This fall fruit salad is filled with fresh apples, blackberries, grapes, and pecans. Drizzled with a homemade cinnamon orange dressing that packs tons of fall flavor!
Oh MY Word!!!! If I could give this fruit salad 10 stars I would. The most amazing and flavorful fruit salad that I have ever tasted. Testing out salads for my daughters Baby Shower Brunch next month and this is definitely a winner. The maple syrup with the orange and the zest. I cannot quit eating it. My guests are going to be raving! ★★★★★ - Lisa
Heather's summary
Flavor/texture: Fruity, citrusy, cozy, warm. Crunchy pecans contrast nicely with the crisp apples, juicy grapes, and tender blackberries.
The dressing is the star: It packs tons of cozy fall flavor! Made with fresh orange juice, orange zest, maple syrup, and cinnamon.
Serves: 8 or more
More fruit salads: Spring Fruit Salad, Summer Fruit Salad, and Winter Fruit Salad
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Apples - I used two large, sweet apples for this fruit salad. Honeycrisp, fuji, gala, and red delicious are all great choices.
- Chopped pecans - Can be substituted with walnuts.
- Maple syrup - Can be substituted with honey (however, your salad will no longer be vegan). Readers have also had success using maple flavored pancake syrup.
How to make fall fruit salad
- Zest your orange, then juice it into a bowl.
- Add cinnamon and maple syrup and whisk until incorporated.
- Add apples, grapes, blackberries, and pecans to a bowl and drizzle dressing on top.
- Toss until evenly coated and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips and tricks
Zest, then juice - Zest your orange, then slice it in half and juice it. It's much easier to zest a whole orange than two halves.
Slice apples last - As instructed in the recipe card, we're slicing the apples last. This ensures that your apples don't turn brown before they're dressed. The dressing seals the apples, which prevents them from oxidizing.
For crunchy pecans, add them last - Want to keep your pecans crunchy? Add them last and toss to combine just before serving.
Make ahead
Prepare according to the directions below, cover, and store in the refrigerator overnight. Before serving, give your salad a quick toss to incorporate any dressing that may have settled at the bottom of the bowl.
No, your apples will not turn brown during this time. The salad dressing coats the apples and prevents oxidation.
Frequently asked questions
The dressing coats the fruits and prevents oxidation. Prepare the fruit salad as directed below, cubing your apples last. Once the apples are cubed, assemble the salad. Immediately toss fruits in the dressing until evenly coated.
The most common fruits for a fall fruit salad include: apples, orange slices, kiwi, grapes, pears, pomegranate arils, blackberries, figs, and persimmons. Make it according to your tastes and preferences - make it something you'll truly enjoy!
Your fruit salad will keep, once dressed, in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days but is best served with in 1 day for a party.
I like to serve fall fruit salad with a stack of applesauce pancakes. Readers have also tossed it with homemade granola or yogurt to enjoy for breakfast.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Fall Fruit Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Fruit salad
- 16 ounces red seedless grapes
- 12 ounces blackberries
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 large sweet apples
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the zest and juice of one orange. Add maple syrup and cinnamon, whisking to combine.
- Then, add grapes, blackberries, and pecans. Cube apples into bite size pieces and add to the bowl. Immediately toss fruit to coat.
- Serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Make ahead: Salad can be prepared up to one day ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Give your salad a toss just before serving to incorporate any dressing that may have settled in the bottom of the bowl.
- Best apples to use: Any apples can be used in this recipe, but I recommend sweet apples like honeycrisp, fuji, or gala apples.
- Storage: Prepared fruit salad will keep for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Substituting with prepared orange juice: Juice of one orange = about ¼ cup
How can you make this more diabetic friendly?
I signed up to take a fruit salad to a late summer picnic but then the weather was forecasted to be more fall like. I decided I wanted a fruit salad with apples but realized I needed a recipe. Found this one and wow what a big hit this salad was! I had so many people complementing and asking about the recipe. I made the salad the night before, keeping the pecans in a separate bowl for sprinkling on top if people want. The pecans are definitely better when added to individual servings, otherwise they become soft. It's a great recipe and I will make this one again!