This vanilla pudding fruit salad is joy in a bowl! Every bite is loaded with bright, juicy flavors from pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, and more.
And the silky vanilla pudding ties it all together.
Serve it as a side dish, dessert, or even a decadent breakfast!
Trust me, everyone will devour it.
Why You’ll Love This Vanilla Pudding Fruit Salad
Perfectly-Balanced Sweetness: The silky vanilla pudding perfectly complements the fruits’ natural sweetness. It’s not overly sugary but still tastes indulgent.
Kid-Friendly: Littles will love the fun combo of colorful fruits and creamy pudding. It’s an easy (and delicious) way to encourage them to eat more fruit.
Time-Saver: This recipe uses convenient ingredients like instant pudding and canned fruits. It’s a quick, 15-minute-prep dish that looks and tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
Customizable Options: You can easily personalize the recipe with add-ins like crunchy pecans or lime. Make it fit your preferences or add a creative edge for special occasions.
Ingredients
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix: The creamy, sweet binding sauce. It thickens when mixed with pineapple juice and coats the fruit perfectly.
- Canned Pineapple Chunks: They add tropical sweetness and a firm, juicy texture.
- Canned Mandarin Oranges: For a bright burst of citrus flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Fresh Fruit: Add bananas for a creamy texture and natural sweetness. Strawberries are sweetly tart and add a bright red color. Blueberries and grapes are juicy and firm, adding extra blue and purple hues.
- Optional Add-Ins: Toss in a handful of chopped pecans for crunch and nuttiness. Lime zest is citrusy and will brighten the dish.
How to Make Vanilla Pudding Fruit Salad
Fruit salad recipes are quick and easy, and everyone loves them. Here’s how to make this one.
1. Prepare the canned fruit. Drain the pineapple, reserving 1 cup of the juice to combine with the pudding mix. Set the chunks aside, and drain the oranges thoroughly.
2. Make the pudding. Whisk the instant pudding mix and reserved juice in a medium bowl. Continue for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
3. Prepare the fresh fruits. Slice the bananas just before adding them to prevent browning. Hull and slice the strawberries and rinse the blueberries and grapes. Pat everything dry to prevent watering down the salad.
4. Combine. Mix the pineapple chunks, oranges, and fresh fruit in a large bowl. If using add-ins, stir those in as well. Pour the pudding evenly over the fruit mixture. Use a spatula to gently mix and coat. Don’t mash the fruits.
5. Chill and serve. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap (or a lid). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Vanilla Pudding Fruit Salad
Incorporating these tips will ensure your salad turns out perfectly every time.
- Pick the right pudding mix. Always get instant pudding mix, not the cook-and-serve kind. You can use a sugar-free pudding mix if desired.
- Ditch the excess liquid. Drain your canned fruits well. Just remember to reserve some pineapple juice to combine with the pudding mix.
- Get fresh fruits nice and dry. This will help prevent the salad from becoming watery. Pat the grapes and berries thoroughly dry after rinsing them.
- Don’t let the bananas brown. Slice them immediately before you plan to serve the salad. To make it ahead of time, toss the bananas in a bit of lemon juice to slow down the oxidation process.
- Be gentle. If you’re too heavy-handed, you’ll crush the delicate fruits. Mix carefully.
- Make it creamier. Simply add a dollop of whipped cream or yogurt for extra smoothness and creaminess.
- Make it your own. Try kiwi, raspberries, blackberries, etc. You can also add chopped nuts, mini marshmallows, or flavor extracts.
How to Store
This salad doesn’t freeze well, but it will keep in the refrigerator for several days.
To Store: Store the salad in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you use canned fruits only, it’ll last up to 1 week.
Vanilla Pudding Fruit Salad
8
servings15
minutes246
kcalThis creamy vanilla pudding fruit salad is such a treat! It’s loaded with bananas, berries, grapes, oranges, pineapple, and so much goodness!
Ingredients
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks (reserve 1 cup of juice for the pudding)
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 (3.4-ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 large bananas, sliced
2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups seedless purple grapes
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional, for added crunch)
1 lime, zested (optional, for a bright citrus flavor)
Instructions
- Drain the pineapple, reserving 1 cup of the juice. Set the chunks aside. Drain the mandarin oranges thoroughly to prevent excess liquid in the salad.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the instant pudding mix and the reserved pineapple juice. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens and is smooth. (About 2–3 minutes.) The pudding should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set aside.
- Slice the bananas just before adding them to prevent early browning. Hull and slice the strawberries, rinse the blueberries and grapes, and pat them dry. This will avoid watering down the salad.
- In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes. If using optional add-ins (pecans or lime zest), add them now.
- Pour the prepared pudding mixture over the fruit. Using a large spatula, gently stir the pudding into the fruit until evenly coated. Be careful not to mash the fruits.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Serve chilled, and enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to use instant pudding mix, not cook-and-serve.
- Drain canned fruits well, and dry the grapes and berries thoroughly.
- Add bananas just before serving or dip them in lemon or lime juice to prevent browning.
- Add bananas just before serving or dip them in lemon or lime juice to prevent browning.
