When I first moved to the Midwest, I learned something very important. A “salad” didn’t always mean lettuce. In fact, it rarely has anything to do with vegetables at all.
I learned this lesson the hard way, when I proudly showed up to one of my first gatherings with a gorgeous salad that in my opinion was a true work of art. It had fresh romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled banana peppers, avocado, homemade croutons… the works.
No one else saw the beauty in this salad, and I was asked to skip the “rabbit food” next time. That’s when I discovered that around here, “salad” often means something sweet, creamy, fruity, or delightfully unexpected. While I never completely embraced the marshmallow-and-whipped-topping, candy bar salads, I was determined to find something that felt a little more like me while still fitting in on the dessert table.
This fruit salad was the answer.
It quickly became a family favorite, and before long my husband’s mom was making it for a lot of our holiday and family gatherings. Somewhere along the way it became known as “Grandma’s Fruit Salad.” She still happily takes full credit for creating it, and honestly, seeing my grown kids smile every time she brings it to the table is worth far more than claiming ownership.
It’s incredibly simple, comes together in just a few minutes, and always disappears fast.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only four simple ingredients
- Ready in about 10 minutes
- Perfect for potlucks and family gatherings
- Easy to make ahead
- Sweet, fruity, and refreshing without being overly rich
How to Make Grandma’s Fruit Salad
- Step 1: Thaw the strawberries completely.
- Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the peach pie filling, peaches (if using), and thawed strawberries.
- Step 3: Fold everything together until the fruit is evenly coated.
- Step 4: Just before serving, gently fold in the sliced bananas.
- Serve immediately or chill until ready to enjoy.
A few tips you need to know when making Grandma’s Fruit Salad
- Wait on the bananas: If you’re making this ahead of time, wait to add the bananas until just before serving. They’ll stay fresher and won’t brown as quickly.
- Control the texture: Leave out the canned peaches if you prefer a thicker, more dessert-like fruit salad.
- Scale it up: This recipe is easy to double for large family gatherings or potlucks.
Worth Making Again?
Absolutely! This is one of those recipes that is now a family tradition. It’s an easy fruit salad that shows up at holidays, birthdays, summer cookouts, and whenever we need a simple dish everyone will happily scoop onto their plate. Sometimes those are the best recipes worth making again.
Grandma's Fruit Salad
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Can opener
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Large spoon
Ingredients
- 1 21-ounce can peach pie filling
- 1 15-ounce can sliced peaches in juice, drained (optional for a thicker fruit salad)
- 1 10-ounce package frozen sliced strawberries, thawed
- 2 to 3 bananas sliced
Instructions
- Thaw the strawberries completely.
- In a large bowl, combine the peach pie filling, peaches (if using), and thawed strawberries.
- Fold everything together until the fruit is evenly coated.
- Just before serving, gently fold in the sliced bananas.
- Serve immediately or chill until ready to enjoy.
Notes
- If you're making this ahead of time, wait to add the bananas until just before serving. They'll stay fresher and won't brown as quickly.
- Leave out the canned peaches if you prefer a thicker, more dessert-like fruit salad.
- This recipe is easy to double for large family gatherings or potlucks.