Christmas Fruit Salad

Some salads feature leafy greens, fresh vegetables and a light balsamic dressing. Others feature whipped cream, marshmallows, maraschino cherries and plenty of fresh fruit. Which salad do you think you’d prefer to have after a big holiday dinner? We thought so.

This Christmas salad with fruit isn’t exactly healthy, fresh fruit aside, but it certainly is a treat worthy of the holidays. If you’ve been looking for Christmas fruit salad ideas, then Merry Christmas to you! You’ve just found a great one.

Christmas Fruit Salad Ingredients

• Egg yolks: Use three large egg yolks, well beaten and fully combined. If your eggs have small yolks, go ahead and use four.
• Water: We normally don’t mention water in recipes, but in this case the portion is quite specific, so here it is.
• White vinegar: The vinegar helps break down sugars and encourages the flavors of the myriad ingredients to combine.
• Whipping cream: Use a heavy whipping cream that has, fittingly enough, been well whipped.
• Miniature marshmallows: Mini marshmallows add a playful texture and lots of sweetness to this recipe. Keep some separate for an optional topping, if you’d like.
• Green grapes: The halved green grapes add a bit of Christmas color to this fruit salad, and they also add a welcome tangy flavor.
• Pineapple tidbits: Make sure the pineapple tidbits are well drained when you use them. You can save the pineapple juice for other things, like making a tasty juice, of course.
• Mandarin oranges: Same story with the mandarin oranges—drain the juice well, and consider saving it for another use.
• Red maraschino cherries: You guessed it—drain the cherries, save the juice to use in a Shirley Temple or a cocktail and slice the cherries thin.
• Chopped pecans: The pecans add their nutty flavor and also a pleasant crunch, making a good balance for the soft fruit and marshmallows in this Christmas fruit salad recipe.
• Lemon juice: The lemon juice acts with the vinegar, helping to break down and combine the other ingredients and flavors.

Directions

Step 1: Make the dressing

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In a large saucepan, combine the egg yolks, water, vinegar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and reaches 160°F. Remove the pan from the heat and let the blend cool, then fold in the whipped cream.

Step 2: Combine and dress the salad, then chill

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In a large bowl, combine the marshmallows, grapes, pineapple, mandarin oranges, cherries, pecans and lemon juice. Add the dressing, and toss the salad to coat everything evenly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for 24 hours. If desired, top the salad with additional marshmallows, grapes and cherries just before serving.

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Christmas Fruit Salad Variations

• Add jello: Some like to add cubed red and green jello to this fruit salad, which means additional Christmas colors and additional sweetness too.
• Skip the marshmallows: If you’re not a marshmallow fan, or if you think this salad will be sweet enough without them, leave out the marshmallows and follow all the other steps.
• Toss in some pomegranate seeds: Pomegranate seeds add another pop of color, a bit of flavor and a nice crunch to this otherwise largely soft fruit salad.

How to Store Christmas Fruit Salad

This fruit salad will last three to five days if you prepare it properly, using enough lemon juice and vinegar. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Can you freeze this fruit salad?

Unfortunately, no. It would come out of the freezer as one big block of ice that would thaw into a Christmas mush.

Christmas Fruit Salad Tips

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Why do I have to chill this fruit salad for so long?

If you tuck into this sweet salad too soon, before it has a chance to set, it will taste pretty off—like vinegar, to be specific. The vinegar has to break down the sugars, and that takes time, thus the 24-hour wait.

What should I serve with this fruit salad?

This tasty fruit salad needs no accompaniment, but no one will be upset if you serve it with a selection of cookies, or with coffee or hot cocoa.

Can I use fresh pineapples and oranges?

If you can find fresh fruit in the depths of winter, or if you’re making this fruit salad during a non-holiday season, you can use fresh pineapple bits and fresh chopped oranges here.