Description
Cheesecake Fruit Salad is a delightful and creamy dessert salad combining fresh fruits with a luscious cheesecake-flavored whipped cream dressing, topped with a rich caramel drizzle. It’s perfect for a refreshing, sweet treat that’s easy to make and visually appealing.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit
- 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
Cheesecake Dressing
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (chilled)
Topping
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
- Prepare the Fruit: Wash all fruits thoroughly. Hull and slice the strawberries, chop the green apples, halve the grapes, drain the pineapple chunks, and slice the bananas as indicated.
- Combine Fruits: Place all prepared fruits into a large mixing bowl and gently toss to combine evenly.
- Make the Cheesecake Filling: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Whip the Cream: In a separate chilled bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form, ensuring it holds shape well.
- Fold Cream into Filling: Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, mixing gently until fully blended and light.
- Assemble the Salad: Pour the cheesecake filling over the mixed fruits in the large bowl.
- Coat the Fruits: Gently fold the filling together with the fruit to evenly coat all pieces without mashing.
- Add Caramel Drizzle: Drizzle the caramel sauce generously over the salad, or serve it on the side for individual portions.
- Chill: Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld and the filling to set slightly.
- Serve: Serve the salad chilled, optionally garnished with extra caramel drizzle or crushed graham crackers for added texture and flavor.
Notes
- Use fresh fruits for the best texture and flavor, but canned pineapple works well too if drained well.
- You can substitute caramel sauce with honey or chocolate syrup for variation.
- For a lighter version, use reduced-fat cream cheese and whipped topping instead of heavy cream.
- Prepare the salad a few hours ahead to allow the flavors to meld together perfectly.
- Protect the banana slices from browning by tossing them with a little lemon juice before adding.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Cheesecake fruit salad, fruit salad dessert, creamy fruit salad, caramel fruit salad, no bake dessert, easy cheesecake salad
