Autumn Fruit Salad
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.
This fall enjoy a delicious Harvest Fruit Salad made with apples, grapes, dried cranberries, and pecans tossed in a spiced orange dressing.
In the summer we eat a ton of fruit. I try to make fruit salad at least once a week. Since it is available at farmer’s markets, at roadside stands, and in the market we are easily able to grab fresh fruit all summer long.
That is not the case in the fall. Once fall comes it gets harder to come by decent fruits. Sure we can get some apples or grab some citrus but it’s usually a single fruit that I throw in a lunchbox or we have for breakfast.
I do have some great fall fruit recipes like Easy Instant Pot Applesauce or these delicious Caramel Apple Scones. I also have some good citrus recipes like my favorite Orange Pound Cake or this sweet and tart Lemon Upside Down Cake.
What I don’t have are any light and healthy fall fruit recipes. Most of my recipes are for baked goods or breads.
I’ve been looking for a fresh option to serve at the holidays because I feel like our side dishes are often so heavy. When I found a recipe for an autumn fruit salad I was so excited!
Included in the fruit salad were oranges, apples, and grapes, all of which are readily available to me in the fall. It also tossed in toasted pecans and dried cranberries which add a bit of sweetness and a bit of crunch.
What fruits are in season in the fall?
Common fruits that are in season in the fall are apples, pears, grapes, and citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits. Fruits that you might not think of as seasonal in the fall include kiwi, persimmons, pomegranates, figs, and cranberries.
I used the fruits mentioned above but you could easily add in any of the other fruits that are available in the fall as well. You can change the ingredients to fit the needs of your own family.
In addition the the fruits and nuts this fruit salad also has a spiced orange dressing poured over the top. The spice I used to flavor the dressing was apple pie spice.
How do you make apple pie spice?
I always have both apple pie and pumpkin pie spice in my cupboard but if you don’t making apple pie spice is easy. Simply combine 4 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon allspice. If you only have 3 of the 4 spices (as long as one of those spices is the cinnamon) this recipe for apple pie spice will work.
Ingredients:
- green apples
- red apples
- grapes (any color)
- dried cranberries
- pecan halves
- navel oranges or clementines
- lemon
- orange juice
- granulated sugar
- apple pie spice
This salad is super easy to make. To toast the pecans place them in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring every minute or two, until they have gotten a deep brown color and you can smell the nutty flavor. This should take 7-10 minutes.
In a small bowl mix together the orange juice, sugar, apple pie spice, lemon zest, and orange zest. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved.
How do you zest citrus fruit?
Citrus zest is the colored outside portion of the peel. Because of the natural oils in it the peel and zest hold a ton of citrus flavor in them.
When zesting citrus fruit make sure you only zest the colored peel and not the white part under the skin because the white part is bitter. There is a zester you can buy at the store to zest citrus fruit. To use it you hold the handle in one hand and place the other edge on a hard surface then quickly move the orange back and forth over the holes in the zester to produce the zest.
If you don’t have a zester you can also use a box grater. Turn it to the side with the super tiny holes and run the citrus fruit back and forth over it. You may need to scrape the zest from the inside of the box grater.
Core the apples and chop into small pieces. Toss the apples with lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Add them to a large serving bowl. Peel the oranges, divide into segments, and cut each segment in half and add to the bowl. Cut the grapes in half and add to the bowl. Add the dried cranberries and pecans and toss to combine.
Pour the dressing over top of the fruit and toss to coat the fruit. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
This fruit salad is so fresh tasting but with the spiced dressing it’s totally a fall flavored salad. The longer it sits the more flavor the fruits will absorb.
How do I store this fruit salad?
Store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator. I’ve had it last up to 4 days in the refrigerator. You an also make it the night before you need it and just refrigerate it over night and until you are ready to serve it.
I liked the colors in this fruit salad as well. They are the muted colors of fall and make for a really festive salad. I can’t wait to serve this at Thanksgiving this year!
Autumn Fruit Salad
Equipment
- 1 zester
Ingredients
For the Fruit Salad:
- 2 green apples cored and chopped into small pieces
- 2 red apples cored and chopped into pieces
- 1 cup grapes cut in half
- 3/4 c. dried cranberries
- 3 navel oranges or clementines peeled and sectioned
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 lemon
For the Dressing:
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup granulates sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- zest of 1 orange
- zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Place the pecans in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until the pecans have toasted and you can smell their nutty smell. This will take 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
- In a small saucepan combine the orange juice, sugar, apple pie spice, lemon zest, and orange zest. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a large serving bowl add the red and green apples. Squeeze the juice of a lemon over top of the apples so that they do not brown.
- Cut each orange segment in half and add to the bowl.
- Add in the grapes, cranberries, and pecans and mix to combine.
- Pour the dressing over top of the fruit and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
