This is a fruit salad recipe that my mom, Marie, used to make for just about every party that she threw while I was growing up. Whether it was a birthday party, first communion celebration, baby shower, or graduation, this super simple crowd pleaser always made it’s way to her buffet table! My mom is now in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease and living in a nursing home. Making this recipe for family gatherings makes my sister and I feel like a piece of mom is with us.
My husband loves this fruit salad recipe and I often make it to accompany our favorite breakfast casserole. The leftovers still taste great the next day.
The recipe is quick and easy to make and only requires five ingredients… canned pineapples, canned mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries, vanilla pudding mix, and bananas. One thing to note is that the maraschino cherries are a seasonal item at Aldi, so if you plan to make it while buying all your ingredients at Aldi, you will need to plan accordingly. I believe the normal times to find maraschino cherries stocked at Aldi are during the summer and usually around the holidays at the end of the year. I try to stock up when I see them as they are usually half the cost of other grocery stores!
Marie’s Easy Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 20 ounce canned pineapple chunks with juice
- 3.4 ounce instant vanilla pudding mix
- 15 ounce canned mandarin oranges
- 10 ounce maraschino cherries
- 3 bananas
Instructions
- Open the pineapple chunks and drain the juice into a serving bowl. Set the pineapple chunks aside for now.
- Using a whisk, combine the box of instant vanillla pudding mix with the pineapple juice until it is smooth.
- Add the pineapple chunks, drained mandarin oranges, and drained maraschino cherries to the vanilla pudding and juice mixture and stir until well combined.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
- When you are ready to serve, slice the three bananas and stir them into the salad.
Notes
