Sunrise Tropical Fruit Salad

4.6 from 5 votes
(Click the stars to vote)
A red circle with the letters GFA green circle with the letter QA green circle with the letters VE

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Enjoy a taste of paradise with this Tropical Fruit Salad. Layered with fresh fruit and lightly sweetened coconut chia cream, this easy recipe is fun, pretty, and healthy. Make it in individual glasses or in one decorative bowl to serve for breakfast, brunch, snack, or even dessert.

Layered Tropical Fruit Salad

This bright and fresh fruit salad recipe is so much fun to make and eat! Layers of your favorite tropical fruits give it the colors that will remind you of sunrise in paradise. Or maybe a sunset, I suppose, but when I think of fruit salad, I think of a bright and healthy way to start your day! You can certainly change up the fruit to whatever you have available or what looks best in the store, and you don’t have to layer it. The layers just make it look extra gorgeous, and remember, we eat with our eyes first.

But whatever you do, don’t skip the lightly-sweetened coconut chia cream. It takes just an extra couple of minutes, and it’s really what transforms a fairly basic fruit salad into something special. The light coconut flavor gives this a totally tropical island vibe, and by adding the chia, you get a creamy, luxurious texture.

So whether you are planning your Mother’s Day brunch menu, want a healthy dessert, or are just trying to pretend that your days are filled with sun, sand, and surf, you need to make this!

A spoon in a glass of tropical fruit salad with coconut cream on top.

Ingredients

This recipe is very flexible. You can use your choice of sweetener depending on whether you want to make it strict vegan, refined sugar free, or even lower in carbs. And while I love the combination of flavors the the colors of a tropical sunrise from these fruits, feel free to substitute any with what you’d like to use.

For the coconut chia cream:

  • Light coconut milk – You’ll need one can.
  • Sweetener – You can use powdered sugar, a powdered sweetener like Swerve, honey, or maple syrup.
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Chia seeds

For the layered fruit salad:

All of the fruit should be chopped into small chunks of similar sizes.

  • Bananas
  • Pineapple
  • Mango
  • Oranges – Use fresh oranges or canned mandarin oranges in juice that have been drained.
  • Strawberries

Instructions

Make the coconut chia cream. In a small bowl, stir together the coconut milk, your choice of sweetener, vanilla, and chia seeds. Set aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to thicken. You can even prepare it the day before you plan to make or serve the fruit salad.

Prepare the fruit. Wash, peel, and cut the fruit into small chunks about the same size. Use a serrated knife to remove the peel, including the pith, from the orange, then cut between the membraned to separate the orange into segments. Keep all of the fruit separate.

Layer the fruit salad. Divide the chopped banana between eight glasses or bowls or one decorative serving bowl or trifle dish. Follow with the pineapple, mango, oranges, and strawberries. Divide the coconut chia cream between the eight dishes, gently laying it on top of the fruit.

Quick Tip

Besides the fact that it is perfect for the colorful ombre effect, by putting the bananas on the bottom and then letting the juices of the pineapple and oranges flow down onto them, it helps keep the bananas from turning brown.

Storing Fruit Salad

Keep your tropical fruit salad covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. While you can prepare it the night before, it is best to enjoy it within a day or two.

A table full of spoons and glasses with layered tropical fruits.

Make it a Meal

Fruit salad makes a great snack or a light and healthy dessert. But I especially love serving it with brunch. Here are some of my favorite brunch dishes to pair with this tropical fruit salad.

Tropical fruit layered in glasses with a coconut chia seed topping in glasses on a table with several mini spoons.
Brianne Recommends

If cutting a bunch of fruit seems like a time-consuming tacks, here are a few of my favorite gadgets to make it quicker and easier. A Strawberry Huller makes prepping strawberries a breeze. One of the best tools, a Mango Splitter takes the hard work out of cutting the fruit away from the pit. Slice that pineapple in no time with a Pineapple Corer. And I always love my Serrated Utility Knife for easily segmenting an orange.

Several glasses on a table with the layered fruit salad and a few small spoons.
4.6 from 5 votes

Layered Tropical Fruit Salad with Coconut Chia Cream

Enjoy a taste of paradise with this Tropical Fruit Salad. Layered with fresh fruit and lightly sweetened coconut chia cream, this easy recipe is fun, pretty, and healthy. Make it in individual glasses or in one decorative bowl to serve for breakfast, brunch, snack, or even dessert.
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 13 oz light coconut milk
  • 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar honey, or maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 2 large bananas
  • 2 cups chopped pineapple
  • 2 mangoes chopped
  • 2 large oranges
  • 2 cups chopped strawberries

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, stir together the coconut milk, powdered sugar or honey, vanilla, and chia seeds, and set aside in the refrigerator for at least a half hour (you can do this before you start cutting the fruit, or even the night before).
  • Divide the chopped banana between eight glasses or bowls. Follow with the pineapple, mango, oranges, and strawberries.
  • Divide the coconut chia cream between the eight dishes, gently laying on top of the fruit.
  • Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Can be prepared the night before.
Nutrition Facts
Layered Tropical Fruit Salad with Coconut Chia Cream
Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)
Calories 178 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Sodium 40mg2%
Potassium 395mg11%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Fiber 5g20%
Sugar 20g22%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 595IU12%
Vitamin C 83.3mg101%
Calcium 69mg7%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Categories:

More fruit salad recipes

32 Comments
  1. Joy | The Joyful Foodie

    Coconut chia cream (though we call it pudding) is one of my favorite snacks! I love the idea of using it to top a fruit salad. Plus, the colors here are gorgeous and remind me of summer. I hope spring comes soon for you!

  2. Wow! Great looking dish Brianne! We’ve recently “discovered” chia seeds and have been consuming it almost daily. You coconut cream sounds so tasty! Thanks for an idea for another use chia seeds!

  3. This would definitely brighten up the start of any day! Sorry you are having snow is April. Come visit Georgia because the weather is incredible this time of year.

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




I accept the Privacy Policy