This easy and delicious Fourth of July Fruit Salad brings together the best of summer’s fruits in the most festive way. With a combination of juicy red, white, and blue fruits, this beautiful salad is the perfect way to add a pop of color to all your patriotic holidays.
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Patriotic Fruit Salad Recipe
Celebrate the 4th of July in style this year with this fresh fruit salad. Using different-sized star cookie cutters, you’ll transform slices of watermelon and apples into festive star shapes. Tossed together with juicy blueberries and sweet strawberries this recipe is not only ideal for patriotic holidays, but it’s also a wonderful way to add a pop of color to summer picnics, potlucks, and summer BBQs.
The best part about this fruit salad recipe is that it’s a total breeze to throw together. Simply rinse off the fruit, cut it into the shapes you want, then toss them together. It’s a simple, hassle-free dish that can be prepared in a matter of minutes…with no cooking involved! And the great news is that you can easily customize it with your favorite fruit to make it a salad your entire family will love, even the kiddos!
If you’re looking for other patriotic recipes, check out these Red, White and Blue Marshmallow Bars and this Red, White and Blue No Churn Ice Cream.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients: Watermelon, apples, and fresh berries! That’s all it takes to make this great side dish or snack!
- Colors of the American flag: Patriotic, star-shaped fruit make this the perfect dish for Memorial Day, Labor Day or 4th of July celebrations.
- Super refreshing: This delicious salad makes a cool and refreshing snack that’s awesome served on a hot summer day.
- Healthy snack: This salad is loaded with rich vitamins and minerals that makes it a healthy choice for a snack, side dish or even a light and refreshing dessert.
Ingredients
- Fresh strawberries, sliced
- Watermelon, sliced and cut into large star shapes
- Fresh blueberries
- Honeycrisp apples, sliced and cut into smaller star shapes
- Optional: Lime or lemon juice to soak the apples
Instructions
Step One: Cut the Star Shaped Fruits
- Using a large and a small star-shaped cookie cutter, slice star shapes out of the juicy watermelon and apples.
- Though it’s an optional step, it is recommended that you toss the apple stars in fresh lemon or lime juice.
Step Two: Prepare the other Fruits
- Wash and dry the blueberries and strawberries. Slice the strawberries into quarters.
Step Three: Add to a Serving Bowl and Serve
- To a large bowl, add half of the watermelon stars, then half of the juicy red strawberries, half of the blueberries, and half of the apple stars.
- Repeat the layers, ending with the apple stars.
- Serve and enjoy!
Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad Add-ins
If you’re making this salad for July 4th or another patriotic holiday, you want to make sure the add-ins you decide on do not take away from the pretty red, white, and blue colors. Here are some creative and tasty ideas you can consider.
- Coconut flakes: Toasted or untoasted, coconut flakes add a fun tropical twist.
- Nuts: Add a handful of chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans. They make a perfect addition and gives the salad extra texture. Their neutral color will allow the bright colors of the fruit to stand out.
- Fresh herbs: You can toss in some fresh mint leaves, basil, or cilantro to give it a fresh herby flavor. Just make sure it’s chopped finely so you won’t have large pieces of green showing in the salad.
- Cheese: Crumble some feta cheese or goat cheese over the fruit salad to add a savory flavor to the sweetness of the fruits.
- Granola: Mix in your favorite granola for added crunch and a hint of sweetness. Pick a simple honey version of one that complements the colors of the fruits.
- Lemon zest: Finely grated lemon or lime zest adds a bright and citrusy flavor that pairs great with the other fresh fruit in the salad.
- Pomegranate seeds: Sprinkle in a few pomegranate seeds for a juicy burst of tartness and a pop of color that goes well with the blueberries.
What Other Fruits Can I Use?
For more red fruits, you can use raspberries and cherries with watermelon and strawberries.
White peaches and banana slices are fruits that will go well in this salad. Honeydew melon will also work, though it can have a slightly green color to it.
Though there aren’t a lot of blue fruits, you can add some blackberries or concord grapes because they’ll actually look blue in the salad.
How Do I Keep Sliced Fruit from Turning Brown?
There are a few ways to prevent your fruit from oxidizing. The most common way to is soak them in citrus juice water. Another fun tip is to lightly coat the fruit pieces with lemon-lime soda, like Sprite or 7-Up. The carbonation and citric acid in the soda will do the trick! Keeping the fruit chilled will slow down the browning process as well.
What Type of Dressing Goes with This Festive Fruit Salad?
- Citrus honey: Super easy to make, just whisk together freshly squeezed orange juice, a little fresh lemon juice, and a couple of tablespoons of organic honey.
- Yogurt honey: Mix together plain or Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey and a splash of vanilla extract. This makes it a delicious creamy fruit salad that’s always a hit.
- Poppy seed: A super fun twist is to make a sweet and tangy dressing with about 1.2 cup mayonnaise, a couple of tablespoons of honey, a tablespoon of white vinegar, and poppy seeds.
- Mint lime: Always a classic dressing, blend fresh mint leaves, lime juice, honey, and a touch of olive oil for a refreshing and vibrant twist to the fruit salad.
- Basil balsamic: Whisk together balsamic vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, finely chopped fresh basil, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of honey. It adds an unusual and incredibly delicious dressing that complements the fruits.
- Coconut lime: If you love coconut, this dressing is for you. Whisk together coconut milk, lime juice, honey, and a pinch of salt.
- Maple cinnamon: Whisk together pure maple syrup, a pinch of cinnamon, and a splash of apple cider vinegar.
More Fruit Salad Recipes
- Snickers Salad
- Waldorf Salad
- Honey Lime Rainbow Salad
- Cranberry Jello Salad
- Grape Salad
- Blueberry Fluff Salad
Fourth of July Fruit Salad
Equipment
- large star-shaped cookie cutter for the watermelon
- small star-shaped cookie cutter for the apples
Ingredients
- 1 pound strawberries sliced
- 1 watermelon sliced and cut into stars (about 4 cups)
- 1 pint fresh blueberries
- 2 large Honeycrisp apples sliced and cut into stars
- lemon juice (or lime juice) optional
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, cut two slices from the center of the watermelon. Then cut out star shapes with the cookie cutter.
- Cut the apples into slices and then cut the star shapes using the cookie cutter.
- To a large serving bowl, add half of the watermelon, then half of the strawberries, half of the blueberries, and half of the apple stars. Repeat the layers, ending with the apple stars again.
- Optional but recommended: Toss the apple stars in fresh lemon or lime juice to delay oxidation.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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