Maple syrup gets spiced up and tossed with the season’s best produce in this Winter Fruit Salad. You’ll be seeing this at meal time all winter.
This recipe is part of our Thank You Mr. Falker and We Are Grateful dinner menus for Family Dinner Book Club. Check it out, and create your own special memories.
Cinnamon is the top of the list when I think about warm spices I crave during the cold fall and winter months. It is such a classic flavor and aroma. In this Winter Fruit Salad, I’ve combined that with maple syrup and allspice for a sweet and spicy dressing to drizzle on your favorite fall or winter fruits.
Tips when making Winter Fruit Salad
Chop each fruit so they are roughly the same size, and try to get that size to about 1/2 an inch. Cube the apples and pears, cut the grapes in half. This ensures that you get a nice little bit of each ingredient on every fork or spoonful.
Use slightly underripe pears that are more firm. Pears can become very soft and a bit mushy when fully ripe. This can make them fall apart when tossing in the salad or if you save leftovers for a day or two. Choose pears that are still a bit firm so that they will hold up to the dressing.
Ingredients to use for Winter Fruit Salad
This recipe calls for apples, pears, grapes, and pomegranate arils. There are many other delicious fall and winter fruits to choose from such as: kiwi, oranges, and berries. Use what you love or what you can find at your local farmer’s marker or grocery store.
What do I serve with Winter Fruit Salad for a full meal?
Sweet, cinnamon, and maple flavors pair beautifully and provide a nice contrast to many cold weather comfort favorites like Potato Cheddar Soup, Bacon Bleu Brussels Sprouts and No Beans Beef Chili. Check out our Thank You Mr. Falker and We Are Grateful dinner menus for more ideas.
Winter Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pears, slightly underripe
- 2 apples
- 1 small bunch grapes
- 1 pomegranate
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Dice the pear and apples, and slice the grapes in half. Remove the seeds from the pomegranate. Combine all the fruit in a mixing bowl.
- In a small heatproof bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Place in the microwave for 10 seconds, and stir again. This heats the maple syrup just enough to help mix in the spices.
- Drizzle the maple syrup dressing over the fruit and toss to combine well.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge overnight to allow the flavors to marry and the fruit to soften slightly.