade fruit salad is one of my favorite recipes that I've been making for years. It's an easy recipe made with a variety of fruit that can be served on busy weeknights, at a summer bbq, or even at Easter brunch.

In fact, it's so pretty that I've even served it in a glass trifle bowl and used it as the centerpiece. I'm all about keeping things simple 🙂

And don't let the thought of cutting your own pineapple intimidate you. I have step-by step instructions down below showing you just how easy it is to do. Besides, buying a whole pineapple is much less expensive than buying it pre-cut. 🤩

If you are looking for more fruit-based recipes that kids love, check out my mango avocado toast, tropical blue smoothie bowl, and strawberry goat cheese salad recipes. They are all kid approved!

😍Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Simple Recipe Unlike an ambrosia salad that's made with mandarin oranges and cool whip, this simple fruit salad recipe is made with fresh fruit and that's it! No dressing, no maple syrup, and no cool whip added. 😅
• Meal Prep This is the best fruit salad for meal prepping because it makes a lot and still tastes amazing even when served the next day.
• Quick and Healthy Eat it by itself, with plain Greek yogurt, or make a fruit and yogurt parfait. It's such an easy snack or side dish that can be served with everything from a breakfast sandwich on busy mornings to veggie wraps for lunch, to grilled chicken or quesadillas on busy weeknights.
• Naturally Sweetened Thankfully, there is no need to add juice, maple syrup, or make a sweet dressing to make a good fruit salad. The juice from a ripe pineapple creates a natural dressing all on its own.
• Kid-Approved Perfect for school lunches! Just be sure to pack it in an airtight container with a leak-proof lid.
• Perfect side dish This can be served with pretty much anything and is a great option for kids with most food allergies (gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free).

💁‍♀️Dietitian Tip

🥭Recipe Variations

• Use red grapes or green seedless grapes instead of berries. Red grapes add more color, but either can be used.
• To make more of a tropical fruit salad, use mango and kiwi fruit in place of berries. Cutting mango and kiwi will take longer than washing berries but it will still taste delicious.

🍓Ingredient Notes

• Pineapple For best results, use a good pineapple that is nice and sweet. You can use pre-cut fresh pineapple to save time. Pineapple contains manganese, copper, vitamins (including vitamin C), and fiber. It also contains bromelain, an enzyme that is thought to help with digestion and reduce inflammation.
• Fresh Berries Use a variety of fresh berries to make a delicious fruit salad. I almost always use fresh strawberries and then change up the other berries. Blackberries, blueberries, and (or) raspberries. They are all high in anthocyanins, fiber, and vitamins and they are all delicious!

👩‍🍳How to Make Fresh Fruit Salad

Here's a quick overview of the steps to make this fruit salad. For the full list of ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe.

1. Place pineapple pieces in a large bowl. If you are cutting up your pineapple, be sure to use a sharp knife. For specific instructions on how I cut up a pineapple, scroll down to the section titled How to Cut a Pineapple Without Waste.
2. Use a fine mesh colander to rinse and drain the berries.
3. If using strawberries, slice or quarter them. Set aside.
4. Put berries on top of pineapple pieces and carefully mix berries in with the pineapple.
5. Serve and enjoy!

💡Helpful Tips

• I have found Aldi to have the best prices on pineapple and organic berries.
• To save time, buy pre-cut pineapple pieces.
• The juice from freshly cut pineapple blends adds enough liquid and sweetness to the fruit. For this reason, an extra 'dressing' or 'syrup' is not needed.
• Pineapple does take a little work to cut. Consider this as a way to increase your level of N.E.A.T (non-exercise activity thermogenesis), lol!
• Use ripe fruit for the best flavor.
• Do not use moldy berries. In fact, moldy berries should not be eaten by anyone.
• I often soak berries in a vinegar water bath (vinegar mixed with water) for about two minutes before I rinse them because it helps remove any potential mold and bacteria.
• If you choose to soak the berries in a vinegar bath first, be sure to rinse them well with water after removing them from the vinegar water bath so they will not taste like vinegar.

❓Questions You May Have

🍍How to Cut a Pineapple Without Waste

Using a sharp knife is key to making this and easy and quick process. I like to use my bread knife for cutting pineapple. Otherwise, a sharp chef's knife will do the trick.

• Place the pineapple on it's side and slice off the top and bottom inch of the pineapple.

• Next, cut the pineapple into four sections, cutting lengthwise along each side of the core.

Related Recipes

• Fruit Kabobs
• Chocolate Dipped Pineapple
• Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
• Fruit Smoothies

Did your kids love this Fresh Fruit Salad? Please leave a 5-star rating below or a review in the comments section!

Don't forget to snap a pic of their beautiful bowl of fresh fruit and tag @carrots.and.cookies on Instagram so I can see it. Enjoy!