Description
A creamy, tropical dessert‑style fruit salad featuring a cheesecake‑style dressing folded into fresh and canned fruit—perfect for summer gatherings or potlucks.
Ingredients
- 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
- 3.4 oz package instant cheesecake pudding mix (dry, unprepared)
- 1 cup French vanilla coffee creamer (or substitute: 1 cup heavy cream + ¼ cup powdered sugar + 2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1 lb strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 4 mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned
- 20 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
- 3 kiwi, peeled and cut into half‑moons
- 2 mangoes, cut into bite‑size chunks
- 1 banana, cut into coins
- Juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
- In a medium‑tall bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the softened cream cheese until smooth. It may stick to the beaters—keep mixing and it will loosen up.
- Add the dry cheesecake pudding mix and beat until well combined. If mixture becomes too thick, add a splash of the creamer to loosen.
- With mixer on low, slowly add the remaining creamer a tablespoon at a time, mixing until smooth before adding more. Continue until fully combined and creamy.
- In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, mandarin oranges, drained pineapple, kiwi, and mango.
- Add the cheesecake‑style mixture to the fruit and gently fold until all fruit is coated.
- In a small bowl, toss the banana coins with lemon juice to prevent browning. Drain excess juice, then gently fold banana into the salad.
- Chill until ready to serve, or serve immediately.
Notes
- Don’t add all the creamer at once—it can cause clumps that are hard to smooth out.
- If substituting for creamer, mix together 1 cup heavy cream, ¼ cup powdered sugar, and 2 tsp vanilla extract.
- Be sure to drain canned fruit thoroughly to avoid a watery salad.
- To make ahead: separately prepare and refrigerate the cheesecake mixture and the fruit. Drain fruit juices before folding together just before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 157 cal
- Sugar: 21 g
- Sodium: 130 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: —
- Trans Fat: —
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 14 mg
