Creamy Fruit Salad (Easy and Impressive)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

This Creamy Fruit Salad with a light, fluffy vanilla custard is a heavenly no-bake dessert. It’s perfect whether you’re serving a crowd or need a simple weeknight treat.

A round dish filled with creamy fruit salad, topped with green grapes, blueberries, and lemon balm leaves, is placed on a gray surface next to a striped napkin.

The silky custard is made with just four ingredients, and it’s so good, you’ll be eating it straight out of the bowl. Chop up your favorite fruits and fold them into the custard. It’s that easy!

A close-up of a creamy fruit salad with visible chunks of strawberries, grapes, and mango, garnished with green grapes, blueberries, and lemon balm leaves.

The best part about this recipe is that you can swap in whatever fruit you have, depending on what’s in season. You can even add chopped chocolate or nuts! Either way you serve it, this fruit salad is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, with everyone coming back for more.

❤️ Why You’ll Love this Creamy Fruit Salad Recipe

Delicious dessert or snack for any occasion.
Customizable according to what fruit is in season.
Serves a crowd.

Creamy Fruit Salad Ingredients

Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!

Four labeled bowls on a gray surface, containing egg yolks, cane sugar, vanilla paste, and whipping cream.

Ingredients for the custard

Egg yolks: You’ll use raw yolks (I buy pasteurized for this recipe).
Vanilla paste: I prefer it for the most concentrated flavor.
Whipping cream: Cold from the fridge for the best result.
Cane sugar: Adjust to taste.

Six bowls of fruit including strawberries, mango, red grapes, green grapes, blueberries, and pomegranate arils are arranged on a gray surface, each labeled.

Ingredients for the fruit salad

Mango: Choose a firm mango with slight give for perfect ripeness.
Strawberries: Bright red, firm, and sweet-smelling berries.
Pomegranate: Opt for a fruit that’s heavy for its size and has deep red outer skin.
Blueberries: Firm and plump.
Grapes: Red and green. Halve or quarter them, depending on size.

How to Make a Creamy Fruit Salad

A handheld electric mixer blends a creamy yellow custard mixture in a stainless steel bowl.

Prepare the custard: Whisk egg yolks with sugar and vanilla until light and creamy.

An electric mixer is whipping cream in a metal bowl, creating thick, smooth peaks.

Whisk the whipping cream until peaks form (in a separate bowl).

A bowl of pale yellow custard is being mixed with a spoon, partially swirled with white whipped cream.

Make the custard: Fold the whipped cream into the egg mixture.

A hand mixes fresh fruit pieces with creamy custard in a metal bowl.

Prepare the fruit: Dice the strawberries, mango, and grapes, and deseed the pomegranate. Mix with the custard.

Tips for Success

Dice the fruit to about the same size for the best bite.
Make sure both the bowl and cream are cold for easy whipping.
If you accidentally overwhip the cream, add a tablespoon of milk at a time and mix until it’s not as thick.

Possible Variations

Cane sugar: Granulated white, brown sugar, or icing sugar. Adjust to taste.
Egg yolks: There’s no swap for egg yolks.
Vanilla paste: Vanilla extract or a vanilla pod will work, too.
Custard: Swap for Greek yogurt, vanilla yogurt, sour cream, or use whipped cream.
Fruit: Try bananas, kiwi, melon, passionfruit, dragonfruit, pineapple, nectarines, blackberries, pear, apples, and mandarin oranges. Anything you like, basically.
Add-ins: Try coconut flakes or nuts like chopped pistachios, almonds, or hazelnuts for crunch.
Presentation: Serve the fruit with the custard on the side, or spoon the salad into cocktail glasses and top with the custard for individual portions.

Recipe Tip

Here in Denmark, we love to add chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips straight into the fruit salad, too. So good!

How to Store Leftovers

Store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy it within 1 day.

FAQs

Can I use canned fruit?

You can definitely swap out a few of the fruits for canned peaches or similar, but I like to use as many fresh fruits as possible.

Can I use frozen fruits?

No, save those for smoothies, jams, crumbles, and pies.

What else can I serve with the custard?

Top it onto milkshakes, cakes, apple pies, ice cream sundaes, and other desserts. It would even be tasty to use instead of whipped cream in your hot chocolate!