This healthy summer berry salad with a cinnamon apple juice dressing is simple but loaded with flavor! It’s a great side dish, healthy dessert, or for a potluck.
If you enjoy fruit salads, I have another fruit salad recipe with lime juice that I’ve been making for probably over a decade that’s my favorite. I almost always make it for Father’s Day, and I always request it for Mother’s Day. It uses lime juice to add that little something to make the bowl of fruit zing.
With this mixed berry salad, why not keep it simple with just fresh beautiful ripe berries, apple juice, and cinnamon. That’s it! Using ripe in-season ingredients and just focusing on simplicity highlights those berries and makes them pop with even more flavor.
Ingredients
Berries - For this summer berry salad I used strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries, but they can be substituted with what’s in season.
Apple juice - The apple juice adds a little sweetness and moisture for the cinnamon to stick to the berries.
Cinnamon - For flavor!
Tips
- If you substitute with fruit that browns quickly (ex. apples and bananas) wait until you’re ready to serve before slicing and adding to the salad.
- Let this fruit salad with apple juice sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour before serving it, for the flavors to marry.
- The juices will sit on the bottom of the bowl so toss before serving to redistribute the juices.
- Use fresh berries that are free of mold and soft spots.
I wouldn’t recommend making this fruit salad with frozen fruit, since once thawed they can be mushy.
Use a small sharp knife at an angle and cut around the green leafy top of a strawberry, while cutting into the white flesh underneath. Then remove the cone.
How to Make a Summer Berry Salad
Start by washing and thoroughly drying the berries (you don’t want to add any additional liquid). Hull the strawberries, then quarter or slice. Then simply mix the rest of the berries, apple juice, and cinnamon together. I like to let it sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour for the flavors to marry. If you don’t have the time, no worries just serve it right away.
Storage
The summer berry salad is best eaten the day it’s made. I do store leftovers for 1-2 days in the refrigerator, but since berries are very delicate they will soften.
Variations
- Substitute with other berries or stone fruit.
- Try orange juice instead of apple juice.
- Skip the juice and cinnamon and try a little maple or agave syrup with fresh mint leaves.
More Fruit Salads
As always, I hope you enjoy the recipe for a mixed berry salad!
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Summer Berry Salad
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This healthy summer berry salad with a cinnamon apple juice dressing is simple but loaded with flavor! It’s a great side dish, healthy dessert, or for a potluck.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled then quartered or sliced in half
- 4 ounces blackberries
- 4 ounces blueberries
- 2 tablespoons apple juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Wash and thoroughly dry berries before adding them to a large bowl.
- Then add the apple juice and cinnamon, gently tossing to combine.
- Serve immediately or let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour for flavors to incorporate.
- The juices will sit on the bottom of the bowl, so toss before serving to redistribute the juices.
Notes
The fruit salad is best eaten the day it’s made.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Category: side dish, breakfast, snack
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: fruit salad with apple juice, summer fruit salad, summer berry salad
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