Thanksgiving Fruit Salad (Fall Fruit Salad)

Name: Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup fresh orange juice; 1/4 cup honey; 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; 2 kiwi (peeled, halved and thinly sliced); 1 D'Anjou or Bartlett pear* (cored and chopped); 1 Honeycrisp or Gala apple* (cored and chopped); 1 can mandarin oranges in water ((15 ounces), drained and patted dry); 1 1/2 cups red grapes (halved); 1/2 cup dried cranberries; 1/2 cup pecan halves; 1/2 cup pomegranate arils

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by Lori Yates Last Updated September 11, 2026 22 comments

This Thanksgiving Fruit Salad combines crisp fall fruit, dried cranberries, pecans and pomegranate with a honey-orange dressing spiced with pumpkin pie spice. It takes just 25 minutes and adds something fresh and colorful to a table full of rich Thanksgiving favorites.

Oval turquoise ceramic bowl filled with Thanksgiving fruit salad made with oranges, grapes, apples, pears, kiwi, pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries and pecans.

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“This salad is a staple for my family’s Thanksgiving spread. First time I made it the bowl was empty, then I doubled it the next year . . . it was wiped out again. Now I have to triple it but it’s so worth it.”
-Lindsie

“I prepared this and my coworkers were raving about it. I have to agree! And it was simple to prepare, for which I was very grateful.”
-Steve

Thanksgiving Fruit Salad Should Have A Place On Every Table!

With almost half a million page views, our Thanksgiving Salad and this Thanksgiving Fruit Salad recipe have become go-to recipes for home chefs year after year since they were originally published.

Whether you offer a salad or fruit salad as part of your menu is entirely up to you, but we think they’re a nice addition to the meal. The fruit, in particular, is a good option if lots of kids are running around. But people of all ages seem to enjoy a scoop of something light and fresh that balances all of the rich, heavy things on the plate.

So grab your prettiest serving bowl and the freshest autumn fruit you can find. The orange juice, honey and pumpkin pie spice dressing ties everything together without weighing it down. This isn’t just a Thanksgiving fruit salad, either. It works anytime you need a colorful fall fruit salad in October or November.

Why You Will Love This Fall Fruit Salad

No cooking required. Chop the fruit, whisk the dressing, toss and serve. Thanksgiving oven space remains untouched.
The dressing actually tastes like fall. Orange juice and honey keep it fresh and bright, while pumpkin pie spice gives it just enough seasonal flavor.
It’s easy to customize. Swap fruits or nuts according to what looks good at the store and what your family actually likes.

Oval turquoise ceramic bowl filled with the ingredients for fall fruit salad, including oranges, grapes, apples, pears, kiwi, pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries and pecans.

Fall Fruit Salad Ingredients

A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.

orange juice, honey and pumpkin pie spice – these three ingredients make the simple dressing. Fresh orange juice brings brightness, honey adds sweetness and pumpkin pie spice makes it feel unmistakably like fall. Maple syrup can be substituted for honey, and cinnamon can stand in for the pumpkin pie spice.
kiwi – honestly, not our favorite fruit, but our daughter loves it, so it’s included here for her.
pear – D’Anjou or Bartlett pears are good choices because they stay relatively crisp.
apple – Honeycrisp or Gala both work beautifully. Cut the apple into bite-size pieces and treat it to prevent browning if you’re not serving the salad immediately.
mandarin oranges – yep, the canned kind, preferably packed in water. Drain and pat them dry so they don’t water down the dressing. Clementine segments also work.
grapes – we like red seedless grapes, but any color works. Readers have also reported using berries in place of the grapes.
dried cranberries – it’s Thanksgiving, so there have to be cranberries.
pecans – these add crunch and richness. Walnuts work too, or omit the nuts if allergies are a concern.
pomegranate arils – little bursts of tart flavor plus the prettiest jewel-red color. Trader Joe’s usually comes through for us when they’re difficult to find elsewhere.

Why The Honey-Orange Dressing Works

Whether or not you “dress” fruit salad is really a matter of taste. We’ve had plenty of delicious fruit salads that were nothing more than chopped in-season fruit at peak ripeness.

But Thanksgiving is already an over-the-top meal, so we might as well give the fruit salad a little something extra. This dressing is simply fresh orange juice, honey and pumpkin pie spice.

The orange juice keeps the salad bright, honey balances the tart fruits, and the spice adds warmth without turning the whole thing into dessert. If your fruit is especially ripe and sweet, feel free to reduce the honey a bit.

Oval turquoise ceramic bowl filled with chopped oranges, grapes, apples, pears, kiwi, pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries and pecans, with a gold spoon spooning some out.

How To Make Fall Fruit Salad

WHISK. In a large bowl, whisk together the orange juice, honey and pumpkin pie spice until the honey is incorporated.
ADD. Add the kiwi, pear, apple, mandarin oranges, grapes, dried cranberries, pecans and pomegranate arils.
TOSS. Gently toss until the fruit is evenly coated in the honey-orange dressing, then transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Home Chef Tips For Autumn Fruit Salad

Prevent the apple and pear from browning. If this salad will be sitting for any length of time, use one of the methods below before adding those fruits to the bowl.
Let the fruit decide how much honey you need. If everything is especially ripe and sweet, cut back a little rather than making the finished salad sugary.
Add fresh mint if you want it. A small handful adds another layer of freshness and a pretty pop of green.

How To Keep Fruit Fresh Until You’re Ready To Serve It

There are plenty of ways to prevent apples and pears from turning brown, and everybody seems to have their own favorite method. A lemon juice solution is a classic for a reason, and the salt water method has plenty of devoted fans.

We usually have citric acid around for food styling, so that’s what we generally reach for. It’s also super handy for descaling a coffee maker.

To use citric acid to prevent fruit from browning, prepare a quart of cold water in a large bowl and stir in 2 teaspoons citric acid until dissolved. As you chop the apples and pears, transfer them to the bowl.

When everything is chopped, scoop the fruit out onto a clean kitchen towel and pat it dry before adding it to the salad. Whatever method you choose, doing something to protect the apples and pears is worth it when the salad will be sitting through a long Thanksgiving dinner.

Oval turquoise ceramic bowl with a mixture of chopped oranges, grapes, apples, pears, kiwi, pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries and pecans.

Serving Ideas For Thanksgiving Fruit Salad

We had a bunch of jam jars sitting in the photography studio, and on a whim, spooned some of this fruit salad into them. It turned out to be a really fun way to serve it.

Individual jars work especially well for a Thanksgiving buffet or Friendsgiving gathering. Everybody can grab one without using up much room on an already overloaded plate.

For a traditional sit-down dinner, there’s no need to overthink it. Choose your prettiest serving bowl and put this right alongside the turkey, stuffing and all of the heavier sides.

How To Make A Smaller Batch Of Thanksgiving Fruit Salad

The recipe as written makes about 8 servings, but truthfully, we have a small family and don’t always have 8 people for Thanksgiving dinner.

For a half batch, choose either an apple OR a pear so you don’t end up with half of each sitting around, then simply halve the remaining ingredients.

Small jam jar filled with autumn fruit salad made with grapes, pears, kiwi and pomegranate seeds, on a wooden tabletop.

Make Ahead And Storage

Make Ahead: Whisk the dressing up to a day in advance and refrigerate it separately. The grapes can also be halved and the pomegranate prepared ahead. For the freshest texture, chop the remaining fruit closer to serving time.
Prevent Browning: If you need to chop the apple and pear ahead, treat them with citric acid, lemon water or your preferred anti-browning method, then dry them well before refrigerating.
Refrigerate: This fall fruit salad is best the day it is made, but leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. The fruit will soften and release more juice as it sits.
Freeze: We don’t recommend freezing fruit salad. The fresh fruit becomes soft and watery after thawing.

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