This Easy Old-Fashioned Frozen Fruit Salad combines sweet cherries, pineapple, and crunchy pecans in a creamy lemon-flavored filling. It takes just 10 minutes to prepare, and the freezer does the rest!
Like my grape salad with pecans, this make-ahead Southern classic can be served as a refreshing side dish or dessert. It’s perfect for holiday dinners, Easter brunch, Mother’s Day luncheons, and any time you need something delicious you can prep ahead of time.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Make-ahead: Prepare and freeze until firm. Remove from the freezer 15-30 minutes before serving for easier slicing.
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Freezing time: At least 4 hours
- Servings: 8
- Best for: Holiday dinners, Easter brunch, Mother’s Day luncheons, and make-ahead entertaining.
- What makes it different: Unlike traditional frozen fruit salads made with cream cheese or sweetened condensed milk, this version combines lemon yogurt, whipped topping, and a touch of mayonnaise for a creamy, lightly tangy filling.
Yesterday, I ate some for lunch, then had another serving after dinner for dessert. I might have a bite for breakfast tomorrow morning. After all, it has to be healthy with all that fruit, right? Well, maybe not healthy, but healthy-ish? At least that’s how I rationalize it!
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Ingredients Notes
A complete list of ingredients, including measurements, is below in the recipe card.
- Dark sweet cherries (not pie filling) – you can use fresh, canned, or frozen pitted cherries. These sweet cherries add their sweet taste and beautiful pink color to this yummy dish.
- Pineapple chunks or tidbits – again, fresh, canned, or frozen work and add a sweet, fruity, tropical essence.
- Toasted pecans – add a delicious crunch and a rich, sweet buttery flavor.
- Frozen whipped topping – (Cool Whip) adds a creamy deliciousness and forms the base of this salad/dessert. You can substitute homemade whipped cream if you prefer.
- Lemon yogurt – adds a delightful lemon tangy flavor to the creamy base.
- Lemon juice and zest – add even more citrusy essence and, like salt, enhances all of the other flavors and bring them together in one harmonious dish.
- Mayonnaise – you will have to trust me on this; it is a salad, after all.
How to Make This Old-Fashioned Fruit Salad
- Gather the ingredients and add the drained cherries, pineapple, and toasted pecans to a large bowl.
- Combine the thawed whipped topping, lemon yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and lemon zest in another bowl and stir until well combined.
- Add the whipped topping mixture to the fruit mixture and gently fold everything together.
- Spoon the mixture into an 8×8 dish; cover and freeze for at least four hours, or until firm.
- Take the dish out of the freezer 15-30 minutes before you are ready to serve it to let it thaw just a little. Cut into squares and serve on lettuce leaves if desired.
Sharon’s Tips
- To toast the pecans, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 8-10 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Watch them carefully; they can go from perfect to burned in seconds.
- Make sure your cherries are pitted. If you can’t find canned dark sweet cherries in the canned fruit section of your grocery store, try looking where the pie fillings are kept. But don’t use cherry pie filling.
- You can substitute homemade whipped cream for the frozen whipped topping.
- To make individual servings of this dish, add paper liners to a regular-sized muffin pan and then add the mixture-cover and freeze as directed.
- You can use fresh, frozen, or canned fruit in this recipe. If you use canned, allow the fruit to drain completely. Excess moisture will make it icy when frozen.
- You can use crushed pineapple, tidbits, or chunks.
Old Fashioned Frozen Fruit Salad FAQs
This frozen fruit salad recipe is versatile, and the variations are endless. While I used pecans, cherries, and pineapple, you can easily substitute your favorite fresh, frozen, or canned fruits or nuts.
Mandarin oranges, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, halved grapes, or peaches work, but avoid melons. You can use fresh fruit, frozen fruit, or canned. You could also add a handful of coconut and swap out walnuts or almonds for the pecans.
Because this is a frozen dish, as long as it is stored tightly covered in the freezer, leftovers can be stored for three months.
– Be sure to take the frozen salad out of the freezer at least 15-30 minutes before serving to allow it to defrost slightly.
– It is easier to cut if you use a sharp knife and dip it in hot water or under hot running water before slicing it.
– To make it easier to remove individual servings from the frozen fruit salad, either put a dish towel in the microwave and microwave it for a minute on high or soak the towel in hot water and wring it out. Place the hot dish towel under your dish, and the slices will quickly release from the dish.
– I like to serve squares of this frozen fruit salad on salad plates with fancy lettuce leaves and garnish with leftover cherries and pecans. Feel free to add a dollop of whipped cream to each serving.
This frozen fruit salad pairs well with breakfast and brunch favorites like my Spinach and Bacon Quiche or Sausage Cheese Bread.
For a summer cookout, serve it with Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs or my Grilled Half Chicken. It’s also wonderful served on its own as a refreshing dessert.
Join the Conversation
Did you grow up eating frozen fruit salad at family gatherings, or is this Southern classic new to you? I’d love to hear whether your family has a special version! Leave a comment below and tell me about it. And if you make this recipe, click the stars in the recipe card to leave a rating. Your feedback makes my day!
More Old-Fashioned Fruit Salads and Desserts
Whether you serve it as a salad, dessert, or sneak a little for breakfast (I won’t tell!), this old-fashioned frozen fruit salad is a sweet reminder that some recipes never go out of style. Make a batch, tuck it in the freezer, and enjoy a little Southern nostalgia whenever the mood strikes!
Recipe:
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Easy Old-Fashioned Frozen Fruit Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2½ cups dark sweet cherries pitted, if canned, drained
- 2½ cups pineapple chunks drained, if canned, drained
- ½ cup pecans toasted and chopped*
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping thawed, I used Cool Whip
- ½ cup lemon yogurt regular or Greek
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients, add the drained cherries and pineapple, and toasted pecans in a large bowl.
- Combine the thawed whipped topping, lemon yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and lemon zest in another bowl and stir until well combined.
- Add the whipped topping mixture to the fruit mixture and gently fold everything together.
- Spoon the mixture into an 8×8 dish; cover and freeze at least four hours, or until firm.
- Take the dish out of the freezer for 15-30 minutes to let it thaw just a little before you are ready to serve it. Cut into squares and serve on lettuce leaves if desired.
Lorna
Do you think the frozen cherries would work?
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Lorna, I haven’t ever used frozen cherries but I can’t think of any reason they wouldn’t work.
If you decide to use them, if you have time please leave a comment letting me know how they were.
All my best,
Sharon
Nancy
I can hardly wait to try this recipe.
Gritsandpinecones
Hi Nancy,
I hope you enjoy it!
Sharon