Fruit Salad Dressing

My easy fruit salad dressing is made with freshly squeezed lime juice, honey, and fresh mint leaves! I love the way the tart, sweet, and minty flavors come together to create a perfectly light and refreshing fruit salad.

My Easy Way to Make Dressing for Fruit Salad

I have always loved eating fruit salad, but fruit salad dressing was something I hadn’t thought about much until my son, Connor, brought it up. We were at the grocery store, and he pointed to a pre-packaged container of fruit salad and asked, “Is fruit really a salad if it doesn’t have any dressing?” 

I explained that fruit doesn’t need anything else to be delicious… after all, it’s naturally sweet. But his question got me thinking, why not create my own salad dressing for fruit salad? I could bring in some new flavors that would enhance the natural sweetness even more.

There are so many delicious ways to make fruit salad, but I wanted to keep things as simple as possible. We grabbed some limes, honey, and fresh mint and headed home. 

Later that day, Connor was the first to taste the new recipe, and in just one second, he had made up his mind. Fruit salad may not necessarily need a dressing, but dressing certainly takes it to the next level. I know I won’t be skipping it going forward!

Looking for more fruit salad recipes? Try my grape salad, fall fruit salad, my recipe for creamy fruit salad with Cool Whip, or my Thanksgiving fruit salad.

Fruit Salad Dressing Recipe Ingredients

• Fresh lime juice – I prefer fresh lime juice over bottled juice. I find it so much brighter and flavorful without any bitterness.
• Honey – Adds sweetness while also thickening the consistency of the dressing a bit.
• Fresh mint leaves – I use this herb to add a refreshing flavor to the fruit salad. Plus, it balances out the sweetness and tartness of the other ingredients!

How to Make Fruit Salad Dressing

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

STEP ONE: Juice the limes, then set the juice aside.

STEP TWO: Wash and chop the fresh mint.

STEP THREE: Combine the lime juice, honey, and fresh mint in a small bowl.

STEP FOUR: Pour the dressing over fruit salad, using 2 to 4 tablespoons of dressing per pound of fruit. 

Tips for the Best Salad Dressing For Fruit Salad

• My best tip for easy juicing is rolling the limes on the counter with my hand for about 10 seconds before juicing. This softens the pulp so that the juice is easier to extract.
• I use 6 limes in this recipe to get about ½ cup of juice, but the exact number needed may vary based on the size of the limes and how much juice is in each one.
• I like to chill the fruit salad for a little while after adding the dressing. This allows all the flavors to combine beautifully!
• Don’t skip the herbs! I love how the mint adds some subtle flavor while also adding an eye-catching pop of green to contrast the bright colored fruits.

Fruit Salad Dressing Variations and Substitutions

• If I don’t have honey on hand, I’ll swap in maple syrup or agave for something just as tasty!
• For a sweet and slightly peppery flavor, I use fresh basil instead of fresh mint. Similar to mint, basil works to enhance the overall depth of flavor.
• When I want to adjust the consistency of the dressing, I add more honey or lime juice. Honey will help to thicken it up, while citrus juice will loosen it up more. 
• To give this recipe a spicy twist, I mix in some cayenne or Tajín!

What to Include in the Fruit Salad

I love that fruit salad can be personalized with so many different fruits and ingredients. My family’s favorite combination of fruits includes strawberries, blueberries, grapes, honeydew, kiwi, and blackberries. Some old fashioned fruit salad recipes even have mandarin oranges and marshmallows in them. 

I always use fresh fruit, never frozen, and I try to use ones that won’t get too mushy or watery when cut. Depending on the time of year, I like to toss in some watermelon, pineapple, mangoes, or peaches. I find that in-season fruits tend to have the best taste, and they are often more affordable too! 

Fruit Salad Dressing FAQs

How to make fruit salad in advance

When I make fruit salad ahead of time, I take a few important steps to preserve the freshness of the ingredients. To prevent fruits like apples, pears, or bananas from browning, I squeeze a little bit of lemon juice on them right after cutting. Then, I combine the fruits and refrigerate them in an airtight container.  I also avoid sogginess by storing the prepared fruit and dressing separately until I’m ready to serve.

How should I store dressing for fruit salad?

I store my dressing in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Juices will often collect at the bottom of the container, so I drain those off each morning to keep the fruit from becoming too soggy.

More Easy Fruity Recipes

• Cream cheese fruit dip
• Jello with fruit cocktail
• Yogurt fruit dip
• Orange dreamsicle salad
• Watergate salad