Delicious Fruit Salad Dressing (3 minutes!)

Name: Delicious Fruit Salad Dressing (3 minutes!)
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp orange zest (from 1 large orange); 3 tbsp fresh orange juice (from 1 large orange); 1 tsp lime zest (from 1 lime); 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (from 1-2 limes); 2 tbsp honey; 2 tbsp poppy seed dressing (any brand)

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This easy Fruit Salad Dressing is addictively good! Made with just 4 ingredients, it’s a zesty dressing packed with fresh citrus, honey, and poppy seeds. Hands down the best way to add a sweet and tangy flare to your homemade fruit salad with minimal effort.

White jar pouring dressing for fruit salad onto a large bowl of fresh fruit. — Add the dressing right before serving to keep the fruit from becoming soggy.

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🏅Why it's great!
🍊 Ingredients
🔪 How to make fruit salad dressing
🍓Best fruit for fruit salad
🙋 Questions and Answers
👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks
📖 More summer side dish recipes
👋🏻 Connect with us!
📋 Recipe
💬 Comments

What can you put on fruit to make it taste better? Fruit salad dressing! A tangy, creamy sauce is the easiest way to take your fresh fruit salad from yummy to YUMMY. Speaking from experience, it will be a huge hit at your next party.

This recipe is an orange poppy seed dressing with an extra splash of lime juice and honey for more flavor. Another one of our favorites is this Easy Fruit Salad Recipe with Bright Honey Lime Dressing. Take your pick… both are delicious!

🏅Why it's great!

Take loads of fresh fruit and add a delicious fruit salad dressing! It’s as simple as that. The best part is that this recipe is:

Only 4 ingredients
Sweet and tangy
Great for entertaining
Can be made ahead
Healthy side dish (or healthy dessert)

🍊 Ingredients

Orange: You will need fresh zest and orange juice.
Lime: You will need fresh lime zest and lime juice. I would not substitute lemon juice.
Honey: Just a hint of honey to add sweetness.
Poppy seed dressing: This makes the dressing a bit creamy and adds an extra layer of flavor. Any brand from the grocery store will do. Use up the leftovers in this addictive Autumn Chopped Salad recipe!

🔪 How to make fruit salad dressing

Zest the citrus: For easy zesting, use a microplane (affiliate).
Juice the citrus: You can juice by hand since you only need a few tablespoons, or use a hand juicer (affiliate).
Combine ingredients: Combine the citrus zest, fresh juice, honey, and poppy seed dressing in a small bowl.
Add to fruit: Pour over 8-10 cups of your favorite fruits and stir gently, then serve immediately. It's the best fruit salad!

Glass bowl of orange poppy seed dressing with a silver spoon dipped in the middle. — This dressing for fruit salad is quick and easy to make.

🍓Best fruit for fruit salad

You can pretty much use any fruit for this recipe, although I recommend sticking to seasonal fruit. This recipe will cover 8-10 cups of cut fruit. Aim for all the pieces of fruit to be relatively the same size. Wash and dry all the fruit thoroughly before adding to the salad.

Fresh pineapple: Small pieces is best.
Strawberries: Cut in half or fourths depending on how large they are.
Blackberries: Toss in as is.
Raspberries: This particular fruit is a little more fussy that the rest. It is best to add these at the last minute and stir in gently to keep them from smashing.
Blueberries: Just pop in as is.
Kiwi: Peel the outer fuzzy layer then dice.
Mandarin oranges: Peel and then gently pul-apart the segments.
Oranges: Same as the mandarin oranges, but if they are large cut each segment in half.
Honeydew: Either cut into cubes or use a melon baller for something a little fun.
Cantaloupe: Same as the honeydew melon.
Red Grapes: Remove from stems and toss in as is unless they are large then cut in half.
Green Grapes: Same as the purple grapes.

🙋 Questions and Answers

Can fruit salad dressing be made ahead?

You can make this simple dressing ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. It will be cloudy because of the poppy seed dressing… Don’t worry, just give it a good stir. Add to fruit right before serving for best results.

How much fruit salad per person?

It depends on the occasion and how many other sides are being served. I find that at some events (such as Fourth of July or Easter) a lot more fruit is eaten than other events (such as a baby shower or simple weeknight meal). In general, I plan for about 1 cup of fruit salad per person.

When to serve fruit salad?

This fruit salad dressing recipe is a great way to elevate a simple fruit salad for Easter, Fourth of July, backyard barbecues, Mother's day, baby showers, birthday parties, camping trips, potlucks, summer outings, or even as a part of a brunch spread. Nice and refreshing for a hot day!

Can I use frozen fruit?

It is not recommended to use frozen fruit in this salad since it gets smushy as it thaws. Fresh, ripe in-season fruit is best.

How to store leftover fruit salad?

Fresh is best, but fruit salad can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Just know that as the fruit sits it will release it's juice and get a little bit softer but will still taste delicious.

Overhead view of a bowl of fruit salad covered in poppy seed dressing with a light green towel underneath. — This dressing makes an impressive fruit salad for potlucks, holidays, summer barbecues, and more!

👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks

Use fresh oranges and limes - no bottled juice! I promise it makes all the difference.
Choose GREAT fruit. Ripe fruits that are in season will be the most flavorful.
Add the dressing right before serving to avoid soggy fruit.
Toss together in a really big bowl to distribute the dressing evenly.
Use up the leftover poppy seed dressing in this delicious Autumn Chopped Salad recipe!

📖 More summer side dish recipes

Easy Baked Beans (using canned beans)
Pan Roasted Frozen Corn
Honey Lime Fruit Salad (summer fruit salad)
Moist Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
Frozen Lemonade (I know... not a side dish. But so worth it!)

👋🏻 Connect with us!

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