This Winter Fruit Salad with Citrus Maple Dressing is fresh, vibrant and guaranteed to chase away the winter blues! It’s an easy, kid-friendly recipe that’s great for any occasion. It’s also gluten-free, vegan and refined sugar free!

Winter fruit salad in a white bowl

Winter is in full swing, and I’m enjoying my fair share of comfort food. While I can never turn down a cozy bowl of soup or chili, I still crave fresh ingredients daily and eat salad every day.

I thoroughly enjoy tossing fruit with greens as I’ve proven with my kale apple salad and pomegranate salad, but this Winter Fruit Salad is a delicious change.

It’s all about glorious winter fruit, which is some of the best in my humble opinion. This salad will chase the winter blues away on the dreariest day with it’s bright, fresh flavor and colors!

And if you want to take your taste buds on a tropical getaway, be sure to try my tropical fruit salad!

Serving spoons tossing winter fruit salad over a white bowl

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • This winter fruit salad recipe is colorful, refreshing and bursting with bright flavor.
  • It’s a versatile dish that’s great for brunch, snacks and also makes a great side dish.
  • It’s an easy, kid-friendly recipe that’s gluten-free and vegan with no refined sugar.

Recipe ingredients

This vegan winter fruit salad is packed with fresh fruit and tossed in a maple citrus dressing. The salad can be customized with your favorite fruits as outlined in the ingredient notes below!

Winter fruit salad recipe ingredients

Ingredient notes

  • Fruit. I’ve included some of the best winter fruits in this recipe, including pomegranate, apple, pear, banana, kiwi and orange. Grapefruit, persimmon and kumquat would also be great additions, or use what you have on hand.
  • Lemon and orange juice. The dressing includes a combination of fresh orange and lemon juice, which serves a few purposes. It adds flavor, keeps the fruit from turning brown and preserves its freshness.
  • Maple syrup. The maple syrup adds sweetness to the dressing and also helps preserve the fruit. It may be substituted with honey or omitted altogether if your fruit is plenty sweet.
  • Poppy seeds. The poppy seeds add a festive touch, but they be omitted if you don’t have any on hand.

How to make this recipe

This winter fruit salad recipe is very easy to make. Simply combine the dressing ingredients, prep the fruit and toss together!

Pro tip: The citrus juice and maple syrup in the dressing will preserve the freshness of the fruit and keep it from turning brown, but the salad is best when it’s tossed together just before serving.

How to make winter fruit salad
  1. Place the orange juice, lime juice, maple syrup and poppy seeds in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
  2. Place the fruit in a medium bowl.
  3. Pour the dressing over the fruit.
  4. Toss the fruit with the dressing gently until well coated.
Wooden spoon digging into a bowl of winter fruit salad

Recipe FAQs

What fruit is best in winter?

Banana, grapefruit, oranges, kumquats, kiwi, apples, pears, pomegranate and persimmon are great fruits to enjoy during the winter season.

How do you keep fruit from turning brown in fruit salad?

Citrus, dressing and simple syrup are all great ways to preserve the freshness of fruit in a fruit salad and keep it from turning brown.

How long will fruit salad last in the fridge?

Fruit salad is best eaten immediately after it’s prepared for maximum freshness, but it will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Servings of winter fruit salad on small white plates

Serving suggestions

There are so many delicious ways to serve this refreshing fruit salad!

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip: The citrus juice and maple syrup in the dressing will preserve the freshness of the fruit and keep it from turning brown, but the salad is best when it’s tossed together just before serving.
  • The dressing may be made in advance and stored in an air tight container in the fridge.
  • Prep the orange, pomegranate, and kiwi ahead of time, but the apple, pear and banana shouldn’t be cut until serving time as they will discolor.
Small plates filled with winter fruit salad

More winter salads you’ll love:

If you try this recipe I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and star rating below, and don’t forget to tag me at @flavorthemoments on Instagram!

Winter fruit salad in a white bowl

Winter Fruit Salad with Citrus Maple Dressing

Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Additional Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Winter Fruit Salad is fresh, vibrant and tossed in a flavorful citrus poppy seed dressing. It's a gluten-free, vegan recipe that's great for brunch, snacks and pot lucks!
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Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup may be substituted wth your favorite sweetener
  • 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

For the salad:

  • 3 kiwi peeled and chopped into chunks
  • 3 clementines peeled and broken into pieces
  • 1 medium apple chopped
  • 1 medium pear chopped
  • 1 large banana peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate arils

Instructions 

Prepare the dressing:

  • Place the orange juice, lime juice, maple syrup and poppy seeds in a small bowl and whisk until combined.

Prepare the salad:

  • Place the fruit in a medium bowl and toss gently with enough dressing to coat the fruit. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

  • Pro tip: The citrus juice and maple syrup in the dressing will preserve the freshness of the fruit and keep it from turning brown, but the salad is best when it’s tossed together just before serving.
  • The dressing may be made in advance and stored in an air tight container in the fridge.
  • Prep the orange, pomegranate, and kiwi ahead of time, but the apple, pear and banana shouldn’t be cut until serving time as they will discolor.

Nutrition

Calories: 123kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 3mg, Potassium: 414mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 92IU, Vitamin C: 71mg, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Salads
Cuisine: American
Author: Marcie
All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

**This recipe was originally published in February 2016. The photos have been updated, the recipe has been modified, and the text has been modified to include more recipe information.

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