This Fruit Salad with Cool Whip is creamy, cold, and sweet with four different kinds of fruit plus cream cheese to give it a rich tangy flavor. It’s great as a side dish, dessert or snack and very easy to make!
If you’re looking for a way to eat more fruit, but need a little motivation this easy fruit salad is for you! Sure, a handful of grapes or blueberries is an easy snack but adding a few more things and turning them into a sweet and creamy fruit salad is even better especially if you want to treat yourself.
It’s creamy, cold, and the perfect side dish for breakfast, brunch, lunch or even dinner! This kind of creamy sweet fruit salad recipe is popular at many potlucks, so feel free to double the batch and share it. I can guarantee it will disappear fast!
Table of Contents
Fruit Salad Ingredients
- Cool Whip
- Cream cheese
- Canned mandarin oranges
- Canned pineapple
- Halved grapes
- Frozen blueberries
Six ingredients, a few minutes of prep time and you get a delicious fruit salad!
How to Make Fruit Salad
First, mix the cream cheese in a bowl until it’s nice and cream. Add the whipped topping and mix again until it’s well combined.
For the canned oranges and pineapple, be sure to drain them really well. You don’t want any extra liquid otherwise your salad will be watery and not creamy.
Combine all of the fruit in a large serving bowl and gently mix them together. Add half of the cream cheese mixture and fold it into the fruit until combined. Repeat this with the rest of the cream cheese. Serve it right away or chill it in the refrigerator for later.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, you can make it up to a day in advance! Just keep it in an airtight container. Leftover fruit salad with Cool Whip will last for up to three days in the refrigerator, but it’s best the day it’s made.
Can I use fresh fruit instead of canned?
Canned fruit is usually sweeter since it’s canned in syrup or juices, so if you use fresh fruit your salad may not be as sweet.
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You can use fresh mandarin oranges, Clementines, or navel oranges. If you use navel oranges you might want to cut the segments into bite-sized pieces so they’re easier to eat.
I like to use frozen blueberries because I can’t always find really sweet fresh ones, especially when they’re out of season. But feel free to use fresh if you find good ones!
Can I use different kind of fruit?
Sure, feel free to swap or add in some different fruit! Bananas, sliced strawberries, and pitted cherries would work well.
I just recommend you use fruit that is not watery otherwise it will release liquid as it sits and make the salad watery. Also, banana slices tend to brown so you might want to wait to add them until just before you serve the salad.
Can I use homemade whipped cream instead of Cool Whip?
One reason I like to use whipped topping for this recipe is because it’s more stable than homemade whipped cream. It just holds up better especially if you don’t plan on serving it right away or if it will be sitting out at a party or potluck.
You can use homemade whipped cream, but I would plan to serve it sooner rather than later. Whipped cream tends to “weep” after a day or so which will make the salad less creamy.
Whether you serve this creamy fruit salad with breakfast or at a potluck it’s guaranteed to be a hit! You might want to go ahead and make a double batch because everyone will want seconds – enjoy!
Other Sides You’ll Enjoy
Fruit Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 – 8 oz tub of cool whip
- 1/4 pkg of cream cheese
- 1 – 15 oz can mandarin oranges
- 1 – 20 oz can pineapple
- 1 cup grapes halved
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
Instructions
- In a medium bowl mix cream cheese with a hand mixture for 1-2 minutes until creamy.
- Add cool whip to cream cheese mix with hand mixer until well combined 3-5 min.
- Drain juice really well from mandarin oranges and pineapple, add to a large serving bowl.
- Rinse 1 cup of grapes, halve and add to oranges and pineapple. Add blueberries.
- Gently mix all fruit together.
- Add half the whipped cream/cream cheese mixture to fruit and gently fold in until combined. Add more whipped cream/cream cheese mixture until you reach a desired amount.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe Nutrition
This Fruit Salad is the perfect side dish for your next potluck! Creamy, cold and sweet with four different kinds of fruit, it’s guaranteed to be a hit!
So cool and refreshing