Cranberry Fruit Salad
This tasty cranberry fruit salad features sweet mixed berries, ripe bananas, and plump grapes tossed with a tangy cranberry syrup.
The holiday season is fast approaching and Kim and I are scrambling to get new holiday recipes to you like this cranberry cheesecake, hot chocolate cupcakes, and rice pudding. Those are holiday recipes, right?! Now, we already have quite a few on our sister site. But, More Than Meat and Potatoes is new.
It needs some extra TLC. For today, we’re sharing a delicious cranberry fruit salad that’s perfect for Thanksgiving. To keep the tartness in check, I suggested that we use a cranberry syrup.
Kim loved the idea and ran with it. This recipe uses fresh fruit, nuts, and a homemade cranberry syrup. We just finished it yesterday and it’s so good, we had to share it with you. Let’s get started!
Recipe Tips:
- The amount of sugar listed in the recipe is a guideline. You know your diet better than anyone on the internet. So, look at our amount as a suggestion. Taste test the fruit as you go along and add the amount of sugar that’s best for you and your personal diet.
- Personally, I would serve this dish as a dessert, it’s certainly sweet enough. However, I know some people would use it as a side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I leave that decision up to you.
- While we chose fruit like bananas and apples, you may want use pineapples and cherries. Use whatever fruit you think you’ll enjoy with the cranberries.
- You can use dried cranberries for this recipe. The dried variety should plump and soften when heated with the water and sugar.
More Salad Recipes to Try
Ingredients
Cranberry Syrup:
- 12 ounces cranberries, fresh
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup water
Fruit Salad:
- 2 apples, medium in size, cut into bite-sized pieces (any variety)
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 cup blueberries, fresh
- 1 cup strawberries, fresh, hulled and quartered
- 1 cup raspberries, fresh
- 1 cup grapes, fresh, halved (any variety)
- ½ cup pecans, or walnuts, chopped (optional)
Instructions
For the Cranberry Mixture:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the cranberries, sugar, and water over low heat. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the skin on the cranberries begin to crack and pop.12 ounces cranberries1 cup granulated sugar¾ cup water
- Remove from heat before the cranberries start to soften and get mushy. Transfer the cranberries and the liquid to a heat-safe container, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours or up to overnight.
For the Fruit Salad:
- After the cranberries have cooled for several hours, drain off the liquid and reserve ¼ to ½ cup.
- Place the cut apples and bananas into a large bowl, and toss them with lemon juice. Add the blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, and nuts (if using). Pour in the cranberries and ¼ cup of the cranberry flavored liquid.2 apples2 bananas1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice1 cup blueberries1 cup strawberries1 cup raspberries1 cup grapes½ cup pecans
- Gently toss the ingredients taking care not to crush the fruit as your stir. Add more of the liquid if desired.
- Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Keep the salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.