This delicious Thanksgiving Fruit Salad features apples, pears, grapes, oranges, and pecans tossed in a light honey and holiday spice dressing. This sweet and refreshing fall fruit salad is a wonderful side dish for the traditionally heavy Thanksgiving dinner.
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Why You'll Love This Dish
Most Thanksgiving recipes are fairly rich. While I love turkey and potatoes and rolls, why not add some colorful fruit to your table, too?
Made with fresh seasonal fall fruits, this Thanksgiving fruit salad recipe with an apple pie spice and honey dressing is a light and healthy addition to your holiday table.
You can make this salad in about 10 minutes and it's ready to serve! It can also be made ahead of time so when you're short of time on Thanksgiving day, you won't have to worry about this one. Plus, kids love fruit. Make this one for the kiddos.
This dish works as a side dish or dessert. It's my favorite way to add a mix of seasonal fruit to your holiday meal.
What You'll Need
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- Apples Honeycrisp apples are a personal favorite, but other varieties like Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, and others great options.
- Pears I've made this with Bosc and D'Anjou pears, both of which were lovely.
- Grapes Red and green grapes are both nice.
- Oranges I used Navel oranges both segmented and as the juice for the dressing.
- Honey
- Pecans I like to use pecan halves here.
- Apple Pie Spice This is also nice with pumpkin pie spice, but my overall preference is apple pie spice.
- Finishing Salt This is optional but so good. Maldon is my favorite variety of finishing sea salt.
How to Make Easy Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
Step One Slice the pears.
Step Two Cut into bite-sized pieces.
Step Three Slice the apples.
Step Four: Cut into bite-sized pieces.
Step Five Slice the peel away from the orange.
Step Six Cut the orange into segments. Cut into smaller bite-sized pieces if needed.
Step Seven Mix together the dressing.
Step Eight Add the fruit and pecans to a large bowl, drizzle with dressing, mix, sprinkle with salt, and serve.
Variations
- You can try walnuts in place of the pecans here.
- Try mandarin oranges in place of navel oranges.
- Add some dried cranberries, pomegranate seeds, or cherry for a pop of flavor and color.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice for a more tart citrus dressing.
- Swap the honey for brown sugar for a sweeter dressing, or top with whipped cream.
How to Store
Fridge Fruit salads typically taste best when eaten within 3 days, but will be OK to eat up to 5 days later. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freezer I do not recommend freezing this dish.
FAQ
Fall fruits are wonderful with Thanksgiving dinner - apples, grapes, and pears are great choices. While oranges are more of a winter crop, the citrus note they add to the salad is a welcome addition.
Adding citrus juice to fruits will prevent them from browning, Just a bit of lemon juice on the cut portions of apples and pears will keep them from turning brown.
Of course! Just double (or triple, or more!) your fruit and dressing ingredients to make this recipe for more guests. Likewise, you can make a smaller batch by only using half of the fruit and dressing recommended.
How to Serve
This fruit salad is great with traditional Thanksgiving dishes.
Try a roast turkey or Christmas Roast Chicken, with delicious mashed potatoes, a helping of Garlicky Sautéed Cruciferous Crunch, and some sage and bacon stuffing with a side of fluffy biscuits!
You can also serve this up as a side for breakfast. Try it alongside a Turkey Egg and Cheese Sandwich or some spicy Chili Eggs.
Expert Tips
- You can make this salad a few hours ahead of time. To prevent the apples and pears from browning, you can brush them with a bit of lemon juice.
- If you're not sure your oranges have enough juice to produce a ½ cup, have extra oranges or a carton of orange juice on hand.
- This salad is best kept refrigerated prior to serving.
Other Recipes You'll Love
In the mood for more fruit? Try these!
📖 Recipe
Thanksgiving Fruit Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Fruit Salad
- 2 medium apples Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or other sweet and tart variety
- 2 medium pears Bosc or D'Anjou
- 1 navel orange
- ½ bunch grapes
- 1 cup pecan halves
- finishing salt like Maldon sea salt flakes, to taste
Dressing
- ½ cup orange juice from 1 navel orange
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Chop the fruit into bite-sized pieces. Add the fresh fruit to a large bowl. Grapes can be left whole or sliced in half.
- Create the dressing, Add the orange juice, apple pie seasoning, and honey to a container and thoroughly combine.
- Drizzle the dressing over the fruit salad, mix well, sprinkle with finishing salt, and serve.
Notes
- You can make this salad a few hours ahead of time. To prevent the apples and pears from browning, you can brush them with a bit of lemon juice.
- If you're not sure your oranges have enough juice to produce a ½ cup, have extra oranges or a carton of orange juice on hand.
- This salad is best kept refrigerated prior to serving.
- Fridge This salad is best when eaten within 3 days, but will be OK to eat up to 5 days later. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Freezer I do not recommend freezing this dish.
Sue says
This fruit salad really is the perfect way to lighten up the Thanksgiving menu. Delicious!
Genevieve says
Thanks Sue!
Shilpa says
This is a lovely fruit salad and is so good.
Genevieve says
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you.
Ksenia says
The bursts of flavor from the grapes were lovely, and I appreciated how they went with the pecans. A very unique and delicious salad.
Genevieve says
Thanks so much, Ksenia!
Kris says
This was truly the best fruit salad we've ever had! The spices and honey really made it for us. Already can't wait to make it again!
Genevieve says
That's so good to hear! Thank you, Kris!
Jenn says
Loved this! Forget Thanksgiving, I want this salad all year long! I loved the toasted pecans in it. Yum!
Genevieve says
Haha, me too! Thanks so much, Jenn!