Juicy grapes, crunchy apples, sweet pears, and crunchy pecans (if you like), all tossed with a creamy, cinnamon-y, slightly tangy dressing … that’s this magical Fall Fruit Salad recipe.
I love this fruit salad any time of year, to be honest, but find it’s the perfect Thanksgiving fruit salad – and I also just like it all Autumn long. The colors of Autumn Fruit Salad with apples, pears, grapes, & pecans are what really draw me in … vibrant, harvest tones.
It’s fall! I’ve embraced cozy sweaters, the fact that we’ve had to turn our thermostat back on, and fall produce. Pumpkins! Squash! Crisp right-off-the-tree apples! Oh, happy day.
This fall fruit salad came to be a couple of weeks ago when an awesome neighbor bought a couple of 40 pound boxes (!!) of honeycrisp apples and divvied it up amongst several of us.
The next morning, I peered at the happy-making bowl of honeycrisps gracing our kitchen counter and I decided that a reverse of my usual breakfast – yogurt with fruit on top – was in order.
So I made this fruit salad for the first time – with honeycrisps, some ripe pears, and a few plums I had on hand, and a dressing made with Greek yogurt. Yum.
The dressing came together flawlessly the first time I took a stab at it (I love it when that happens!) – a little of this, a little of that, perfect!
Fall Fruit Salad Ingredients
The fruit, I ended up tinkering with a bit to end up with this final result. I decided I favor red grapes over plums; crisp pears work better than softer varieties – and if you can’t find great pears for this salad, you’re better off leaving them out and throwing in extra apples and grapes.
We’ve got:
Bartlett pears
Honeycrisp apples
Red grapes
And then for the Cinnamon Greek Yogurt Dressing (but it’s versatile if you need a dairy-free version – see the recipe for notes!) we have:
Greek yogurt
Zest & juice of a lemon
Pure vanilla extract
Pure maple syrup or honey
Cinnamon & nutmeg
And then to top it all, if you like a bit of crunch atop your fall fruit salad, go for some:
Chopped pecans
(But it’s perfectly delicious without any nuts, too).
What to Serve with Fall Fruit Salad
If you’re looking for a Thanksgiving fruit salad, this would be absolutely perfect. Perhaps the vegan version served up with this Thanksgiving menu?
I love to pass this fall fruit salad along with fat stacks of these pumpkin pancakes for the perfect fall breakfast. Or for a heartier breakfast, perhaps a breakfast casserole + fruit salad situation could be a winner? Here’s a meaty breakfast casserole to check out, or perhaps one with mushrooms and Swiss cheese?
Crisp apples, sweet pears, and juicy grapes combined with a creamy cinnamon Greek yogurt dressing, and then sprinkled with a few chopped pecans for crunch. Oh, happy harvest! There's a delicious dairy-free/vegan option too.
2medium Bartlett pears(or other ripe but firm pears, diced)
2medium apples(a fresh, crisp variety like honeycrisp, cripps, or pink lady is best, diced)
1cupred grapes(halved)
1/3cupGreek yogurt(can substitute your favorite plain or vanilla non-dairy yogurt – see notes)
2teaspoonsfreshly grated lemon zest(from 1 medium lemon)
1tablespoonfresh lemon juice(from the zested lemon)
2tablespoonspure maple syrup(can substitute honey)
1/2teaspoonpure vanilla extract
1/2teaspooncinnamon
1/4teaspoonsground nutmeg
1/3cuppecans*(chopped)
Instructions
Place pears, apples, and grapes in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine. Set aside.
To a small bowl, add the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Use a wire whisk to blend well.
Drizzle dressing over the fruit. Toss gently until fruit is coated. Scoop into bowls and sprinkle with pecans. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition information includes pecans.*If you prefer to make this without the pecans, just leave them off – it’s still plenty delicious without them.
Dairy-free option:
Use your favorite non-dairy yogurt, either plain or vanilla. Depending on how sweet your non-dairy yogurt is, you may want to adjust the sweetener.
Vegan option:
Follow the dairy-free option and choose pure maple syrup for the sweetener.
Make-ahead tips:
The salad tends to get a little watery if it sits for long, so I recommend keeping the dressing and the salad separate until right before serving. Also, if you cut your fruit far ahead of time, try tossing it with a little fresh lemon juice to help keep it from browning.