This vintage fruit salad recipe uses some vanilla instant pudding to give the sauce body and flavor. It is a wonderful side dish, or you could even serve it as a simple dessert.
If you are looking for a simple way to take your fruit salad to the next level, you are in the right place. It is super simple to make, and you can keep all of the ingredients in your pantry, so you can make it whenever the craving strikes.
We have been in a fruit salad mood lately. I think the spring weather combined with the brunch centric holidays of Easter and Mother’s Day kind of get you craving all things fruit salad.
So when one of you suggested adding vanilla pudding to fruit cocktail in the comments of the frozen fruit salad recipe, I had to give it a try. It seemed like it was destiny!
What Fruit to Use
Using canned fruit makes this recipe beyond easy. As written, this fruit salad has a bit of a tropical feeling.
You could very easily change up the fruit you use to match your tasts. Or add more. Next time, I think I’ll use two cans of fruit cocktail.
You will want to make sure you get a big can of pineapple chunks that are packed in juice. That way you have a great liquid to mix with the instant pudding.
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While I am sure it would work with syrup, that would be awfully sweet. Just drain the juice from the can into a big bowl and whisk in the instant pudding mixture.
That will serve as the dressing for your fruit salad. Then drain the remaining cans of fruit and toss them in that mixture.
I wanted to keep this recipe as easy and pantry friendly as possible. So I just drained a can of fruit cocktail and a can of mandarin oranges and added them in along with the pineapple chunks.
After a trip to the refrigerator, the salad was ready to eat. And it was really tasty just like this.
We really like adding sliced bananas to this mixture as well. Tossing them in the pineapple juice and pudding mixture helps to keep them from oxidizing super quickly.
However, they do get mushy over time. So only add them if you plan on eating the salad within a couple of days.
You could also add additional maraschino cherries to the mixture if you want. They add such a fun pop of color and help to play up the retro qualities of this yummy fruit salad.
If you are a big fan of peaches, pears or any other kind of canned fruit, feel free to experiment. You could also play with adding fresh fruit, but again it will degrade a bit faster than the canned versions.
Storage
If you make this yummy fruit salad with all canned fruit, it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you add fresh fruit to the mixture, it will be good for closer to 3 days.
Vanilla Pudding Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 14.5 oz. can fruit cocktail
- 15 oz. can mandarin oranges
- 20 oz. can pineapple chunks in juice
- 3.4 oz. vanilla instant pudding mix
Instructions
- Drain pineapple juice into a medium mixing bowl. Add instant pudding mix and stir until smooth.
- Drain liquid out of the remaining cans of fruit. Add just the fruit, including the pineapple, to the mixing bowl with the pudding mixture.
- The salad can be served right away, but is best chilled for at least an hour.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
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Tastes nothing like moms. Not stopping till I find it.
I hope you do. And when you do, share the recipe with me so I can try it too.
I used to make this when my kids were little, but used banana cream pudding instead of vanilla pudding. They loved it.
Banana pudding sounds like a fabulous twist.
This brings back memories and now I want to make it.
Luckily it is so quick and easy, so there’s nothing stopping you!