Honey Lemon Fruit Salad Dressing

This quick and easy fresh fruit salad dressing is the perfect addition to any meal! Fresh berries are lightly glazed with a honey lemon simple syrup that is bursting with citrus flavor. It’s fast enough for a weekday morning, and special enough for entertaining.

If you’re looking for even more salad dressing recipes, be sure to try this buttermilk dressing, a creamy Caesar dressing, this zippy pepper jelly vinaigrette, a simple dijon vinaigrette, and our favorite balsamic vinaigrette, too!

Is it me, or are you ready for some bright, fresh produce? If there’s something that just screams “spring” or “summer,” it’s a fresh fruit salad loaded with berries and lemon!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Easy. While this salad looks and sounds fancy with its vibrant colors and special honey lemon dressing, it’s so easy. Simmer the 3-ingredient dressing on the stovetop, let it cool, and then toss it with fresh fruit!
• Flavorful. Few foods have more sweet flavor than fresh, in-season fruit. I’ve shown strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and grapes here, but really just about any combination works. Pick whatever is at its peak, since that’s what tastes best!
• Versatile. Fresh produce tossed with a sweet and tangy fruit salad dressing is always a welcome addition at the table. It works for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, or dessert! Offer the fruit salad for a special holiday brunch like Easter, bring it to a potluck graduation party, or set it out for a bridal shower brunch.

Serving Suggestions

This old fashioned fruit salad dressing recipe is delicious at any time of day! For breakfast or brunch, pair the dish with a sausage hash brown casserole, a ham and broccoli quiche, pancakes, or waffles.

Make it a satisfying snack by layering the fruit with Greek yogurt and homemade granola for a fruit and yogurt parfait.

Later in the day, serve the salad at picnics, potlucks, cookouts, or on holiday tables. It’s a nice, light contrast to heavier entrees like pulled pork, grilled chicken, fried chicken, grilled hamburgers, holiday ham, or grilled steak. Finally, you can’t go wrong with fresh fruit and a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert!

Frequently Asked Questions

• How much fruit salad will I need per person? If serving a crowd, it’s safe to assume at least 4 ounces of fruit salad per person. This recipe contains approximately 40 ounces of fruit, so it will serve about 10 people. Obviously, larger appetites will require larger servings!
• Does lemon juice or lime juice keep fruit salad fresh? If you’re worried about some of the fruit browning before you’re ready to serve the salad, you can toss that particular fruit with some additional lime juice or lemon juice (or wait to add it until just before serving). The acid in the citrus juice will fend off some oxidation, which causes the unappetizing brown color.
• How do I prevent the fruit salad from becoming watery? It’s best to wait to add the dressing until just before serving. As the fruit sits in the dressing, the fruit breaks down and releases liquid more quickly.

Recipe Variations

• Try different fruit. This recipe is just a basic guide. I used fresh berries and grapes here, but other good options include diced apples or pears; stone fruit like sliced peaches, nectarines, plums, or apricots; chopped mangoes, sliced kiwi, or diced fresh pineapple; segmented oranges or mandarin oranges; melon balls such as cantaloupe, watermelon, or honeydew; and pitted cherries. You’ll just need a total of about 6-8 cups of fruit for this quantity of dressing.
• If you’re feeding a larger crowd, double the ingredients. Prepare twice as much dressing and use about 14 cups of fruit.
• Want a canned fruit salad? Use about 7 cups of drained, canned fruit and toss with the honey lemon dressing.
• Honey Lime Dressing: use lime zest and lime juice in lieu of the lemons.

Expert Tips

• When zesting fruit, be sure that you’re just scraping off that thin outer peel, which is where you’ll find all of the flavorful essential oils. Don’t scrape off any of the bitter white pith underneath the peel.
• If you’re adding bananas to the salad, wait and stir them into the mix just before serving. Otherwise bananas have a tendency to turn brown as they sit. Creamy and naturally sweet, bananas lend a soft texture and a touch of extra sweetness.
• Wait to add the dressing until just before serving. This will help the fruit stay fresh longer, since it will break down and macerate faster in the sweet dressing.
• For a nice finishing touch, garnish the salad with extra lemon zest or fresh mint leaves just before serving.

More Fruit Salad Recipes to Try

Strawberry Jello Salad

4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Ambrosia Salad Recipe

5 minutes mins

Easy Fruit Salad with Vanilla Pudding

15 minutes mins

Honey Lemon Fruit Salad Dressing

5 from 2 votes

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 5 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 25 minutes minutes

Total: 15 minutes minutes

Servings 7 cups

Calories 92 kcal

This fresh fruit salad with honey lemon dressing is a beautiful addition to any meal!

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Ingredients

  

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DRESSING

• Zest from 2 lemons
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons water

SALAD

• 1 lb. strawberries, sliced
• 6 ounces blueberries
• 6 ounces raspberries
• 6 ounces blackberries
• 1 cup grapes, halved

Instructions

MAKE THE DRESSING

• Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.
  
• Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 5 minutes, whisking regularly, until the dressing thickens slightly. Set the dressing aside and allow it to cool completely (at least 25 minutes).
  

MAKE THE SALAD

• Wash and dry the fruit. Gently toss together all of the fruit in a large bowl.
  

DRESS THE SALAD

• If serving the salad right away (or within 1-2 hours), pour the dressing over the fruit and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. If you plan to serve the salad later (within about 2-24 hours), it's best to wait and add the dressing until just before serving. This way the fruit stays fresh longer.
  
• Garnish with additional lemon zest just before serving, if desired.
  

Notes

• When zesting fruit, be sure that you’re just scraping off that thin outer peel, which is where you’ll find all of the flavorful essential oils. Don’t scrape off any of the bitter white pith underneath the peel.
• If you’re adding bananas to the salad, wait and stir them into the mix just before serving. Otherwise bananas have a tendency to turn brown as they sit. Creamy and naturally sweet, bananas lend a soft texture and a touch of extra sweetness.
• Wait to add the dressing until just before serving. This will help the fruit stay fresh longer, since it will break down and macerate faster in the sweet dressing.
• For a nice finishing touch, garnish the salad with extra lemon zest or fresh mint leaves just before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 92kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 1gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 244mgFiber: 4gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 95IUVitamin C: 56mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 0.7mg

Keyword: best dressing for fruit salad, dressing for fruit salad, fruit salad dressing, fruit salad dressing recipe, fruit salad dressing with honey

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Author: Blair Lonergan

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This recipe was originally published in March, 2015. It was updated in May, 2024.