Overnight Fruit Salad

Creamy overnight fruit salad is sweet enough to be a dessert with juicy fruit and a sweet custard dressing. Light and refreshing, this fruit salad is easy to make.

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A delightful treat, this creamy overnight fruit salad is packed with juicy fruit and a sweet custard dressing. Made with cut fruit, marshmallows, fluffy whipped cream, and crunchy chopped nuts, simply make this amazing fruit salad the day before you want to enjoy it. 

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Overnight Fruit Salad

Sweet enough to be a dessert, this amazing overnight fruit salad recipe is a colorful medley of fruit, combined with a simple custard dressing and mini marshmallows. A fun vintage recipe, dessert salad tastes as if it came right out of grandma’s recipe box.

Overnight fruit salad is a scrumptious dessert or side dish to serve for a special occasion, Sunday evening dinner, or any summer party. One of the most refreshing desserts you’ll ever try, this fruit salad is also super quick and easy to make before you let it chill overnight. 

A lip-smacking make-ahead dessert, overnight fruit salads have the freshness of the fruit combined with a little burst of sweetness. This fruit salad uses canned fruit and fresh fruit that is available all year, which makes overnight fruit salad a yummy dessert option all year long. 

Overnight Fruit Salad Ingredients

• Pineapple - canned pineapple chunks (plus juices)
• Mandarin oranges - canned mandarin oranges (plus juices)
• Lemon juice
• Sugar - granulated sugar
• Cornstarch
• Eggs - room temperature
• Butter - unsalted butter
• Cream - heavy cream, whipped (2 cups whipped cream or Cool Whip)
• Grapes - seedless grapes
• Marshmallows - miniature marshmallows
• Pecans - chopped pecans
• Bananas - sliced into thick slices

Keep the sliced bananas from turning brown by slicing them just before you toss them with the custard. The lemon juice in the custard will then help to keep the bananas from turning brown. 

While the other fruit can be prepared ahead of time, the marshmallows will dry out if removed from their packaging before mixing with the custard. Prevent the fruit salad from forming a skin by pressing a sheet of plastic wrap onto the custard while it cools. 

If you have other favorite fruits, like fresh strawberries or peaches, you can also add those to this creamy fruit salad. Fresh and light, the custard-like sauce is flavored with a slightly sweet fruit flavor. 

How to Make Overnight Fruit Salad

FIRST STEP: Pour the juice from the pineapple chunks and the mandarin oranges into a measuring cup - you will need one cup total. You can combine the two juices or use one and substitute water to make a full cup.  

SECOND STEP: In a medium saucepan, pour 1 cup of reserved juices. Add lemon juice to it. Whisk in the sugar and cornstarch.

THIRD STEP: Add the eggs to the juice mixture and whisk until combined and frothy.

FOURTH STEP: Place the saucepan over medium heat and whisk constantly, cooking until the mixture thickens into a light custard.

FIFTH STEP: Remove from heat, whisk in the butter, and allow to cool completely (about 1 hour).

SIXTH STEP: Fold the whipped cream into the custard mixture.

SEVENTH STEP: In a large bowl, toss together drained pineapple chunks, drained mandarin oranges, grapes, marshmallows, and pecans. When the custard has cooled, pour it over the fruit mixture and toss to combine. Slice bananas and add them to the fruit mixture. Stir gently to ensure that the custard mixture coats the banana slices, but be careful not to mash up the banana.

EIGHTH STEP: Cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator overnight.

What kind of pineapple should I use? 

Canned pineapple chunks are the perfect size for this delicious fruit salad recipe but if you can’t find them, pineapple tidbits will work. You can also use fresh pineapple if you prefer, just cut the fruit to the desired size and if you don’t have enough pineapple juice, you can substitute water to top up to the needed cup. You can also add other fruit to this homemade dessert salad, like peaches, strawberries, or blueberries. 

Can I freeze fruit salad? 

Overnight fruit salad won’t freeze very well, so we recommend making it the day before you would like to serve it. The salad will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge before the fruit starts to get soggy.

Can I leave out the pecans? 

If you prefer, you can certainly omit the nuts and your salad will still taste delicious. 

Can I use bottled lemon juice? 

Either fresh lemon juice or bottled will work fine in this recipe.

How to Store Overnight Fruit Salad 

IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftover overnight fruit salad in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.  
IN THE FREEZER: We don’t recommend freezing this easy dessert salad.

Overnight Fruit Salad

Creamy overnight fruit salad is sweet enough to be a dessert with juicy fruit and a sweet custard dressing. Light and refreshing, this fruit salad is easy to make.

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5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Chill Time 12 hours hrs

Total Time 12 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Side Dishes

Cuisine American

Servings 10 cups

Calories 427 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 20 ounce canned pineapple chunks (plus juices)
• 15 ounce canned mandarin oranges (plus juices)
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cup heavy cream (whipped (2 cups whipped cream or Cool Whip))
• 2 cups seedless grapes
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 2 large bananas (sliced into thick slices)

DIRECTIONS

 

• Pour the juice from the pineapple chunks and the mandarin oranges into a measuring cup - you will need one cup total. You can combine the two juices or use one and substitute water to make a full cup.
• In a medium saucepan, pour 1 cup of reserved juices. Add lemon juice to it. Whisk in the sugar and cornstarch.
• Add the eggs to the juice mixture and whisk until combined and frothy.
• Place the saucepan over medium heat and whisk constantly, cooking until the mixture thickens into a light custard.
• Remove from heat, whisk in the butter, and allow to cool completely (about 1 hour).
• Fold the whipped cream into the custard mixture.
• In a large bowl, toss together drained pineapple chunks, drained mandarin oranges, grapes, marshmallows, and pecans. When the custard has cooled, pour it over the fruit mixture and toss to combine. Slice bananas and add them to the fruit mixture. Stir gently to ensure that the custard mixture coats the banana slices, but be careful not to mash up the banana.
• Cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Notes

Storage: Fruit salad will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

Notes: 

1. Press a sheet of plastic wrap onto the custard while it cools to prevent it from forming a skin.
2. The  lemon juice will keep the bananas from turning brown - I like to slice the bananas just before I can toss them with the custard.  The other fruit can be prepared ahead  of time.  The marshmallows will dry out if removed from their packaging before mixing with the custard.
3. The custard-like sauce is light and flavored with a slightly sweet fruit flavor.  Very light -  keeps  the fruit salad light and fresh.

PRO TIP: The lemon juice will keep the sliced banana from turning brown - I like to slice the bananas just before I can toss them with the custard. The other fruit can be prepared ahead of time. The marshmallows will dry out if removed from their packaging before mixing with the custard.

PRO TIP: Press a sheet of plastic wrap onto the custard while it cools to prevent it from forming a skin.

PRO TIP: The custard-like sauce is light and flavored with a slightly sweet fruit flavor. Very light, it keeps the fruit salad light and fresh.

Nutrition

Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 1090IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg

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