Summertime just got a whole lot sweeter with this light, refreshing, delicious, and healthy treat. With only five ingredients, red, white, and blue fruit salad is a cinch to make and is perfect for July 4th, Memorial Day, or any time you’re feeling patriotic.
Whether you’re hosting a neighborhood barbecue, or bringing it to a summer potluck, everyone is sure to enjoy this sweet fruit medley that will have them coming back for seconds. So let’s get started making this show-stopping summer treat!
Why you’ll love this Red, White, and Blue, Fruit Salad
- It’s perfect for kids. A great way for them to try different fruits or enjoy a good selection of fruit in one serving.
- An ideal patriotic side dish for every patriotic celebration – from the 4th of July to Labor Day.
- You only need five ingredients to being this delicious dessert to life.
- Super easy to make.
What you’ll need:
Ingredients:
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
- Blueberries
- Honeycrisp apples
- Lime or lemon juice
Equipment:
- Sharp knife
- Star cookie cutters
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large serving bowl for the fruit salad
Step-by-step instructions:
To make things even easier for you, I created a simple photo guide below. For all measurements and a more detailed guide, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Prepare the Ingredients:
Step 1 – Slice the strawberries to your desired size and set aside.
Step 2 – Cut the watermelon into ¼ – ½ inch wide slices. Then, use a medium size star cookie cutter to create bite sized star shapes. Aim to have about 4 cups of watermelon stars.
Step 3 – Cut the Honeycrisp apples into slices about ¼ inch wide. Cut out stars using a small size cookie cutter. Toss the apple stars with fresh lemon or lime juice to prevent browning.
Layer the fruit together
Step 4 – In a large serving bowl add half of the watermelon stars, half of the strawberries, half the blueberries, and half of the apple stars.
Step 5 – Repeat the layers making sure to end with the apple stars. Serve and enjoy!
Essential tips:
Don’t skip these tips – read them before starting to avoid any potential mistakes.
- Make sure to wash the fruit thoroughly before starting to avoid any food-borne illnesses.
- Slice the fruit in even sizes for best presentation.
- If you don’t have lemon or lime juice, you can also use Sprite or purchase citric acid specifically for this purpose.
- You can use a simple clear serving bowl, or use a trifle bowl to make your fruit salad really stand out.
- To prep this ahead, you can pre-cut the watermelon and strawberries and keep them refrigerated until time to put everything together.
- Add more red or white fruits to the mix! Pear slices and raspberries are tasty, but make sure to serve immediately if using them.
Frequently asked questions:
This fruit salad is not only vegan but also perfect for anyone who struggles with dietary needs and requires their food to be gluten-free, soy-free, or grain-free. It is also the perfect patriotic dessert for anyone following a paleo diet.
A fruit salad doesn’t lend itself well to being prepped more than a few minutes ahead.
You can prepare some of the ingredients, but making the fruit salad more than about an hour ahead of time might result in soggy fruit and slightly brown apples.
Serving this at a 4th of July celebration?
If this fruit salad is going to be one of the dishes you serve at your next 4th of July celebration then you have to check out my America The Beautiful 4th July Party Printables. Perfect for any celebration.
How to Store Red, White, and Blue Fruit Salad
This recipe is best served right away. However, you can prepare some of the ingredients ahead of time by chopping and storing them separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
The lemon or lime juice will help to preserve the apples, but it is still advisable to only prepare these just before you are ready to serve.
This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
If you liked my red, white, and blue fruit salad, you’re going to love my No-Churn Healthy Strawberry Ice Cream recipe. It is perfect to be served alongside this fruit salad and is so easy to make.
Or you can check out all my July 4th and patriotic party ideas right here.
Red White and Blue Fruit Salad
Patriotic red, white, and blue fruit salad recipe is the perfect summer treat - from Memorial Day, to July 4th, and even Labor Day weekend!
Ingredients
- 1 pound strawberries, washed and dried
- 1 personal watermelon, sliced and cut into stars (about 4 cups)
- 1 pint Blueberries, washed and dried
- 2 large Honeycrisp apples, sliced and cut into stars
- 2 tablespoons Lime or lemon juice for the apples
Instructions
- Cut the watermelon into ¼ - ½ inch wide slices. Cut out stars using a medium size star cookie cutter. Aim to have about 4 cups of watermelon stars.
- Cut the Honeycrisp apples into slices about ¼ inch wide. Cut out stars using a small size cookie cutter.
- Slice the strawberries to your desired size.
- In a medium bowl, toss the apple stars with fresh lemon or lime juice.
- In a large serving bowl add half of the watermelon stars, half of the strawberries, half the blueberries, and half of the apple stars.
- Repeat the layers making sure to end with the apple stars. Serve immediately
Notes
Remember, the step-by-step photos and FAQ in the recipe post are there to help you if you feel stuck at any point.
- Make sure to wash the fruit thoroughly before starting to avoid any food-borne illnesses.
- Slice the fruit in even sizes for best presentation.
- If you don’t have lemon or lime juice, you can also use Sprite or purchase citric acid specifically for this purpose.
- You can use a simple clear serving bowl, or use a trifle bowl to make your fruit salad really stand out.
- To prep this ahead, you can pre-cut the watermelon and strawberries and keep them refrigerated until time to put everything together.
- Add more red or white fruits to the mix! Pear slices and raspberries are tasty, but make sure to serve immediately if using them.
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Emily Patterson says
Wow, Leslie! This looks so delicious! I’ll definitely try this. Thank you for this fantastic fruit salad recipe.