Healthy Thanksgiving Fruit Salad

This Thanksgiving fruit salad is the perfect fall/winter fruit salad loaded with seasonal fruit in a warm, spiced citrus dressing. A bright, vibrant, healthy, crowd-pleasing side or dessert!

With the holidays just around the corner, it’s menu planning time, and we highly recommend adding this fresh, nutritious, and vibrant Thanksgiving fruit salad to your fall/winter/holiday tables, gatherings, and potlucks. It’s a delicious way to cleanse the palace after rich, heavy holiday feasts!

Combine all your favorite readily available in-season fruit, like crisp apples and pears, tangy winter citrus, tart pomegranate (and more!), then toss it in a simple citrus-pumpkin spice dressing and finish with cranberries and pecans to capture the essence of the season.

It’s a well-balanced dish that’s naturally sweet and tart, with no added sugar, bursting with flavor, and loaded with tender, crisp, and crunchy textures. Plus, unlike many Thanksgiving fruit salad recipes, this healthy version is naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, and lightened up by avoiding added sugars, dairy-based cool whip, custard, or jello.

Best of all, this fall/ winter fruit salad can be prepped in just minutes, adapted to the fruits you have on hand, and made ahead (for a fuss-free holiday). Perfect for entertaining as it’ll stay fresh and crisp even after hours in the refrigerator! Looking for another tasty fruit salad? Try out this apple cucumber salad!

The Ingredients and Substitutes

The Fruits

• Apples: You can choose sweet (like Fuji, Honey crisp, or Gala) or tart (like Granny Smith) apples to add crisp crunch to the autumn fruit salad.
• Pears: Any pears will work – like a Bartlett or D’anjou pear.
• Grapes: You can use green or red grapes in this fall fruit salad recipe – seedless is best.
• Kiwis: Make sure they’re ripe, so they aren’t overly tart.
• Mandarin oranges: Save time, like us, and use canned mandarin oranges OR use fresh mandarins, clementines, tangerines, etc. For the best texture, separate them into segments and peel the segments.
• Pomegranate seeds: Save time by purchasing prepared pomegranate arils.
• Figs: (Optional) This sticky fruit is great for fall and winter fruit salad recipes.
• Dried cranberries: Or dried raisins/sultanas for little bursts of concentrated sweetness – perfect for a fruit salad recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

The Fruit Salad Dressing and Other Ingredients

• Orange juice: You can use fresh or store-bought orange juice. Alternatively, lime juice works well when paired with a sweetener (like maple syrup).
• Pumpkin pie spice: We love all the warm spices in pumpkin spice that perfectly complement the flavors in this autumnal fruit salad. However, feel free to use apple pie spice or a pinch of cinnamon + a dash of nutmeg.
• Nuts & seeds: (Optional) Pecans or walnuts (raw or lightly toasted for extra flavor) are the perfect crunchy addition to a fruit salad for Thanksgiving.

What Could I Add to the Fall/ Winter Fruit Salad

• Sweetener: If you have a sweet tooth, you can mix a small amount of maple syrup or agave into the fruit salad dressing. Sugar-free liquid drops/ syrup would work, too.
• Citrus zest: Add a boost of citrusy flavor minus the tang with a small amount of citrus zest (orange, lemon, or lime).
• Creamy fruit salad dressing: Add some dairy-free yogurt – plain or vanilla-flavored.
• Fresh herbs: Add plenty of aromatic, herby flavor with fresh mint or other herbs.
• Ginger: A small amount, grated, adds zingy heat, and can taste amazing in the fruit salad dressing (with or without the pumpkin spice).
• Poppy seeds: Add ½-1 tablespoon of poppy seeds for lots of crunch.
• Persimmons: This is great in a fall/winter fruit salad with its tangy, rich, sweet flavor.
• Banana: Banana brown quickly, so it’s best to add them just before serving. Cut it to at least ½-inch slices so they hold their shape.
• Other fruits: Cherries (pitted), melon, berries, plums, etc.

How to Make Thanksgiving Fruit Salad

• 1) First, juice the orange (if needed). Then, in a large bowl, combine the orange juice, pomegranate, dried cranberries, and pumpkin spice, mix well, and set aside.

• 2) Next, core and dice the apples and pears, halve the grapes, peel and thinly slice the kiwi, and slice the figs (if using).

• 3) Add the apples, pears, and grapes to the bowl and toss then add the remaining fruit.

• 4) Finally, toss in any nuts/seeds (if using) before serving, and enjoy alone or with some dairy-free yogurt, vegan whipped cream, or plant-based ice cream.

You can serve the fall fruit salad immediately, though it will taste even better if given 30 minutes for the flavors to marinate in the refrigerator. We prefer only adding the nuts/seeds before serving so they stay crunchy.

Recipe Pro Tips

• Use ripe fruit: It needs to be ripe but not overly ripe, so it has the best flavor while maintaining its shape.
• To speed up prep: You can purchase several ‘prepared’ versions of fruits, like pomegranate arils and chopped apples/pears. Then, use a mandoline or food chopper to speed up the remaining prep.
• For softer cranberries/raisins: Soak them in warm apple, pineapple, or orange juice for 20-30 minutes before using them.
• Adjust the texture: You can make a fairly chunky or finer textured fall fruit salad with every flavor in each bite.
• Leave the flavors to meld: Once assembled, leave the salad for 30 minutes (1-2 hours will be even better) before serving for the flavors to fully meld and marinate. It tastes better chilled, too!
• Tweak the flavors: Before serving, taste and adjust the dressing. I.e., add more orange juice, spice, sweetener, etc.
• For ‘party’ aesthetics: If you’re making this for the holidays/ a party, make it a little more special using shaped cutters on the apples/pears/kiwi – E.g., stars and trees for a Christmas fruit salad.

Storage Instructions

For the best flavor, leave the assembled Thanksgiving fruit salad to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving it. However, leftovers will store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, though it’s best in the first 2.

To make it last longer, you can store prepared ingredients separately in airtight containers and combine them and the dressing/ toppings when serving. Brush the apples/pears with lemon juice or orange juice to prevent browning.

We don’t recommend freezing the fruit salad unless you plan to use it from frozen in smoothies.

Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

• Stuffed baked apples
• Vegan pumpkin pie
• Chocolate pumpkin pie
• Sweet potato pie
• Apple pear pie

You might also enjoy browsing our list of 45 vegan Thanksgiving recipes!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla