Short answer: This tropical fruit salad combines mango, pineapple, papaya, kiwi, rambutan and lychee with a lime, honey and mint dressing and a spoonful of passion fruit. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare, serves 6, and each 1-cup serving has about 129 calories, 4 grams of fiber and more than a full day’s vitamin C.
A good fruit salad is more than chopped fruit in a bowl. This one mixes sweet, tangy and floral tropical fruits with different textures, from soft mango and papaya to juicy pineapple and the crisp, grape-like bite of rambutan and lychee. A simple lime and mint dressing brightens everything and stops the fruit from tasting flat.
It’s perfect for brunch, barbecues and potlucks, or as a light dessert. Below you’ll find the ingredients, how to prepare each fruit, swaps for when you can’t find something, nutrition per serving, and how to keep it fresh. To learn more about the fruits, see our guides to rambutan, lychee and papaya, or browse our tropical fruits list.
Tropical fruit salad at a glance
- Servings
- 6 (about 1 cup each)
- Prep time
- 20 minutes
- Calories
- About 129 per serving
- Fiber
- About 4 g per serving
- Vitamin C
- About 114 mg per serving (126% DV)
- Diet
- Vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free; vegan with maple syrup instead of honey
- Keeps
- Best the same day; up to 2 days in the fridge
Why this recipe works
- Balanced flavors: sweet mango and lychee, tangy pineapple and kiwi, and mild papaya balance each other, so no single fruit dominates.
- Contrasting textures: rambutan and lychee add a firm, juicy bite that keeps the salad from feeling mushy.
- Acid keeps it bright: lime juice sharpens the flavors and helps slow browning.
- Passion fruit as a finish: its seeds and pulp add crunch and a strong tropical aroma with very little effort.
Tropical Fruit Salad with Rambutan and Lychee
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the lime juice, honey and lime zest until the honey dissolves, then stir in the chopped mint.
- Peel the rambutans and lychees, halve them and remove the seeds.
- Cut the mango, pineapple and papaya into even bite-size cubes and slice the kiwis.
- Place all the fruit in a large bowl, pour over the dressing and toss gently.
- Halve the passion fruits and spoon the pulp and seeds over the top. Garnish with mint.
- Serve right away or chill for up to 1 hour.
Notes
Tip: choose a mango that gives slightly when pressed and smells sweet at the stem end, and a papaya that’s mostly yellow. Underripe tropical fruit tastes sour and starchy and won’t soften in the salad.
Ingredient notes and swaps
- Can’t find rambutan or lychee? Use canned lychees (drained and rinsed to remove some syrup), longans, or red grapes. Look for fresh rambutan and lychee in Asian grocers during summer.
- Papaya: if you don’t like its musky flavor, swap in cantaloupe or more mango.
- Other fruits that work: dragon fruit, star fruit slices, guava, banana (add just before serving), blueberries or pomegranate arils.
- Star fruit: slices look beautiful on top, but people with kidney disease should never eat star fruit. See our star fruit guide.
- Sweetener: very ripe fruit often doesn’t need the honey. Leave it out to save about 10 calories and 3 grams of sugar per serving.
- Extra crunch: sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of toasted unsweetened coconut flakes or chopped toasted cashews or macadamias just before serving.
- A grown-up twist: add a pinch of chili powder or Tajín to the dressing for a sweet-spicy Mexican-style fruit salad.
Nutrition per serving
We calculated the nutrition from USDA data for each ingredient, including the honey, divided into 6 servings of about 1 cup. USDA doesn’t list fresh rambutan, so we used lychee values for both, as the two fruits are close relatives with similar nutrition.
| Per serving (about 1 cup) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 129 |
| Protein | 1.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 33 g |
| Fat | 0.7 g |
| Fiber | 3.9 g |
| Total sugars | 27 g (about 3 g added, from honey) |
| Sodium | 6 mg |
| Vitamin C | 114 mg (126% DV) |
| Magnesium | 27 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for mango, pineapple, papaya, kiwi, lychee, passion fruit, lime juice and honey.
Most of the sugar comes naturally from the fruit, which also brings fiber, water and a big dose of vitamin C. If you’re watching your sugar intake, keep to one serving, skip the honey, and pair it with protein such as Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for a more filling snack. To check other fruits, try our food nutrition lookup.
Storage and make-ahead
- Best fresh: fruit salad tastes best within a few hours of making it.
- Fridge: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The fruit will release juice and soften, but it’s still good spooned over yogurt or blended into smoothies.
- Make ahead: you can cut the mango, pineapple, rambutan and lychee up to a day ahead and store them separately. Cut kiwi and papaya, add the dressing and passion fruit, and combine just before serving.
- Don’t freeze: thawed fruit salad turns mushy. Freeze leftovers instead for smoothies.
- Food safety: keep it chilled at parties, and don’t leave cut fruit out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour in hot weather.
More guides you may find useful: calamansi juice.
Tropical fruit salad FAQ
How do I keep fruit salad from going brown?
The lime juice in the dressing helps. Avoid adding apples, pears and bananas until just before serving, as they brown fastest.
Can I use canned fruit?
Yes. Canned lychees and pineapple work well; choose fruit canned in juice rather than syrup, and drain it to keep the sugar down.
How far ahead can I make it?
Up to about 4 hours ahead with the dressing on, or a day ahead if you store the cut fruit undressed and combine it before serving.
Is fruit salad healthy?
Yes. It’s low in fat and sodium and rich in vitamin C, fiber and water. Most of its sugar is natural fruit sugar, and keeping the dressing light keeps added sugar low.