Tropical fruit salad is a summery Brazilian recipe made of a fresh fruit cocktail mixed with a sweet and tangy citrus dressing. It's healthy, delicious, and super refreshing!
Table of Contents
How To Make Fruit Salad
- Cut all the fruits into chunks or sized pieces, except the bananas, and gently mix them in a medium bowl.
- In a separate mixing bowl or glass jar, whisk or shake orange and lemon juices, cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey (or sugar) until homogeneous. Then, pour over the fresh fruit mixture and toss them together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- About 10 minutes before serving, peel and dice the bananas, mix with the other fruits, and refrigerate.
- Serve this tropical fruit salad in bowls or plastic/glass cups as it is, topped with a dollop of whipped cream (Cool Whip) or Greek yogurt, a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. TIP: For a dairy-free version, serve it without any dairy. Enjoy!
Brazilian Tropical Fruit Salad
The heat here in Texas is already announcing that summer is about to arrive. This Brazilian fruit salad (salada de frutas) is made with a tropical fruit mixture such as mango, papaya, pineapple, bananas, and watermelon tossed with orange and lime juices, cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey.
It is the perfect healthy treat to refresh both body and soul. In addition, it is quick and easy to make!
On a hot day like today, there is nothing better than eating something light and refreshing, right?
In Brazil, our traditional or classic fruit salad is a blend of fresh ingredients: Papaya, pineapple, and bananas tossed with fresh orange juice, cinnamon, and sugar or honey.
However, I also include mango, watermelon, fresh lemon juice, and nutmeg in mine.
You can have this homemade fruit salad for breakfast (plain or with yogurt and granola), at snack time, or as a healthy dessert!
Either you serve it alone or with whatever topping of your liking, you'll agree this is the best fruit salad ever!
Due to Brazil's abundance of tropical fruits almost all year round, we only use fresh fruits to make fruit salads. Unlike the famous Southern fruit salad, Ambrosia (aka fruit and marshmallow salad), we don't add marshmallows, sour cream, Cool Whip, pecans, or canned fruits.
Tips for Making the Best Tropical Salad
- Choose seasonal fruits: Fresh fruits must be firm yet ripe! The best time of the year to make this recipe for tropical fruit salad is when tropical fruits are in season, or during summertime. They taste better than a canned fruit cocktail!
- Always combine sweet and tangy fruits for balanced tropical flavors!
- ADD-ONS: You can add other fresh fruits such as fresh grapes, kiwi, berries, peaches, dragon fruit or pitaya, sweet oranges, and star fruit for a more exotic fruit salad. You can also sprinkle some shredded coconut on top or stir in thinly sliced fresh mint leaves!
- Gently tossing: Toss the fruits and the dressing gently, avoiding smashing. Avoid using frozen fruits because they get mushy easily after thawing.
- Add the bananas about 10 minutes before serving the salad to avoid oxidation.
- Chill your tropical salad for 2 to 24 hours before serving! It will make it much more refreshing and will avoid spoilage!
FAQs
Any firm, ripe fresh tropical fruits in season are good for making fruit salad. We usually use pineapple, mango, bananas, watermelon, and papaya tossed with citrus juices, but you can add any other seasonal fruit of your liking.
Yes! You can prepare it the night before, allowing the fruits to marinate in the sweetened citrus juices in the fridge. It will make your tropical salad more flavorful and refreshing!
How to Store
The best way to store fresh fruit salad is in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours to preserve freshness. I recommend adding the bananas only before serving the salad so they won't get brown. When stored properly, this tropical fruit salad can last up to 2 days although some of the fruits (e.g. watermelon and papaya) will start to get a little mushy but not spoiled.
Other Easy Fruit Salad Recipes
PIN AND ENJOY!
Best Tropical Fruit Salad Recipe
Equipment
- 2 Mixing bowls
- 1 whisk
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 large spoon
- 1 Refrigerator
Ingredients
- ¼ large papaya peeled, de-seeded, and cubed
- ¼ large pineapple peeled, cored, and cubed. NOTE: Use any fruit leftovers to make juices or freeze them into chunks to make smoothies later!
- 2 large bananas peeled and medium diced (NOTE: Only add the bananas before serving the salad to avoid oxidation)
- 1 large mango peeled and cubed
- ¼ small seedless watermelon peeled and cubed
- ½ cup fresh orange juice NOTE: In Brazil, our tropical fruit salad contains a lot of citrus juices, allowing the mixture of fruits to marinate into the flavored citrus juices. But if you prefer your salad not as saucy, you can reduce this amount to a ¼ cup.
- Juice of 1 lime or lemon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 dash of nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon honey or granulated sugar, or more if you have a sweet tooth or some fruits are not very sweet. See NOTES for fruit add-on suggestions or substitutions!
Instructions
- Cut all the fruits into chunks or sized pieces, except the bananas, and gently mix them in a medium bowl.
- In a separate mixing bowl or glass jar, whisk or shake orange and lemon juices, cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey (or sugar) until homogeneous. Then, pour over the fresh fruit mixture and toss them together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- About 10 minutes before serving, peel and dice the bananas, mix with the other fruits, and refrigerate.
- Serve this tropical fruit salad in bowls or plastic/glass cups as it is, topped with a dollop of whipped cream (Cool Whip) or Greek yogurt, a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. TIP: For a dairy-free version, serve it without any dairy. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
This post was first published on May 22, 2012.
2pots2cook says
Perfect dessert/snack/late dinner for crazy hot days! Thank you!