Whipped Cream Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad with Whipped Cream is the perfect side dish or dessert! It's made with grapes, bananas and apples and homemade whipped cream, sweetened with a bit of honey, so this dish is perfect for the whole family. Serve with your holiday dinners or as a part of your regular weeknight dinner menu.

Every holiday season there is one dish that I look forward to most: Fruit Salad with Whipped Cream.

I'm not sure where the tradition in our family came from, but fruit salad has always been my favorite part of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

No matter how much turkey, sausage stuffing and mashed potatoes I eat, there is always room for fruit salad on my plate.

Recipe for Fruit Salad with Whipped Cream

I actually usually have a separate bowl for it because I don't mess around with having enough room for this fruit salad on my plate. 

Each year we have this, I'm reminded of how simple it is. It is a core part of my Thanksgiving traditions and memories.

One of the best parts about this creamy fruit salad is it's a very low-maintenance side dish. When you're making a bunch of recipes for a brunch or holiday dinner, low-maintenance recipes are necessary!

This dish can be the last thing you make, while the turkey is resting or being carved because it's that quick to make!

For the non-holiday times, this is the perfect side dish for so many different family dinners and can be the perfect way to use up any ripe fruit.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Fruit salad is always a hit at any family gathering. My family always makes it for Christmas!
• You can customize it with your favorite fruits.
• Feel free to use store-bought whipped cream, but the best is making it from scratch!

Come on in, and I'll show you how I make the perfect whipped cream fruit salad every time!

Tools Needed

• A cutting board and a sharp knife for cutting the fruit up.
• If you're making homemade whipped cream, you'll need either a stand mixer or a hand mixer (we have this one).
• You'll also need a mixing bowl to combine the ingredients as well as a serving bowl, because your mixing bowl will get a bit messy while tossing the salad!

Ingredients

You can use most fruits in homemade fruit salad, but here are my go-tos:

• apples
• bananas
• grapes
• pitted dates

See the section below called Fruits for Fruit Salad for some more ideas!

For the whipped cream, you will need to stock up on the following:

• heavy whipping cream
• honey, maple syrup or brown sugar

Fruits for Fruit Salad

This recipe calls for apples, grapes and bananas as the base for this fruit salad, but feel free to adjust the recipe to your liking. Aim for a mixture of soft, chewy and crunchy textures.

Here is a list of all the fruits you can use in fruit salad and how to prepare them. The combinations are endless!

• Pineapple
• Kiwi
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Orange slices
• Pears
• Raspberries
• Melon cubes
• Pomegranate arils

Non-fruit Fruit Salad Toppings

Some people like to add some nonfruit items to their whipped cream fruit salad. The sky's the limit on what you can include. If it sounds good, give it a shot!

In the past, we've experimented with:

• mini marshmallows
• nuts like pecans or walnuts
• Snickers bars
• dried cranberries or raisins
• chopped, pitted dates
• crumbled bacon (for a sweet-and-salty crunch)

Whipped Cream vs. Cool Whip

Growing up, my family always ate Cool Whip Fruit Salad at the holidays. But as I've gotten older, I've learned to love making things from scratch, and homemade whipped cream has become a homemade staple in our house.

However, you can definitely make this fruit salad with Cool Whip instead of homemade whipped cream.

A few years ago, I wanted to make a version of this creamy fruit salad that was refined sugar-free so I decided to give it a try by making my own honey-sweetened whipped cream.

You can also use maple syrup, agave nectar, brown sugar or stevia to sweeten your whipped cream.

Do whatever is easiest for your family, whether that's using Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream for this salad.

What to Serve with Whipped Cream Fruit Salad

If you're making this whipped cream fruit salad for the holidays, you can serve it with:

• Stovetop Sausage Stuffing
• Garlic Brown Butter Green Beans
• Rosemary Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits
• Shredded Cheesy Potatoes

The rest of the year, we like to eat it at breakfast and brunch. Here is one of my favorite menus:

• Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping
• Baked Breakfast Egg Casserole
• Roasted Bacon Breakfast Potatoes

More Fruit Salad Recipes

Check out my Creamy Christmas Fruit Salad for a twist on this recipe with red and green fruits (that is still perfect any time of year!)

You also might love my Thanksgiving fruit salad, which you can make with or without cinnamon whipped cream.

If you're looking for a dairy-free fruit salad, you could make your own coconut whipped cream or make this Fresh Fruit Salad with Orange Juice Dressing.

A great one for summertime, this melon fruit salad is made with different types of melon.

Ready to tackle your own batch of this fruit salad with whipped cream? Here is the printable recipe!