The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
Cheesecake Fruit Salad is a classic dessert for a reason! It’s versatile, delicious, and so easy to make. 20 minutes is all you need to make it!
This recipe makes ten 1-cup servings and costs about $11.66 to make. That’s approximately $1.16 per serving! It is special enough to serve at your Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter holiday gatherings. It’s also casual enough for any potluck or BBQ throughout the year.
We love serving this with our Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts alongside some waffle fries with our Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce.
A salad that comes together super easy and is cool and creamy? Sign us up! We have the BEST Cheesecake Fruit Salad recipe for you today.
It is light and fresh tasting with a cheesecake cream that gives you sensational flavor in every bite. We love making it with fresh fruit, but the great part is that anything goes with this salad. If you do not have fresh fruit, you can substitute any canned fruit, such as a fruit cocktail (make sure you drain it well before adding it to the recipe).
Ingredients & Estimated Cost:
- 8 ounces cream cheese – $2.44
- 1/2 cup sugar – $0.08
- 1 cup blueberries – $1.87
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – $0.17
- 2 cups heavy cream – $1.74
- 1 cup seedless green grapes – $1.50
- 2 large red apples – $1.60
- 1 cup pineapple – $0.50
- 2 graham crackers – $0.10
- 1 cup chopped strawberries – $1.66
To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
How To Make Cheesecake Fruit Salad
- Add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla to a bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl.
- Beat in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer until combined. This should take about one minute.
- Add in the heavy cream. Beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
- Add the fruit to the bowl.
- Fold in the fruit until combined. All of the fruit should be covered in cheesecake cream.
- Wrap the bowl tightly and place it in the fridge until ready to serve. Sprinkle the salad with crushed graham crackers and serve.
***For complete recipe instructions and a recipe video, see the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Feel free to be creative with this recipe. You can add in any of your favorite fresh fruits. Or, if you do not have fresh fruit on hand, you can use canned fruit or thawed frozen fruit. Make sure the fruit is well-drained before adding it to the cheesecake cream.
- You can also use an entire 12-ounce container of Cool Whip instead of heavy whipping cream.
- Sometimes we like to add a little bit of orange, lemon, or lime zest to the cheesecake cream before adding the fruit. The zest gives it an extra flavor boost. We especially recommend this if you use Cool Whip.
- Feel free to top the salad with toasted nuts like pecans and walnuts.
- Instead of granulated sugar, you can use honey, stevia, or any other sugar alternative.
Storage Tips
Serve: As with most recipes with dairy products, you shouldn’t leave this Cheesecake Fruit Salad out for longer than 2 hours.
Store: Store in an airtight container or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to twenty-four hours. Any longer than this, and the salad will begin to get watery.
Freeze: This recipe does not freeze well.
Recipe FAQs
It sounds funny to use those two words together, right? But sometimes opposites attract, and this salad is no exception. Cheesecake salad combines fruit with a creamy no-bake cheesecake filling.
You can make this salad up to twenty-four hours ahead of time. Make the filling and put it in the fridge in a sealed container. Add the fruit into the mixture just before serving.
Get Kids Involved
Ages 2-3: Let them help you mix the fruit with the cream cheese filling. This is an excellent opportunity to help them decide which fruit to add to the salad.
Ages 4-5: Have your kiddo help mix the cream cheese filling.
Ages 6-8: Let them help cut up the fruit. Be sure to teach proper knife safety.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
Budget Tips
Summer is a fabulous time to make this Cheesecake Fruit Salad as fresh fruit goes on sale throughout the summer. We like to buy our fruit on sale and get even more savings when making this salad.
More Side Dish recipes:
- 1 Hour French Bread
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Mexican Pasta Salad
- Ambrosia Salad
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Frog Eye Salad
- Large Batch Chicken Pasta Salad
- Mexican Fruit Salad
- Orange Cranberry Sauce
Cheesecake Fruit Salad
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- rubber spatula
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer
- measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
CHEESECAKE CREAM:
- 8 ozs cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups heavy cream
FRUIT:
- 1 cup seedless green grapes halved
- 2 large red apples any variety, cored and chopped
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup Pineapple fresh or canned that’s been drained
- 1 cup chopped strawberries
TOPPING:
- 2 graham crackers crushed
Instructions
MAKE CHEESECAKE CREAM:
- Add cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl.
- Use a stand mixer or handheld mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat ingredients until combined and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and add heavy cream in a slow, steady stream; when almost fully combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more, scraping bowl as needed.
ASSEMBLE FRUIT SALAD:
- Add the fruit to the bowl. Fold the fruit into the cheesecake cream.
CHILL:
- Cover the salad and chill until ready to serve.
ADD TOPPING AND SERVE:
- Top with crushed graham crackers and serve.
Antoinette M says
Great recipe. And so colorful!
Jess Jankowski says
It does make for a pretty dish on your table! Enjoy!
Rosie says
I adore this idea, and it looks scrumptious! I’d like to try it.
Jess Jankowski says
Let us know how it goes Rosie!
Mya Murphy says
So festive and looks scrumptious!! Perfect for the 4th of July!
Jess Jankowski says
Definitely perfect for that 4th of July menu. Enjoy!
Barrie says
I love how easy this recipe is! We have a lot of fresh fruit right now, so this would be a tasty way to eat it!
Jess Jankowski says
Barrie, what a great way to use all that fresh fruit! Enjoy!
Cheryl Markle-Bomar says
I love this recipe!!
Jess Jankowski says
Cheryl we are thrilled that you love it!
Mia says
Sooooooooooooooooooooo good. It was so fun to make and it was really good.
Jess Jankowski says
Mia! We love that you loved this and that you had fun making it!
Chrissy says
Oh man, so good!! I love how easy this is to make and it still tastes amazing. Def going to be my go-to easy dessert recipe from now on.
Jess Jankowski says
Easy, delicious, and affordable are our main goals with each and every recipe. So happy you agree!
Renee Goerger says
This recipe is amazing. Each and every time I’ve made it, it disappears quickly!
Jess Jankowski says
We LOVE hearing this. Thanks so much Renee!
Jessica Formicola says
I love that cheesecake and salad is in the same title! What a delicious looking fruit salad, and I can’t wait to try it!
Jess Jankowski says
Isn’t it the best title for a recipe?! Enjoy!
Katie says
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this one.
Jess Jankowski says
Let us know how you like it. Thanks Katie!
Erika says
This cheesecake fruit salad is amazing! So colorful and delicious!
Jess Jankowski says
Isn’t it so pretty!?
Gail Montero says
Looks like a heavenly dessert that I could enjoy every time! Love all the fruity and cheesy deliciousness!
Jess Jankowski says
It is definitely a fruity dessert! Thanks for stopping by.
Kerri says
This is packed with all of my favorite fruits! This is a perfect snack!
Angela says
Super yummy! I do a similar one I call ‘grape salad’. Cream cheese, vanilla, red and green grapes..only I add sour cream instead of heavy cream and chopped pecans. Sooooo good!!
Jess Jankowski says
Sounds delish! Glad you liked our version!