Holiday Fruit Salad with Marshmallows

Holiday Fruit Salad with Marshmallows has been part of our family holidays for decades. This sweet fruit salad recipe is perfect for Christmas. With a lemon custard, whipped cream, fruit, and marshmallows, it’s just the indulgence you need on your holiday menu!

In fact, this Fruit Salad with Whipped Cream originated from my great-grandmother, a sweet petite Irish woman (who barely hit 4 feet, 8 inches) who loved to sip a glass of wine and spin a tale.

Why You Must Make

• This fruit salad recipe has been a constant on our holiday menu for 5 generations!
• It’s not exactly healthy but it’s a delicious indulgence on our Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas menu.
• But besides the rich, whipped cream-based salad dressing and marshmallows, it’s packed with lots of delicious fruit.

My great-grandmother left this world at age 92 when I was in 3rd grade, but she has lived on through her stories, which were well known to be a mix of fact and fiction, and her fabulous recipes. My mom and her sister would stop by Dama’s house for visits after school often to sample a loaf of her “purple” bread, baked with whole walnuts which provided the distinctive color.

Practicing her kneading technique on Dama’s fleshy arms was one of my mom’s favorite memories of her grandmother. Dama’s roast mallards, brandied peaches, spicy pickles and relishes and even her young suckling pig complete with a red apple in its mouth were some of the legendary creations from her kitchen. As was this Overnight Fruit Salad recipe.

Ingredient Notes

• Kitchen Staples – Eggs, Sugar, Butter, Salt
• Fresh Lemon Juice – Fresh is superior in taste to bottled juice.
• Canned Royal Anne Cherries – Drained. These are rather elusive. I used peaches instead since I needed to buy a case of them to get the one can for this recipe.
• Canned Pineapple Chunks – Reserve 2 tablespoons of juice, and drain the rest.
• Canned Mandarin Oranges – Drained
• Canned Pears – Drained, chopped into bite-sized pieces.
• Fresh Grapes – Cut in half
• Large Marshmallows – Cut in half to make them bite-sized.
• Heavy Cream – At least 36% Butterfat
• Bananas – Slice and add just before serving to minimize oxidation (browning).

How to Make

One of her mottoes was, “It’s enough to feed a starving man,” which was repeated due to the queries of why there was a bowl with just a few peas along with a mishmash of other leftovers stored in the icebox. She and Dappy (my great-grandfather) lived near a railroad line and Dama wanted to be prepared with provisions in case a beggar should come knocking on her door.

This treasured recipe from Dama for 24-hour salad became part of our holiday tradition and appeared on our dining room table for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter celebrations.

1. In a double boiler, whisk together the custard ingredients and cook until thickened. Cool.
2. Put the fruit (except for bananas) and marshmallows in a large bowl.
3. Whip the cream, add the custard sauce and mix until combined.
4. Add the whipped cream mixture to the fruit. Toss gently to coat and refrigerate overnight.
5. Before serving, peel and slice the bananas and add to the salad.

Original Retro Recipe

There is now a 4th generation making this holiday fruit salad for special occasions. I’m certain my oldest, Tom, will have his wife (someday, no pressure, Tom) make this for him. He considers it breakfast food, too! With fruit, eggs, dairy, it makes a lot of sense, no?!

My mom’s version of this overnight fruit salad varies from Dama’s recipe which called for 2 whole eggs, ½ can pineapple, ½ cup sugar, ½ pound marshmallows, ½ pint of whipping cream, juice of one lemon, ½ pound green grapes and a pinch of salt. It has definitely morphed through the years.

Dama’s directions were pre-refrigeration stating, “Let stand in a cold place 24 hours before serving.” My splattered recipe card mentioned you can use vinegar or lemon juice and the addition of pineapple juice was also scrawled in the margins as an afterthought. No matter what fruit or acids you choose to use, I hope this lovely holiday fruit salad graces your table one day soon.

Expert Tips

• This is an extremely versatile salad! I typically use softer fruits, both fresh and drained canned fruit. But chopped apples, dates, and/or nuts would be wonderful, too. The can of Royal Anne Cherries (I use Oregon brand) is a must for my family’s version, though I have been having trouble locating them the past couple of years.
• This latest batch contains a can of drained sweet cherries. Since the juices were red, I rinsed them gently so the dressing wouldn’t be pink.
• PRO-Tip: Use a double boiler to cook the custard mixture, stirring constantly. This ensures the eggs will not scramble.
• This is definitely an “overnight” fruit salad as the time spent in the refrigerator allows the marshmallows to soften and the dressing to thicken. So plan ahead when adding this to your menu.
• Make sure to drain your canned fruit as excess juice will thin the dressing.
• PRO-Tip: Add the bananas the day you’re serving this salad so they don’t discolor. Gently toss before serving. My mom would add maraschino cherries for a pop of red color.

Frequently Asked Questions

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• More Salad Recipes
• More Holiday Recipes

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The Recipe:

Holiday Fruit Salad Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Yield 10 servings

This Holiday Fruit Salad is a family tradition that has been made for 4 generations!

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• dash of salt
• 1 or 2 cans Royal Anne cherries, drained (or use sweet cherries, lightly rinsed), see note below
• 2 cups pineapple chunks, drained, but reserve 2 tablespoons of juice
• 1 large can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1-2 cans pear chunks
• 1-2 cups grapes, sliced
• 2 cups large marshmallows, cut in half
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 bananas, peeled and sliced

Instructions

1. In a double boiler, whisk egg yolks, lemon and pineapple juices, sugar, butter, and salt until the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool.
2. When the sauce is cooled, put the fruit (except for the bananas) and marshmallows in a large bowl.
3. Whip the cream, add the custard sauce, and mix until combined.
4. Add the whipped cream mixture to the fruit. Toss gently to coat and refrigerate overnight.
5. Before serving, peel and slice the bananas and add to the salad.

Notes

Total time does not include overnight chilling.

*I wait to add the bananas until the day I serve the salad so they don't start to brown and soften.

Canned Royal Anne cherries are difficult to find. Feel free to leave them out or add more of another fruit.

The long chilling time allows the marshmallows to soften, which is important for a most delicious result!

Helpful Tools (As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases).

• OXO Cutting Boards
• Set of Mixing Bowls
• KitchenAid Hand Mixer

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 276Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 45mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 3gSugar: 34gProtein: 3g

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