Rainbow Fruit Salad with Maple Lime Dressing
This beautiful Rainbow Fruit Salad with Maple Lime Dressing is as pretty as it is delicious! Perfect for potlucks and holidays, it’s equally fitting for a snack, breakfast or even a light dessert.
Fruit salad is simple—it can be as easy as cutting up some fruit and tossing it in a bowl. But over the years, I’ve found that adding a dressing to fruit salad is the key to making it truly impressive. I’ve tested a bunch of options, but a sweet and tangy dressing like the one I whip up for this Rainbow Fruit Salad is best. Lime juice brightens up the overall flavor, while maple sweetens any fruit that isn’t quite ripe yet. It’s divine!
Why This Rainbow Fruit Salad Has Become a Family Tradition
I first made this fruit salad for my dad on Father’s Day. He has fruit for breakfast every single day! Now, I make it whenever my family gets together for holidays, but I love it as a meal prep snack for my daughter too. It’s versatile like that!
- Practically effortless. When I say this rainbow fruit salad is easy to make, I mean incredibly easy. Chop the fruit, add everything into a bowl, toss with your maple lime dressing, and you’re good to go.
- That dressing, though. Of course, the rainbow of fruit would be amazing on its own, but the maple lime dressing really brings out the flavours in this fruit salad. Maple, fresh lime juice, and lime zest come together to create a quick flavour booster, and it really takes this recipe up a notch.
- Perfect for customising. You can totally customise this fruit salad to your liking. The world is your oyster! I love switching things up based on what I have in the fridge or what looks good at the farmers market.
Notes on ingredients
Remember, the ingredients you use for this recipe are flexible. Use whatever fruit is in season near you! Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Berries – I use a combination of strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
- Kiwi – Green is the most common, but if you can find yellow kiwis, they are a treat! They tend to be sweeter than green.
- Pineapple chunks – Use fresh, not canned.
- Dressing – You’ll need maple syrup and a lime, which you’ll zest and juice.
How to Make Rainbow Fruit Salad
You’re just a few minutes away from this colourful, vibrant salad! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
- Prep the fruit. If you’re making this as written, you’ll only have to cut the pineapple (if you didn’t buy it in chunks already) and the kiwi.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the maple syrup, lime juice, and lime zest until well-combined.
- Put it together. Add the fruit to a large bowl, then pour the dressing over the top. Gently toss to coat, then serve.
Fruit Salad Tips and Variations
I have a few more tips for making this rainbow fruit salad shine.
- Make sure the fruit is dry. Berries have a tendency to smuggle in extra moisture, and that will water down the dressing. I rinse the berries and then let them air dry in a large colander, but if you don’t have time for this, you can transfer them to a few layers of paper towels and gently pat them dry.
- Add poppy seeds to the dressing. They give the salad a fun little crunch!
- Swap the maple syrup for agave nectar. It has a more neutral flavor, so if you’re not a fan of maple, agave is a great choice.
Serving Suggestions
- For breakfast: Layer your rainbow fruit salad with Vegan Yogurt and granola for a breakfast parfait or serve the fruit over Banana Pancakes.
- As a side: I love serving fruit salad as a healthier alternative to fries with my family’s favourite Meaty Beet Burgers, but it really pairs with just about anything!
- For dessert: Serve the fruit over Vegan Lemon Loaf or pound cake.
Storage Instructions
You can store this rainbow fruit salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days and give it a good stir before serving. If I’m making it for meal prep, I like to portion it into individual containers.
More Vegan Recipes With Fresh Fruit
Enjoy friends! If you make this rainbow fruit salad, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Rainbow Fruit Salad with Maple Lime Dressing
Ingredients
Rainbow Fruit Salad
- 1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced 453g
- 1 ⅓ cups blackberries, 170g
- 1 ¼ cups blueberries, 183g
- 1 cup kiwis, halved and cubed 170g
- 1 cup pineapple chunks, 192g
Maple Lime Dressing
- ¼ cup maple syrup, 118mL
- juice one lime, about 1 tablespoon
- zest of one lime, about 2 teaspoons
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add all the fruits.
- In a small bowl, mix together the maple lime dressing ingredients, whisking thoroughly. Pour over the fruits and toss with a wooden spoon. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Just bought a few kilos of blackberries and local strawberries 🙂 best thing of the summer! I have never thought of using dressing with fresh fruit…always eat them raw, but I am sure the sweet tangy dressing makes the fruit even more delicious.
Oh yum!! The dressing only brings out the flavours even more! I never thought of it too, but you don’t even taste it – all you taste is even more fruit! Thanks Angie!!
This was absolutely delicious, the limes really brought out the flavours of the fruit. Thanks for this one Jessica.
Aww thanks so much darling!! You’re so very welcome and I agree the limes made a huge difference!
You have creative hands and minds of great food, really the recipes you share I feel very delicious and beautiful, thank you for sharing these great recipes.
Thank you so much for reading! We’re very happy you enjoyed!
It seems to be very delicious. I must try this recipe at home to impress my hubby. Thanks for sharing this idea with us.
Thank you we hope that you like it!
I made this yesterday for a party. I’ve never made a dressing for a fruit salad, it’s good. I made a double batch, including the fruit (which was strawberries, blueberries, honeydew, watermelon, and nectarines) but I only used about half of the dressing and it was plenty. Just a hint of sweetness. Having it this morning for breakfast. It definitely macerated a bit, but it’s still good.
Thanks so much for your review heather! W’re so happy that you liked it.
Your hands and minds are truly creative when it comes to crafting delicious and beautiful dishes. I appreciate you sharing these fantastic recipes. Thank you!
I’m making this for a brunch. How early should I toss the dressing before serving? It looks beautiful! Can’t wait to try it. Thank you!
Dody
Hi Dody!
I would do probably an hour or two before brunch! Enjoy so much!
served this at my grandson’s graduation party. a lot of great commits.