or can even be eaten on it's own as a jazzed up version of fruit salad.
Sweet Fruit Salsa
from Our Best Bites
1. Choose Your Fruit
I choose fruit based on it’s color. I love having something in just about every color of the rainbow! So here’s some options (have ideas I missed? Leave a comment!):
Red: Strawberries are my standard because they hold up really well, they’re usually inexpensive, and everyone loves strawberries. But watermelon, raspberries or pomegranate seeds would be fun too.
Orange: Mango is my top choice because you all know how much I love mangoes! I usually put in a higher ratio of mangoes to other fruit, but that’s just me. Peaches, nectarines, or orangesegments would work.
Yellow: Pineapple! Fresh is best, but in a pinch (uh..like my pictures here) open up a can. I guess nectarines and peaches can also be yellow.
Green: LOVE the bright color and great texture of Kiwi in fruit salsa. There’s always honeydew too.
Blue/Purple: I go with price on this one. Blueberries or blackberries, whichever is cheaper! See my note about blackberries below.
I really love Kiwi, blackberry, and Mango together too. It looks gorgeous and the flavor combo is really great too.
My berries were giant so I cut them in half, which I think make them look super cool. If you are using any type of berries, you’ll want to stir them in at the last minute so they don’t dye the whole salsa.
2. Choose Your Sweetener
Honey: I love the flavor of honey with fruit. I usually add a little no matter what.
Honey: I love the flavor of honey with fruit. I usually add a little no matter what.
Powdered Sugar: It dissolves fast and gives a light sweetness.
Brown Sugar: Takes longer to dissolve but adds an interesting flavor. Much deeper flavor than white sugar.
Granulated Sugar: What I use the most. It tastes good and makes a nice syrup with the fruit juices. Remember my life lesson about adding sugar?
Agave Nectar: If you want to use an alternative sweetener, you could try Agave Nectar (very low on the glycemic index if that concerns you) or a natural herbal sweetener like Stevia.
3. Choose Your Extras
You don’t want to do all of these together- pick and choose!
You don’t want to do all of these together- pick and choose!
Lime Juice: I always add lime juice. Just a few big squeezes. The fruit will give off a lot of juice so you don’t want to add too much additional liquid, but a few squeezes of tangy lime juice adds a great flavor and makes it nice and tropical tasting.
Cinnamon: A few dashes of cinnamon goes great with the cinnamon chips.
Mint: I love a little chopped fresh mint in my fruit salsa. It reminds me of cilantro in regular salsa and makes everything so fresh tasting. But beware, a little goes a long way and if you add too much it will really overpower the taste of your yummy fruit. My husband hates it when I put mint in- he thinks it ruins the salsa and tastes disgusting, so you may want to go sparingly on that one!
Coconut: shredded coconut is especially yummy when you have tropical fruits like pineapple and mango in your salsa. Sprinkle some on top or stir it in, but either way do it just before serving or it will get all soggy.
Toasted Coconut: If you’re taking this to a party, then add some toasted coconut on top for great presentation. People will go wild over it!
Ginger: I’m adding this from Kate’s suggestion in the comment section. Great thinking! A littlefresh ginger would be great. A little will go a long way. P.S. ginger + coconut = yum.
4. Eat it!
You’ll want to chill the salsa first for maximum yumminess. Then serve with Baked Cinnamon Chips for dipping. Also fantastic over ice cream! Ooh, how about cinnamon chips AND ice cream. Now that’s a party.
You’ll want to chill the salsa first for maximum yumminess. Then serve with Baked Cinnamon Chips for dipping. Also fantastic over ice cream! Ooh, how about cinnamon chips AND ice cream. Now that’s a party.
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