Fall Fruit Salad Recipe: Perfect for Autumn & Thanksgiving

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Celebrate autumn with this beautiful fall fruit salad. With seasonal fresh fruit, crunchy pecans, warm spices, and a citrusy dressing, this homemade fruit salad is absolutely delicious. 

This time of year is full of exciting seasonal produce, comfort foods, and lots of bright autumn flavors. Fall fruit salad brings together all of these and more in one simple recipe. 

Enjoy the best fruits the season has to offer and savor an easy no-cook side dish. This salad is especially great for Thanksgiving and other special occasions!

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How to Make Fall Fruit Salad

This fresh fruit salad couldn’t be easier to make! It comes together in just a few minutes and has simple ingredients. Here’s how to make it:

1. Make the dressing. This fruit salad dressing is super simple with just orange juice and honey. Combine them in a small bowl and whisk until the honey is dissolved.
2. Cut the fruit. You can decide how large you want to cut your fruit. I like to cut it up small for a chopped salad or keep everything larger for visual appeal, depending on the day. 
3. Toss it together. Add all of the chopped fruit and pecans in a large bowl and drizzle the dressing onto it. Stir well.
4. Add the crunch. Add toasted pecans into the salad right before serving to maintain their crunchiness.

Fruit Salad Tips

• Make it fresh. Fruit salad is not a great dish for making ahead of time. For best results, serve it within 24 hours.
• Dress it up. Don’t get me wrong, fruit is delicious on its own. But what makes a fruit salad stand out is the dressing! This fruit salad is made with a simple dressing of orange juice and honey, but you can also make it with a creamy dressing.
• Shop in season. Seasonal fruit is fresher, cheaper, and more flavorful! This fall fruit salad uses only fruits that are generally in season during the fall, but you can adjust based on what’s available in your area.
• Buy the pears in advance. Pears are harvested and transported to grocery stores when they are still light green and firm, but they taste the best if left to ripen. Use yellow, tender pears when possible. 

Variations

• Make it creamy with vanilla yogurt, Cool Whip, or whipped cream in the dressing. 
• Try other fruits such as canned mandarin oranges, red grapes, or fresh cranberries.
• Make the dressing tangier with fresh lemon juice or lime juice. 

Serving Suggestions

This salad is the perfect side dish or healthy dessert for any meal in the autumn! I love dishing it up for brunch with waffles, pancakes, or quiche. It is also a great side for dinners. Serve it alongside your favorite main dishes with a savory side or bring it to Thanksgiving dinner. 

For the perfect autumn meal, I recommend roasted butternut squash bisque, autumn harvest salad, and this tasty fruit salad. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does fruit salad last?

Fruit salad is best kept in the fridge in an airtight container for only 1-2 days. It may last longer, but the fruit will start to get brown and mushy. If you are making the salad in advance, leave out the pecans until the last minute so they maintain their crunchiness.

What fruits are in season in the fall?

Fall fruits can vary based on your location and whether it’s early fall or late fall. These are all of the fruits you may find in the fall:

• Apples
• Pears
• Blackberries
• Grapes
• Pomegranates
• Cranberries
• Figs
• Persimmons
• Early citrus

More Fall Recipes

• Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque
• Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Fall Fruit Salad

Yield: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Celebrate autumn with this fall fruit salad made with seasonal fresh fruit, crunchy pecans, warm spices, and a citrusy dressing.

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Ingredients

• 1 sweet red apple, such as Honeycrisp or pink lady
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 2 ripe pears
• 6 figs (fresh or dried)
• 1 pint fresh blackberries
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• ½ cup toasted, unsalted pecans
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• A pinch of nutmeg
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon raw honey (maple syrup works too)
• Orange zest (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the dressing by combining orange juice and honey in a small bowl and whisking well.
2. Chop the apples, pears, and figs to your desired size, then toss them in a large bowl.
3. Add blackberries, pomegranate arils, pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. Drizzle the dressing onto the salad and mix well.
5. Garnish with more pecans and orange zest and serve immediately.