This Creamy Fruit Salad has been a long-time favorite in my recipe rotation. Sweet, simple, and always a hit at gatherings. Backed by my professional taste testers (my kids!), it’s a no-fuss recipe you can count on. Trust me, this one disappears fast!
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This post was originally posted on 5/22/2020 and updated on 5/22/2025.
Why We Love This Creamy Fruit Salad Recipe
- Make Ahead: Easy recipe to prep in advance for family gatherings, holidays, or potlucks.
- No Baking Needed: A simple mix-and-chill dessert, perfect when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
- Family-Friendly: Sweet, creamy, and packed with fruit. A treat everyone will enjoy.
- Crowd Favorite: Always one of the first bowls to empty at any event.
- Versatile: Use your favorite fruits or what’s in season, this salad works with almost anything.
- Fuss-Free: Anyone can make it, it's so simple to throw together.
- Year-Round Favorite: Just as perfect for summer cookouts as it is for holiday spreads.
Creamy Fruit Salad Ingredients
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Apple
- Banana
- Canned Mandarin Oranges
- Mini Marshmallows
- Heavy Cream
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar
Substitution Suggestions
- Fruit: This is a very versatile recipe. You can substitute your favorite fruit. Add in pears or grapes if you like. Even pineapple would be good! Whichever your favorite fruit is! You'll want to keep the amount around 4-5 cups of fruit. If you want more fruit, no problem! Just double the amount of whipped cream you make!
- Canned Mandarin Oranges: I prefer the oranges in 100% juice or water. Use what you like. You can use other canned fruit too just make sure you drain it very well.
- Heavy Cream: If you like you can substitute the cream, vanilla and powdered sugar for a tub of whipped topping. The homemade whipped cream tastes so much better though!
How To Make Creamy Fruit Salad
- First wash and prepare your fruit. Dry the fruit well.
- Then drain the oranges, but keep the juice! My youngest loves to drink the juice!
- Next, add the cut fruit and oranges to a large bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with mixing bowl and hand beater, beat the heavy cream until it reaches soft peeks. Soft peeks are peeks that are barely holding their shape. They will be quite droopy and curl under.
- Now add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Beat the cream until you reach stiff peeks, which means the peeks are now going to be stiff and hold their shape.
- Lastly, fold the whipped cream and marshmallows into the bowl of fruit, cover and chill until ready to eat!
- So incredibly easy to make and so irresistible!
What to Serve with Whipped Cream Fruit Salad
This salad pairs well with breakfast, brunch and dinner! Here are some of our favorites to eat with it:
- Homemade Belgian Waffles
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Ham Egg and Cheese Bake
- Crock Pot BBQ Chicken
- Corn Flake Chicken Tenders
- Grilled Spiced Pork Chops
If fruit salads are your thing don't miss my recipe for Summer Fruit Salad or this fun recipe for Fruit Nachos!
Storing Whipped Cream Fruit Salad
Storing: Store any leftover salad in a bowl with tight fitting lid in the fridge. It will last in the fridge for up to 4 days, but is best served the first 2 days. It will start to break down and get runny after that.
Make Ahead: If you want to make this salad ahead of time, clean and cut the berries, make the whipped cream and store it separately in the fridge until the day you are ready to serve. Then cut the apple, slice the banana and gently combine it all in a large serving bowl before serving.
Tips for Creamy Fruit Salad Recipe
- Use a variety of fruit. Just about any fruit will work in this salad. Choose ripe fruit in a variety of colors to make it even more appealing.
- Dry the fruit well. After washing and cutting the fruit make sure it is dried well. Too much moisture can break down the whipped cream.
- Frozen fruit will NOT work in this recipe. Frozen fruit has too much moisture and when it thaws it becomes soft and soggy. It will break down the whipped cream and it will be a runny mess.
- To serve this salad for a crowd on a warm day, put the bowl of creamy fruit salad inside another bowl filled with ice. It will help keep the salad cold throughout the party.
More Delicious Salad Recipes:
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Classic Potato Salad
- Ham Pasta Salad
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad
- Creamy Tomato Cucumber Salad
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Creamy Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz container strawberries, hulled and cut into bite size pieces
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 apple, any type, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 banana, sliced
- 15 oz can mandarin oranges in 100% juice, drained well
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Add the washed, dried and cut fruit to a large bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream until it forms soft peeks.
- Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar and beat until cream reaches stiff peeks.
- Add the whipped cream and marshmallows to the fruit and gently fold together.
- Cover and chill until time to serve.
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