This simple, succulent Winter Fruit Salsa is a tasty Thanksgiving or Christmas appetizer recipe! Made with pomegranates, cranberries, kiwis, apples, grapes, and oranges, this sweet fruit recipe is as delicious as it is pretty AND healthy! {Paleo or Vegan}
Is there any greater feeling than walking into the grocery store and discovering pomegranates are BACK?!?!? Because that’s my current state of euphoria, and I can barely handle it. To channel my pomegranate-induced holiday excitement, I’m buying them up and putting them to use. Now we’re face-deep in this Winter Fruit Salsa, and I’m about three minutes from decorating my house in bright lights, fluffy bows, and voluminous garland. Has Thanksgiving even happened, though? No, no it has not.
I have never caved to Christmas before Thanksgiving. I can’t say that I’m proud to have even considered it now. But the allure of faux snow decorations is almost too much to bear. And if the girls start playing Christmas cds, I won’t complain. Although since the girls play Christmas music all year, right now could just as easily be July as it could the beginning of the Thanksmas season.
I will stick with family tradition and decorate the house for Christmas the Friday after Thanksgiving. But that won’t stop me from organizing my decorations, watching Christmas movies, and eating festive foods in the meantime. Winter Fruit Salsa absolutely goes the distance during the Thanksmas season. That’s a literal statement, too, because this dish makes A LOT of food. So it’s perfect for holiday parties and family gatherings of all sizes. And the leftovers are just as delightful as a fresh batch.
Pomegranates and cranberries are paired with apples, grapes, kiwis, and oranges and then drizzled with agave nectar (or honey, for a paleo option) and cinnamon. Winter Fruit Salsa ticks a lot of boxes for a holiday recipe the whole family can enjoy. It’s a healthy holiday recipe that’s tasty, gluten-free, and vegan or paleo. It’s also easy to store and delicious by itself or with Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips.
If you’re ready to get the festivities on, then grab a huge mixing bowl, a cutting board, and some fruits. Because we are going to mix up a mouthwatering holiday recipe! Ambient holiday music totally optional while prepping this festive recipe!
Winter Fruit Salsa is
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Soy-free
- Paleo or vegan
- Easy to make
- Easy to store as leftovers (refrigerated in an airtight container – I like mason jars for this)
Ingredients for Winter Fruit Salsa
Fresh fruits are best. If any of the fruits end up not being sweet enough, add a little more agave nectar or honey. Add carefully, however, because a little bit goes a long way!
- Halved fruits: grapes.
- Chopped or diced fruits: cranberries, pears, kiwis, apples, and oranges.
- Peeled Fruits: pomegranate.
- Agave nectar (vegan) or 100% pure honey (paleo). Because the fruits are so naturally sweet, a little bit goes a long way here. Please keep in mind, too, that as the fruits sit, the liquids from each will settle at the bottom of the dish in which they are stored.
- Cinnamon. Like the sweetener, a little spice goes a long way!
To speed up the prep time, I chop the cranberries in a mini food chopper. I also peel my pomegranates shortly after buying them. I store the arils in mason jars in my fridge and pull out enough for whatever recipe I am currently working on. Pomegranates vary in size, but, on average, one pomegranate will yield about 1 – 1 1/2 cups arils.
Most of the effort in making this salad comes in the prep work of slicing, dicing, and cubing. Once that part’s done, it’s smooth sailing!
What to serve with this salsa
Cinnamon-baked tortilla chips would go wonderful with this Winter Fruit Salsa. So would Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips. You can also serve this by itself as a side salad or relish.
Savory dishes, such as soups and stews, are excellent main dish complements to this lighter fare.
More festive flavors to enjoy!
In addition to all the delicious recipes that pair well with this Winter Fruit Salsa, here are a few additional holiday recipes to share throughout the season!
Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild! I’m glad you’re here. 🩷
Winter Fruit Salsa
This simple, succulent Winter Fruit Salsa is a tasty Thanksgiving or Christmas appetizer recipe! Made with pomegranates, cranberries, kiwis, apples, grapes, and oranges, this sweet fruit recipe is as delicious as it is pretty AND healthy! {Paleo or Vegan}
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Appetizers and Snacks
Ingredients
- Arils of one pomegranate
- 4 mandarin oranges, diced or wedged
- 3 kiwis, diced
- 2 cups grapes, halved
- 2 apples, diced (red, green, or both)
- 1–2 pears, diced
- 1/2 cup cranberries, halved or chopped
- 1–2 tablespoons agave nectar (vegan) or 100% pure honey (paleo)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine all the fruits in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate dish, combine the agave nectar or 100% pure honey and cinnamon and drizzle over the fruit. Stir the fruit with a large spoon until evenly coated.
- Serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days.
Notes
- If the cranberries are still too tart, add an extra drizzle of sweetener and an extra dash of cinnamon.
- Contents will settle. If storing in the refrigerator, stir again prior serving.
Excellent recipe! It won me first place in a salsa contest.
Congratulations, Cindi (from me AND K-Hubs)!!! That’s wonderful news! We are so glad you enjoyed the recipe and won first place in the salsa contest! Thank you for sharing that with us. 😊
Cheers!
Morgan