Creamy Orange Fruit Salad is easy to make, has the most delicious orange flavor and is the perfect side dish to take to a party or potluck! This delicious fruit salad recipe is full of pineapple, oranges, strawberries and bananas coated with a vanilla pudding and yogurt glaze.
Creamy Orange Fruit Salad is a family favorite and is one of those fruit salad recipes that I’ve made over and over again. We eat this pretty frequently and it has become a traditional Easter dinner favorite. I have been making a version of this salad for years but have recently decided to tweak it a little bit and I’m loving the results!
I know, I know, there are SO many delicious fruit salad recipes out there to choose from, but something about the orange flavor in this dressing is absolutely incredible and so refreshing. You actually use orange juice concentrate, vanilla yogurt and vanilla pudding to make the coating for the fruit in this salad and the orange/vanilla flavor combination is absolutely amazing! Not only is this fruit salad delicious, but this is such an easy fruit salad recipe- it only takes a few minutes to make!
The original version of this fruit salad recipe is very similar but calls for Cool Whip instead of vanilla Greek yogurt. The taste is very similar but the consistency is a little bit different – so if you would prefer to use Cool Whip, you can find the original version of the recipe here.
This salad can easily be made with different flavors as well so if you want to try something different or you just aren’t a huge fan of orange, you can tweak the recipe a little bit. Swap out the orange juice concentrate with any type of frozen juice concentrate flavor- I think it would be amazing with lemonade or even fruit punch. Limeade might work well too, or some type of strawberry fruit juice – the possibilities are endless!
You can also use a different flavor of yogurt – I love the vanilla flavor especially with the orange flavor, but you could use another flavor of yogurt to add a slightly different taste -strawberry, raspberry, lemon, peach – so many flavors to choose from!
What types of fruit are in this Creamy Orange Fruit Salad?
This fruit salad recipe calls for canned pineapple and mandarin oranges, along with fresh strawberries and bananas. I love fruit salads that have some canned fruit in them because then you don’t have to worry about finding (and paying for!) fruit that isn’t in season when you want to prepare a fruit salad to go with dinner. You can add other types of fruit also – I’ve added grapes, kiwi, and raspberries and they all taste absolutely delicious with the orange dressing. My kids love it when I add mini marshmallows but then it definitely becomes a little bit more like a dessert at that point than a side dish.
Can you make fruit salad in advance?
This recipe only takes a few minutes to whip up and then it can be dished up immediately, or it can be kept in the fridge for 1-2 days before serving. Just make sure to leave out the bananas if you are making the salad in advance and then just add them right before serving. Another way to prepare this fruit salad recipe in advance is to make the orange glaze 3-4 days in advance and store it separately and then just add all of the fruit right before serving.
Ingredients in Creamy Orange Fruit Salad recipe
- 1 (3.5 oz) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
- 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits, drained
- 1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced
- 2 bananas, sliced
How to make Creamy Orange Fruit Salad
The first step is to combine the pudding mix with the milk and orange juice concentrate. Mix with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes.
Next, stir in the yogurt and then add the pineapple, mandarin oranges and strawberries. If serving immediately, add the bananas, but if you will be serving the salad later, store in the refrigerator and add the bananas just before serving. That’s it!
CREAMY ORANGE FRUIT SALAD
Ingredients
- 1 3.5 oz pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate thawed
- 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 20 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
- 1 11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
- 1 cup strawberries sliced
- 2 bananas sliced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the pudding mix with the milk and orange juice concentrate. Mix with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the yogurt and then add the pineapple, mandarin oranges and strawberries.
- If serving immediately, add the bananas, but if you will be serving the salad later, store in the refrigerator and add the bananas just before serving.
Check out our other popular salad recipes:
- How to make Easy Chicken Salad
- Fiesta Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
- Fancy Fruit Salad
- Orange Cream Fruit Salad
- Chicken Pasta Salad
- Cranberry Jello Salad
- Tropical Jello Pretzel Salad
- Creamy Orange Fruit Salad
- Berries and Cream Salad
- Cream Cheese Grape Salad
- Berry Spinach Salad
- Copycat KFC Coleslaw recipe
- Garden Vegetable Caprese Salad
- Spinach Chicken Pasta Salad
- Pizza Pasta Salad
- Chinese Chicken Salad
Is this fruit salad recipe healthy?
Anytime you add a glaze to fruit, you are adding a bit of sugar and some extra calories, but the Greek yogurt in the recipe does add a little bit of protein which is a nice little boost and hard to find in a fruit salad! You can find a low-sugar Greek yogurt (or even plain Greek yogurt) to use in the recipe and you can use skim milk if you are trying to cut calories a little bit.
Another way to make this fruit salad recipe a little bit healthier is to add more fruit, but keep the amount of orange glaze the same. Double the amount of fruit in the salad and the orange glaze will more lightly coat the fruit to give you that amazing creamy orange flavor with less sugar and calories.
If you enjoyed Creamy Orange Fruit Salad, you may also enjoy the following fruit salad recipes!
- Raspberry Vanilla Jello Salad
- Tropical Jello Pretzel Salad
- Fancy Fruit Salad
- Berries and Cream Salad
- Peaches and Cream Fruit Salad Dip
Jerry Gregory says
Can’t you use 1/3 cup of liquid orange juice? I can find only real large cans of concentrate.
Nellie says
You could probably use orange juice but the flavor won’t be as strong as using the concentrate. I usually just scoop out what I need from a can of concentrate and then put the lid back on and save the remaining concentrate in the freezer until the next time I need it!
Barb Griffith says
Do you have nutrition facts?
Nellie says
Nope, I don’t have the nutrition facts-it probably wouldn’t be too hard to figure out though depending on what type of yogurt and fruit you end up using.
Ct. says
Could you substitute lemon pudding for the vanilla pudding and substitute lemonade concentrate for the orange ooncentrate?
Nellie says
Absolutely! I think that would be delicious – great idea!
MikeE says
I’m allergic to strawberries; would work well as a replacement?
Jessica says
How about grapes?
Fran says
i love the recipe just as it is. But the addition of blue berries would be good too. It has already become my go to fruit salad.
Jessica says
So glad you love it Fran!! You’re right- blueberries would be wonderful in this!
Chrissie says
Does melon work in this combination?
Jessica says
I think it’d be great in it Chrissie!
Chrissie says
Oh good. Thanks! I’ll let you know how it is.
Dena says
Can you prep this the day before and add bananas when serving?
shiela says
thats a question i was just wondering about
Nellie says
I just replied to Dena, but yes, a lot of times I make the salad the day before and then add the bananas right before serving! Enjoy!
Dolores Flanders says
Thanks. I was wondering about making it the day before.
Nellie says
Yes! In fact that’s what I usually do – make the salad the day before and then add the bananas right before serving.
Jan says
If cantaloupe or muskmelon is used it will over power the other fruits flavor. Many people do not care for that. (Yes I know many don’t care, but my family hate when that happens).
Blueberries are great, as well as grapes.
Jim says
This sounds great, but was wondering if you could add chopped walnuts to this recipe.
Jessica says
Walnuts or pecans would be a wonderful addition!
Kathy B says
I do this same salad with sour cream – never tried it with yogurt. The fruits I use are the ones mentioned in this recipe plus canned peach chunks and one or two red delicious apples (peeled and chunked). Really versatile and so, so easy and good.
Chelsey Wiemelt says
Can I take the pineapple out? My husband despises pineapple but it’s nearly impossible to find a fruit salad recipe with no pineapple. What could I use instead?
Jessica says
Of course! Why don’t you replace it with diced apples instead? Or grapes?
Jennifer Shugart says
This looks so delicious!
Shiho says
ohhhh Looks divine 😀 Mandarins are in season now in Australia. Can I use fresh one?
Taryn says
Delicious recipe and SO refreshing on a hot day! Thank you 🙂
Jessica says
You’re most welcome Taryn!
Katherine says
What a tasty way to serve fruit salad! And so easy too.
Judy says
I used the white chocolate pudding, it was a great quick recipe that goes with a lot of different meals. I open my OJ dip out what I want and put back in the freezer in a zip lock bag, it’s good for several makings of this dish. Definitely a keeper.