Red white and blue fruit salad with honey citrus dressing is the perfect side dish for any summer gathering. With a sweet and refreshing blend of watermelon, blueberries, strawberries and bananas, this patriotic fruit salad looks and tastes great on Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.
Post may contain affiliate links. To read my affiliate policy click here.
Can you believe it’s already May?
That means it’s like the Friday of summer and Memorial Day and the unofficial official start of summer will be here before we know it!
This year, our daughter is super into the idea of celebrating the summer holidays. She loves looking at all the red, white and blue Americana decor when we are out shopping.
She wants to do a red, white and blue themed dinners for Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.
Possibly because she has been angling for me to buy the patriotic glowsticks she saw the other day and a silly headband with bobbing red stars on it.
And also because she wants me to make my red, white and blue s’mores dip for each holiday.
But this means I have to get on finding some other things to fill out a red, white and blue menu for her.
And it means, I need to try to make some of them full of good for you foods like this super easy, refreshing summer fruit salad.
It’s chock full of yummy, wholesome ingredients and makes a healthy side dish that everyone in my family happily ate from my toddler to the world’s pickiest 6 year old and the grown ups.
That makes it a must for any summer barbecues and 4th of July picnics in my book!
Ingredients and Kitchen Tools
This patriotic summer fruit salad is very forgiving. Feel free to adjust the amounts of any of the fruit below to suit your tastes or add in any other red, white and blue fruit you desire.
- Watermelon– For a short cut, you can buy precubed watermelon in the grocery store. You could also cut it into approximately 1″ cubes yourself or use a melon baller to make watermelon balls.
- Strawberries– Wash them, remove the leafy top and slice them.
- Blueberries– No need to cut them, just wash them well.
- Bananas– Slice them up.
- Fresh mint– totally optional, for garnish
For the sweet and tangy citrus dressing you’ll need:
- Citrus juices– I like using the juice from fresh lemon and limes for this but you could use bottled if you prefer.
- Honey– To add sweetness and offset the tart citrus flavor.
The kitchen tools you’ll want to have on hand for this include:
- A good chef’s knife– You need a good knife to cut the watermelon, strawberries and bananas.
- Cutting board
- Melon baller– Totally optional but needed if you want to make watermelon balls.
- Citrus press– To juice the lime and lemon for your dressing.
- Bowls– A large one to hold the salad and a smaller one for the dressing.
- Whisk or fork– To whisk the dressing
How to Make Red White and Blue Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
Making this berry banana fruit salad is so easy! To do it:
- Cut the fruit.
Cut 1/4 of a whole watermelon into 1″ cubes or use a melon baller to ball 1/4 of the melon. Then wash and slice the strawberries and slice the bananas. Put everything into a bowl and add the blueberries.
After you’ve cut your fruit, make your dressing by whisking together the juice of 2 limes with the juice of 1 lemon and 1/4 cup of honey.
Pour the dressing over the red white and blue fruit salad and gently toss together to coat the fruit. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Can I make Red White and Blue fruit salad ahead of time?
Sort of, but not really.
If you wanted to prep this earlier in the day, you could go ahead and slice the berries and prep the watermelon. Make sure to cover them tightly and refrigerate. You could also make the dressing ahead of time, and store it in the fridge, covered until you are ready to use it.
When you are ready to assemble the fruit salad, add the prepared watermelon, strawberries and blueberries to a large bowl. Then slice the bananas and add them to the bowl as well, tossing everything gently to combine.
Now, whisk the dressing together to recombine everything and pour it over top. Then serve and enjoy.
Why shouldn’t I put the dressing on or add the sliced bananas if I want to prep this ahead of time?
Because the dressing is citrus based, it’s highly acidic. It will begin to break down the delicate strawberries if you add it too far in advance of serving it.
The bananas will also brown and look less appealing if you add them too far in advance of serving.
How long will leftovers last?
This is one of those sides that is best served the same day.
If you think you might have leftovers, don’t toss the fruit with the dressing or add the bananas. Instead, portion out individual servings of the salad and add freshly sliced bananas and a little dressing to each portion.
Then, you can save the tossed watermelon and berry combo covered tightly in the fridge for two to three days.
Other Red, White and Blue Fruits for Variations
The fruits I chose for this patriotic banana berry fruit salad are easy to find and my family loves them so they made good choices for us.
If you want to substitute or add any other red, white or blue fruits to this you could try:
- coconut flakes
- dragon fruit- this fruit does have black seeds in the white flesh though
- cherries- pitted and sliced
- Concord grapes
- red grapefruit
- pomengranate seeds
Tips and Tricks
- Make this even more festive by using a star shaped cookie cutter to shape the watermelon pieces!
- Add poppyseeds into the dressing if you like.
- Garnish with fresh mint for added refreshment and flavor.
Other Summer Salads that Make Perfect Picnic Sides
Looking for other summer salads to add to your barbecue or picnic as side dishes? These are a few of my favorites:
Did you make this RED, WHITE AND BLUE FRUIT SALAD or any other recipe on my site? Leave me a comment below and let me know how you liked it. And make sure you follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram to see everything we’ve got going on.
Ingredients
- 1/4 of a whole Watermelon
- 1 pint of strawberries
- 1 pint of blueberries
- 3 bananas sliced
- For the dressing
- the juice of 2 limes
- the juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup of honey
Instructions
- Cut the fruit and wash the fruit. Cut 1/4 of a whole watermelon into 1" cubes or use a melon baller to ball 1/4 of the melon. Then wash and slice the strawberries and slice the bananas. Put everything into a bowl and add the blueberries.
- Make the dressing. After you've cut your fruit, make your dressing by whisking together the juice of 2 limes with the juice of 1 lemon and 1/4 cup of honey.
- Toss it all together. Pour the dressing over the fruit salad and gently toss together to coat the fruit. Garnish with fresh mint if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Leave a comment