Cheesecake Fruit Salad

If you're looking for a bright and refreshing side dish, look no further than this Cheesecake Fruit Salad. Juicy slices of melon, pineapple, berries, and kiwi are wrapped in a fluffy, creamy cheesecake filling and chilled. Perfect as a dessert or a side dish, you can serve this no-bake Cheesecake Fruit Salad on a weeknight, but it's right at home on a holiday plate, too.

What Is Cheesecake Fruit Salad?

Cheesecake Fruit Salad is a refreshing and fun way to get your serving of fruit and have your cheesecake, too (without baking!). Sliced fruit pieces are folded into a cheesecake filling made with cream cheese, frozen whipped topping, yogurt, and powdered sugar.

This fruit dish is ready in just 10 minutes, so it's a great last-minute option for weeknight dinner, potlucks, neighborhood parties, or even when you're craving a sweet and fruity snack.

Our Test Kitchen professionals said this recipe reminds them of ambrosia salad, "but a bit fresher with fresh fruit instead of canned fruit!"

Ingredients for Cheesecake Fruit Salad

You'll need just seven ingredients for this dish:

• Whipped cream cheese is used as the creamy base of the filling. Some recipe use instant pudding mix, but we like the texture and flavor of cream cheese better. If you have a regular block of cream cheese, you can beat it with a hand mixer for a few minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients to incorporate air.
• Whipped topping makes the filling light and airy.
• Yogurt adds richness without added sugar.
• Ripe fruits give great balance of acidity, flavor, and color.
• Powdered sugar lends sweetness and also body to the cheesecake filling.
• Lemon juice increases the acidity to balance out the dairy in the yogurt and cream cheese.
• Vanilla extract elevates all the flavors and helps balance the tang of the fruit with the sugar's sweetness.

Can Cheesecake Fruit Salad Be Made in Advance?

Yes, this no-bake cheesecake salad with fruit is a great dish to make a few hours ahead of when you plan to serve it. Make sure you give it a good stir before putting it on the table or buffet. The juicy fruits may leak some moisture and separate a bit from the cheesecake filling.

Alternatively, you can make the cheesecake filling ahead of time, and fold the fruit into it just before you plan to serve it.

What Kind of Fruit Should You Use?

We developed this recipe with fruits that can be found any time of the year—pineapple, red grapes, honeydew melon, kiwi, and mango—but you can always reach for seasonal fruits when they're available. In the summer, consider blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries for red, white, and blue version of this creamy fruit salad.

The ratio of 2-to-1 fruit to cheesecake mixture is a good balance. You can taste the fruit, and it peaks thru the cheesecake so you can see the color. It's really a beautiful dish!