A crisp and refreshing tropical fruit salad with coconut milk dressing. It’s sweet, slightly creamy, and the perfect side or dessert for a hot Summer day.
I don’t know about you, but I’m a huge fan of well-made fruit salads. However, I’m not a huge fan of the store-bought ones.
Not that there’s anything wrong with them, I just prefer fresh fruit and making my own dressings
For today’s post, we’re sharing a homemade tropical fruit salad with coconut milk dressing.
It’s perfect for hot days because it contains no dairy but still has a rich, creamy texture and flavor!
If you’re looking for other types of salads check out our Red Potato Salad, Chicken Avocado Salad, or Apple Walnut Salad.
What are the best tropical fruits?
I feel the best tropical fruits are coconut and pineapple. With that being said, you might feel papaya is the best tropical fruit.
So, the short answer is, any tropical fruit you enjoy is the best tropical fruit!
What goes well with papaya?
Cantaloupe is a wonderful fruit to pair with papaya. Also, bananas and mangoes work well the light flavor of papaya.
How to make tropical fruit salad with coconut?
First, start by slicing the bananas, and chopping the mangoes and pineapple into bite-sized chunks.
Next, drain, rinse, and drain the Maraschino cherries. Now, combine all the fruit varieties into a large mixing bowl. Set it aside.
Go ahead and grab another mixing bowl (medium sized) or a large measuring cup.
To the cup or bowl, add the coconut milk, honey, shredded coconut, and lime juice. Use a whisk to combine the ingredients into a coconut dressing.
Then, drizzle the dressing over the tropical fruit. Stir or toss everything together to create the tropical fruit salad.
Last, transfer the fruit salad to a serving bowl and serve or chill the dish for later.
That’s it, your tropical fruit salad with coconut dressing is done! Kim and I hope you enjoy this treat and wish you all the best 🙂
Looking for another fruit filled option? Try our watermelon cantaloupe juice, mango banana smoothie, our strawberry Greek yogurt smoothie!
Recipe Tips:
- Making the recipe in advance? Then toss the fresh fruit with extra lime juice or lemon juice. Doing so will help the fruit stay bright, colorful, and will reduce the risk of the bananas turning brown.
- You can use canned pineapple chunks. Simply drain away the sweetened syrup before adding them to the mixing bowl.
- If there’s a fruit you’d rather use, substitute it into the salad. Prefer papaya, go for it!
- Maraschino cherries can have a lot of added sugar. So, if you can find pitted whole or halved cherries, use them instead.
Other Desserts to Try:
Tropical Fruit Salad with Coconut
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Ingredients
- 2 bananas sliced into circles
- 2 cups pineapple fresh or canned (See Note)
- 2 cups mango fresh or frozen (See Note)
- 10 ounces maraschino cherries drained, rinsed, and dried
- 1 cup coconut milk canned
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons shredded coconut optional
- 1 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the bananas, pineapple, mango, and cherries. Set aside.2 bananas2 cups pineapple2 cups mango10 ounces maraschino cherries
- In a separate medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the coconut milk, honey, shredded coconut if using, and lime juice. Pour the coconut milk mixture over the fruit. Gently stir to coat.1 cup coconut milk2 tablespoons honey2 tablespoons shredded coconut1 tablespoon lime juice
- Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. This salad is best enjoyed within a few hours of preparation.