Cool and refreshing 4th of July fruit salad is the best side dish for your BBQ, pool party, or other summer celebrations. It’s very easy to make with watermelon and blueberries, plus a sweet and tart dressing made with just two ingredients.
If you are looking for 4th of July fruit salad ideas, I have a simple and delicious recipe for you to try. This easy fruit salad is fun to make and serve and is perfect for patriotic holidays.
We like to make fruit salads during the summer because they’re light, refreshing, easy to transport, and the variations are endless. For this one, we pair red watermelon with blueberries for a red and blue theme.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Watermelon
- Blueberries
- Honey
- Fresh lime juice
How to Make a Summer Fruit Salad
First, cut the watermelon. You can keep it simple and cut it into 1” pieces or use a cookie cutter to make it fun. I use a star-shaped cutter that makes pieces about 1” thick, so any cutter approximately that size will work.
Place the watermelon pieces in a large mixing bowl or the serving bowl you plan to use.
Rinse and dry the blueberries and remove any stems and set them aside.
In a bowl, mix the honey and lime juice. Give it a taste and make adjustments, if needed. Add more honey if you want it sweeter or more lime juice if you like it less sweet.
Place the blueberries in the bowl with the dressing and lightly stir or toss them to coat them in the dressing.
Add the berries to the bowl with the watermelon. Carefully stir to combine. The dressing will transfer from the berries to the watermelon.
Serve the salad or refrigerate for serving later.
Recipe Variations
We like to keep this salad simple, but it’s fun to switch up if you want to put a spin on it. Here are some variations you might like to try.
- Add other fruit that you like or different types of berries that fit the theme. Apples would also work well in this fruit salad if you want a red, white, and blue fruit salad. If you don’t care about the colors, you can swap the watermelon for cantaloupe or honeydew for a different flavor.
- Try adding some mint to the dressing or swap the lime juice for lemon juice.
- Or, leave the dressing out and just toss the fruit together for a simple, easy salad.
Fruit Salad FAQs
Can you make it ahead? You can make it a day in advance and keep it in the refrigerator. The watermelon will release some liquid as it sits, so it will be a little juicier if you make it in advance.
How long do the leftovers keep? Leftover fruit salad will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. It will just have more liquid.
How long can fruit salad sit out at room temperature? You can keep it out for two hours, but if it’s hot, I should keep it in the refrigerator after you serve it. It will keep it fresh, and you won’t have to worry about bacteria.
What goes with a fruit salad?
I like this fruit salad because you can serve it as a side dish for any meal. It’s great with all kinds of main dishes.
- It pairs great with grilled dishes like chicken for BBQs.
- It’s also perfect for a potluck. People can eat it as a side dish or as a light dessert.
- If you serve it as a dessert, add some whipped cream or Cool Whip on the side to go with it.
- It’s also great for breakfast or brunch with egg dishes, rolls, quiche, and other breakfast dishes.
There’s nothing better than a cold and refreshing salad during the summer, and this Fourth of July fruit salad is a great one to try. You don’t have to wait for the holiday to make it, either. It’s great all through the season. Enjoy!
More Summer Side Dishes You’ll Love
4th of July Fruit Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Fruit:
- 1 Medium Watermelon ours was 8.5 pounds
- 1 9- ounce package of blueberries
Honey Lime Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Cut watermelon into rings about 1” thick. Note that we used a star cookie cutter and we made our rings about the same width which was close to 1”). If you don’t have a star cookie cutter you can just cut it into pieces or use some other cute cutter.
- Make the dressing by adding the honey and lime juice in a small bowl and stir. Taste and if you want more sweetness add some more honey and if you want more. Citrus, add a tiny bit more lime. We wanted sweetness and added ½ tablespoon more honey.
- Add the watermelon to a large serving bowl. Take the blueberries and put them in the honey lime dressing. Just try to get all of them covered with the dressing. Add the blueberries to the serving bowl with the watermelon.
- Gently mix the watermelon and blueberries together. Do not smash the fruit. The dressing on the blueberries will transfer lightly to the watermelon. Serve and enjoy!!
Recipe Notes
- This is a very simple salad, but you can add other fruit as you see fit. Maybe some apple, blackberries, strawberries or anything that fits the theme.
- You don’t need the dressing to have a great fruit salad. We just added it for a little change in flavor.
Recipe Nutrition
This cool and refreshing 4th of July Fruit Salad is the perfect side dish for your bbq, grad party or any summer celebrations!