Frozen fruit salad is a unique retro recipe that tastes like a cross between fruit salad and ice cream. It’s straight out of our great-grandmother’s recipe box!
Grandmother’s Frozen Fruit Salad
I found this frozen fruit salad recipe in my grandmother’s recipe box. It looked fascinating and delicious — one of the most unique vintage recipes I’ve seen!
This dish is quite similar to the other fruit salad recipes on our site, except it is frozen! This makes it a bit unique and extra refreshing, almost like a combination of fruit cocktail and ice cream.
When I was testing the recipe, I discovered that my grandmother’s written directions left out major parts of the recipe, namely what to freeze it in and how to serve. But I wanted to give it a try. You’ll see what I went with in the instructions.
Another thing that fascinates me is that this was called a “salad.” We have several dishes on this site that are called salads but are clearly desserts. Anyway, I don’t make the names for these dishes; I just try to recreate them and provide COMPLETE directions. Directions from the family recipe box are often a bit vague!
So, I made the recipe, and I loved how it turned out! It has a cheesecake-like flavor and looks gorgeous when sliced.
This is a fun old fashioned recipe to serve at holiday meals (either during or as a dessert) or for brunch. It’s one of those great recipes that can be whatever you want it to be!
After I made it, I told Granny about this new recipe I had tried from grandmother’s recipe box. She knew exactly what I was talking about because she had been served it by my grandmother, who was her future mother-in-law at the time.
Here’s what Granny had to say about the recipe:
It was one of Stella’s favorite recipes to serve. She would serve it to her church group. She had a group of friends from church, and they would meet in each other’s homes. When she had the ladies over, she would serve a pretty dessert.
Granny also told me that Stella had served it to her the very first time they met. My dad took my mom to meet his parents and his mom served this frozen fruit salad after dinner.
Friends, this recipe is so good Granny remembers it 70 years later!
Ingredients
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- 1 can of apricots
- 1 can sliced pineapple or pineapple chunks
- 2 packages of Philadelphia cream cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup of mayonnaise
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
- 1 small jar of maraschino cherries
Kitchen Tools Used
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Bread Pan
Instructions
Cream together the cream cheese and mayonnaise using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer with a large bowl.
Mix the sugar into the heavy cream, then mix this whipped cream into your cream cheese mixture.
Drain pineapple, apricot, and cherries and dice so that they are in bite size pieces. Fold the chopped and drained fruit into the cream mixture.
Scoop the cream and fruit mixture into a large bread pan and spread in a single layer until even. Cover with foil so that it does not touch the top. Freeze overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Serve Frozen Fruit Salad?
To serve, run a wet warm washcloth along the sides and bottom of the bread pan.
Cut the frozen fruit salad into slices using a sharp knife and remove from pan. Running the knife under hot water first helps it run right through the frozen dessert. Cut the slice in half for smaller sized serving.
Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry to serve.
If you really want a retro touch, serve each slice on a lettuce leaf!
Can You Use a Different Pan?
Yes, you can use a different pan to freeze your fruit salad. Just keep in mind that a deeper pan may take longer to freeze solid in the middle. On the flip side, a shallower pan may freeze quicker, if you’re in a hurry.
You can also freeze this mixture in muffin tins to make individual serving sizes.
Can You Use Different Types of Fruit?
While I stuck to the original recipe when making this dish, you could probably substitute certain fruits. They need to be fruits that freeze well, such as mandarin oranges or peaches. I’ve also seen versions of this dish made with berries, such as blueberries, or even chopped pecans — though I prefer mine without nuts.
More Fun Vintage Fruit Salad Recipes
- Orange Fluff Salad
- Pineapple Lime Jello Salad
- Watergate Salad
- Creamy Hawaiian Fruit Salad
- Creamy Grape Salad
Old Fashioned Frozen Fruit Salad Recipe (Printable Copy)
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Old Fashioned Frozen Fruit Salad
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Spatula
- Large bread pan
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1 can apricots
- 1 can pineapple slices or chunks
- 2 packages cream cheese
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup mayonaise
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 bottle marachino cherries
Instructions
- Cream the cream cheese and mayonnaise
- Add sugar to the whipped cream
- Combine whipped cream mix and cream cheese mixture
- Dice the fruit and drain liquid from them.
- Add chopped and drained fruit to the cream mixture and gently fold in.
- Spoon the mixture into a large bread pan. Cover with foil so that it does not touch the top. Freeze overnight.
- To serve, run a wet warm washcloth along the sides and bottom of the bread pan.
- Cut the frozen fruit salad into slices and remove from pan. Cut the slice in half for smaller sized serving.
- Top with whipped cream and a cherry to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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