Pineapple Fruit Salad

I brought this to a cookout last weekend and a woman I’d never met asked me for the recipe twice. She was very serious about it. I was very flattered.

It’s just fruit, you know? Pineapple, mango, papaya, kiwi, raspberries, dressed in honey and lime, topped with toasted coconut. SIMPLE. But that toasted coconut is doing something sneaky. A little crunch against all the soft fruit, lime keeping everything bright and not-sad….

It’s the fruit salad that makes people act like you’ve done something special. Which you have. But also, you haven’t. It’s fruit.

Best Fruits for This Tropical Salad

Pick PINEAPPLE with golden skin and a sweet smell at the base (green means sour, soft means past prime). Choose PAPAYA that’s yellow-orange with slight give, and MANGOES with a fragrant stem end. KIWIS should feel firm yet yield gently; raspberries stay best when plump and dry (wash only right before serving or they crumble into mush).

How to Keep Raspberries from Getting Mushy

1. Wash raspberries LAST and pat them BONE DRY with paper towels. Wet berries break down FAST once they hit the dressing!
2. Add raspberries AFTER tossing the other fruits with the honey-lime mixture. That way the acidic lime juice isn’t sitting on them longer than necessary.
3. Fold gently ONCE with a rubber spatula (or just nestle them on top) and call it done. Vigorous stirring = raspberry mush, guaranteed.
4. Serve within 30 minutes of combining. The longer raspberries sit in dressed fruit, the softer they get.
5. Keep them WHOLE. Cutting raspberries is a one-way ticket to mushy jam-ville. Pop them in intact and let them be the star.

Make-Ahead & Storage Tips

Assemble RIGHT before serving, but prep smart to save time. Cut the pineapple, papaya, mango, and kiwi up to 24 hours ahead in SEPARATE containers (kiwi and pineapple release enzymes that turn other fruit mushy, the worst!).

The dressing keeps 3 days in a sealed jar…. whisk before drizzling since honey settles. Hold off on the raspberries until the very end. Rinse them ONLY right before serving, or they bleed pink everywhere!

Don’t freeze this. Texture is destroyed upon thawing. Refrigerate leftovers covered up to 2 days, though fruit softens considerably. (Stir gently to redistribute juices if absolutely needed.)

Toast the coconut and add the mint at the last second. Both lose their magic fast!

What to Cook Next

• Mango Pineapple Fruit Salad
• Simple Fruit Salad
• Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
• Sweet Spring Fruit Salad
• Easy Old Fashioned Fruit Salad
• Easy Pineapple Cucumber Salad

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 520-600
• Protein: 5-7 g
• Fat: 2-3 g
• Carbohydrates: 135-150 g

Ingredients

For the fruit base:

• 2 cups pineapple (cut into 1-inch chunks)
• 1 1/4 cups papaya (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 2 cups mango (thawed)
• 1 cup kiwi, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup raspberries
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

For the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 pinch sea salt

For the garnish:

• fresh mint sprigs
• fresh lime slices

Step 1: Chop the Tropical Fruit

• 2 cups pineapple
• 1 1/4 cups papaya
• 2 cups mango
• 1 cup kiwi, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup raspberries

Cut the pineapple into 1-inch chunks and the papaya into 1/2-inch cubes.

Peel the kiwi and slice it into rounds or half-moons.

If using fresh mango, peel and cut into bite-sized pieces; if thawed frozen mango, simply cut into similar-sized pieces.

Gently rinse the raspberries and pat dry with a paper towel to prevent them from breaking apart.

Step 2: Whisk the Citrus Glaze

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 pinch sea salt

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and lime juice until well combined and smooth.

Add the sea salt pinch and stir to dissolve.

I like to let this sit for a minute so the salt fully incorporates into the dressing and seasons it evenly.

Step 3: Toss Gently in Bowl

• prepared fruit from Step 1
• honey-lime dressing from Step 2

Transfer all the prepared fruit from Step 1 to a large serving bowl.

Pour the honey-lime dressing from Step 2 over the fruit and gently fold together using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, being careful not to crush the softer fruits like raspberries and mango.

I find that gently tossing rather than stirring vigorously helps keep the fruit pieces intact and looking beautiful.

Step 4: Brown the Coconut Flakes

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

Lightly toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until it becomes fragrant and lightly golden.

Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the fruit salad just before serving for maximum texture and flavor.

Step 5: Garnish and Serve Cold

• fresh mint sprigs
• fresh lime slices

Divide the tropical fruit salad into serving bowls or plates.

Top each portion with fresh mint sprigs for a pop of color and herbaceous freshness, and arrange a lime slice on the rim or nestled into the salad.

Mango Pineapple Fruit Salad

Delicious Mango Pineapple Fruit Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 12 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 560

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the fruit base:

• 2 cups pineapple (cut into 1-inch chunks)
• 1 1/4 cups papaya (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 2 cups mango (thawed)
• 1 cup kiwi, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup raspberries
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

For the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 pinch sea salt

For the garnish:

• fresh mint sprigs
• fresh lime slices

Method

 

1. Cut the pineapple into 1-inch chunks and the papaya into 1/2-inch cubes. Peel the kiwi and slice it into rounds or half-moons. If using fresh mango, peel and cut into bite-sized pieces; if thawed frozen mango, simply cut into similar-sized pieces. Gently rinse the raspberries and pat dry with a paper towel to prevent them from breaking apart.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and lime juice until well combined and smooth. Add the sea salt pinch and stir to dissolve. I like to let this sit for a minute so the salt fully incorporates into the dressing and seasons it evenly.
3. Transfer all the prepared fruit from Step 1 to a large serving bowl. Pour the honey-lime dressing from Step 2 over the fruit and gently fold together using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, being careful not to crush the softer fruits like raspberries and mango. I find that gently tossing rather than stirring vigorously helps keep the fruit pieces intact and looking beautiful.
4. Lightly toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until it becomes fragrant and lightly golden. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the fruit salad just before serving for maximum texture and flavor.
5. Divide the tropical fruit salad into serving bowls or plates. Top each portion with fresh mint sprigs for a pop of color and herbaceous freshness, and arrange a lime slice on the rim or nestled into the salad.