Description
This Cheesecake Fruit Salad is the perfect combination of sweet and creamy. Fresh fruits like strawberries, apples, grapes, pineapple, and bananas are coated in a luscious cheesecake filling made with cream cheese and heavy cream. The addition of caramel drizzle makes this fruit salad even more indulgent and irresistible. It’s a refreshing dessert that’s perfect for summer BBQs, family gatherings, or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Fruit Salad:
- 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 cups green apples, chopped
- 1 cup grapes (red or green), halved
- 1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh or canned), drained
- 1 cup bananas, sliced
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (chilled)
For the Caramel Drizzle:
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
- Prepare the Fruit: Wash, peel, and chop all the fruit into bite-sized pieces. This includes strawberries, apples, grapes, pineapple, and bananas. Place all the fruit into a large mixing bowl and gently toss them together.
- Make the Cheesecake Filling: In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. In another mixing bowl, whip the chilled heavy cream until stiff peaks form. You can use an electric mixer to make this easier. Once the cream is whipped, gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined and smooth.
- Assemble the Fruit Salad: Pour the cheesecake mixture over the prepared fruit and gently fold everything together, ensuring the fruit is evenly coated with the creamy filling. Taste and, if necessary, adjust the sweetness by adding more powdered sugar, but the fruit should already provide plenty of natural sweetness.
- Drizzle with Caramel: Drizzle the caramel sauce generously over the top of the fruit salad. If you prefer, you can also serve the caramel on the side for dipping.
- Serve: Chill the fruit salad in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
- Garnish and Enjoy: For a finishing touch, garnish with extra caramel sauce or a sprinkle of crushed graham crackers for a bit of crunch. Enjoy this refreshing and indulgent fruit salad!
Notes
- If you’re preparing this ahead of time, refrigerate the fruit salad for up to 4 hours, but add the caramel drizzle just before serving to prevent it from soaking into the fruit.
- Feel free to swap the fruits for others based on what’s in season or your personal preference.
- For extra flavor, you can add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the fruit before mixing it with the cheesecake filling.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: None
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the recipe
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 45mg