Autumn Fruit Salad - Fall Fruit Salad

This Autumn Fruit Salad is an ideal dessert option for cooler months and festive celebrations. Combining winter fruit with delicate finger lime pearls and a hint of chilli, this dish is a tantalizing mix of flavours and textures.

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Autumn fruit salad on a black plate on top of a checked tea towel.

Our Fall Fruit Salad recipe is a tantalizing mix of flavours and textures that will tantalize your taste buds!

Combining sweet winter fruits such as apples, pears, oranges, mandarins, and kiwi fruit with a hint of chilli and delicate finger lime pearls, this dish is a perfect balance of sweet and spicy! It's sure to be a hit at your next gathering and its vibrant holiday colours make it ideal for your festive table.

If you are after some more festive salad ideas, then why not visit our festive salad page? Hankering after some more fruit salad options, you simply must try our exotic Dragon Fruit Salad or our Cantaloupe Salad with Sweet and Sour Dressing.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

In this Autumn Fruit Salad, we have used a variety of pomme and citrus fruit, which can easily be whatever autumn - fall fruit you have to hand.

Oranges - we have used naval oranges because they are sweet and juicy, but feel free to use some blood oranges for some added colour or even tangelos.
Mandarins - to add a variety of citrus, but you may just use oranges or even some grapefruit to add some sour bitterness.
Pears - we used some Packham pears here, but feel to replace them with any pears that you have to hand.
Apples - we used some small red gala apples for their distinctive juicy crunch; fuji or Honeycrisp apples are also a good option. Or, for some tartness, you can't go wrong with a Granny smith.
Finger limes - the best way to describe finger limes is as citrussy caviar. It may be substituted with one tablespoon of lime zest and 2-3 tablespoons of lime juice.
Pomegranate – consider adding some pomegranate arils for an extra pop of colour if you are not using finger limes.
Dressing - we have used orange juice and lime juice for some added sweetness and tang, as well as some chilli flakes to add some warming heat.

For something a bit more traditional, you can try using the juice from one orange, 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it) and a pinch of cinnamon or pumpkin spice.

Labelled ingredients needed to make an autumn fruit salad.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 - Cut Up the Citrus

Wash the oranges, cut off the ends, and slice the peel close to the flesh to avoid the pith. Cut off any remaining white pith, then dice.

Wash and peel your mandarins, carefully removing as much of the white pith as possible, then cut your mandarin slices in half lengthwise.

AERIAL VIEW OF CUT ORANGE ON A WOODEN BOARD WITH KNIFE — CUT OFF THE PEEL

A close up of a segmented orange that is diced. — DICE THE ORANGES

PEELED ORANGE ON WOODEN BOARD WITH KNIFE & PEEL — SLICE ORANGE

Cutting up mandarin segments on a wooden board with peelings on the side. Next to a plate of mandarin slices. — PEEL & REMOVE PIT FROM MANDARINS

Step 2 - Cut Up the Remaining Ingredients

Wash and peel the kiwi fruit, quarter it lengthwise and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Wash the finger limes, roll the finger limes to loosen the lime pearls, then cut open finger lime crossways, not lengthways, to maximize the release of its coveted "citrus caviar."

Gently squeeze the lime, similar to how you would squeeze toothpaste from a tube, and watch as the tiny, juicy pearls burst onto your plate.

DICED UP KIWI FRUIT ON WOODEN BOARD WITH RED KNIFE

Hands squeeziing out finger lime pearls on a wooden board.

Wash and dry your pears and apple and remove the cores. Then cut them into bite-sized pieces.

DICED UP PEAR ON WOODEN BOARD WITH KNIFE AND CORE PEARS ON THE SIDE

Step 3 - Assemble Your Fall Fruit Salad

Place all the chopped fruit and lime pearls in a large mixing bowl, add the chilli flakes and squeeze the juice from one orange on top.

Toss everything together until well combined, taste and add some sweetener if the salad is too tart.

Arrange in a salad bowl and serve. It's great with yoghurt, ice cream or warm custard.

Prepared autumn fall salad ingredients in a glass salad bowl. — ADD INGREDIENTS TO BOWL

Hands squeezing orange over fall fruit salad in a bowl with spoon. — SQUEEZE ORANGE & LIME JUICE

Mixing autumn fruit salad in a glass bowl with a spoon. — MIX FRUIT WELL TO COMBINE

Mixing faill fruit salad with citrus juices in a bowl. — MIX THE JUICES THROUGH

Serving Suggestions 🍽

This deliciously festive autumn fruit salad is a must-have for any winter celebration, whether it be Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving. The combination of apples, pears, and red finger limes makes it vibrant and flavourful.

Serve it on its own with a generous helping of warming citrus custard or ice cream for an extra special treat. Or alongside warming winter cakes such as a hot milk cake or ginger cake. It’s also great for breakfast with some granola or Greek yoghurt.

Whether you're having it as a dessert, snack, or breakfast, this delicious fruit salad is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Variations

It's always nice to mix up the fruit combinations to fit the seasons of the year. Why not give your autumn fruit salad a delicious twist with these variations:

In the springtime, try some tropical flavours like pineapple, lychees, papaya, and pawpaws. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, a variety of fresh berries make for a delicious treat. For another great springtime fruit salad, you MUST try our fragrant Pineapple Mint Salad.
When summer rolls around, a delicious combo of berries, mangoes, peaches, plums, and melons are sure to hit the spot.
When the cold weather of autumn - fall, and winter arrive, pears, apples, oranges, and maraschino cherries taste especially good. So why not give them a try?
For a bit of extra flavour and crunch, why not add some dried fruits and nuts, such as dried cranberries, dates, figs, pecans, almonds, cashews, and macadamias?

A closeup of Autumn fruit salad on a black plate on top of a checked tea towel.

Tips and Questions

Where Can I Buy Finger Limes?

Finger limes have an extremely short season which is why they are so expensive and almost impossible to find; your best bet is your local farmers' market. To prolong the shelf-life of these delicious Aussie treats, you can freeze them for six months.

How Do I Stop My Fruit From Browning?

In my opinion, one of the best ways to keep your fruit from browning is to soak them in a saltwater solution for 10 minutes.
Not only will they stay fresh and crisp for hours, but the salty taste also works great in salads.
Simply mix 1 teaspoon of salt into 2 cups of water and let your apples soak in the solution for 10 minutes.
If you'd rather not have the salty flavour, simply rinse off the apples afterwards.

Can Fruit Salad Be Made Ahead?

While this autumn fruit salad recipe is best on the day, it will keep for 3-4 days in an air-tight container in the fridge. For more tips on how to stop fruit from browning, see our tips on how to keep your fruit fresh.

How Do You Keep Fruit Salad From Getting Soggy?

Having an airtight container in the kitchen is a must! It's the best way to make sure your fruit salad stays fresh and delicious for up to 3 days.

The container helps to keep the right moisture level so your fruit won't get soggy. Storing it properly is key for enjoying a tasty autumn fruit salad for days!

Dietary Information

This is a healthy low, calorie dessert option as each serving contains 116 calories.

It is suitable for dairy-free, gluten-free, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian and Whole30 eaters.