How to make fruit salad philippines

Already have an account? Log in now! Don't have an account? Sign up now!

Growing up, whenever there was a party at our house (and there were many) from birthdays to “meetings,” to other reasons to gather and feast, huge bowls of fresh fruit, diced jelly, and evaporated milk would tailgate Jollof rice, dodo, and other savory delights. We’d enjoy the chilled, creamy fruit salad topped with globes of vanilla ice cream and slices of cream cake, a sundae of sorts. These salads, to me, have always made a strong case for canned fruits, which are readily available and often preserved at the height of their ripeness. When drained of syrup, they become delightfully bouncy, chewy, and extra eager to drink in any sauce or marinade your heart desires.So you might imagine my delight when, years later, I was introduced to Filipino buko salad. Made by Esther, my sister’s sister-in-law, the salad looked like the one from childhood—a sweetly streaked mosaic of colorful fruits bobbing in cream—but upon first bite, the familiar gave way to the unfamiliar. Instead of the fresh orange supreme; diced pawpaw (papaya), watermelon, pineapple, and bananas I was familiar with, there were chewy, jellied cubes of nata de coco and nata de piña, sweet, sticky and crunchy kaong, and soft macapuno. And, instead of evaporated milk, Esther’s buko salad was cloaked in a sauce of tangy cream cheese and luxurious condensed milk.If you’d like it sweeter, add some more condensed milk. More tang? Up the cream cheese. Take these proportions as a jumping-off point, then do you. Do be sure, however, to serve this cold so the fruits can firm up.

Want to hear more about Nigerian food? On our new podcast Counterjam—a show that explores culture through food and music—host Peter J. Kim talks dodo, jollof, egusi, and more with comedian Ego Nwodim and Afrobeat pioneers Femi and Made Kuti—check out the episode here. —Kitchen Butterfly

Continue After Advertisement

Watch This Recipe

Buko Salad (Filipino Fruit Salad)

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a colander set into a large mixing bowl. Let drain in the fridge, covered, for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
2. Discard the liquid that’s collected, and put in the drained fruit into the bowl.
3. Peel and dice the apple. Add to the drained fruit.
4. Place the cream cheese in a small bowl, and microwave in 10-second intervals until soft. Add the condensed milk to the cream cheese, and stir until well combined. Pour the milk-mixture over the fruit and stir to coat well. Taste and adjust with condensed milk and cream cheese for more sweetness or tanginess.
5. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 2 or up to 24 hours, to allow the fruit to firm up. (The fruit salad will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.) Stir once more before serving, and serve cold, in small bowls, each topped with a cherry.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

The Pinoy Fruit Salad (Filipino-style Fruit Salad) is something that you will always see at the dinner table during the holidays, especially the Christmas Season.

It is a perfect partner for festive Christmas dishes as this dessert is also festive looking, with its colorful nature. Surely a great way to celebrate special occasions with the family and with friends. 

Continue to read the recipe article below to see some tips and some tricks, as well as some trivia about this colorful and delightful fruit salad!

What is a Fruit Salad?

A fruit salad is–from the name itself–a combination of a variety of fruits that is usually served partnered with a syrup. It can be served as a snack, a dessert, or an appetizer.

Filipino-style fruit salads commonly make use of the canned cocktails, which is a combination of diced fruits such as pears, lychees, grapes, pineapples, among others. This is then partnered with a thick cream usually out of condensed milk and all-purpose cream.

How to make Pinoy Fruit Salad?

Making the Pinoy fruit salad is as easy as putting things together and arranging them in an appealing way. To start, all you have to do is prepare all of your ingredients and mix them in one large mixing bowl, and chill them afterwards. And that’s all there is to do! It is best served after a hearty dinner like (Macaroni Salad or Christmas Ham) or even during afternoons. 

Also, one good thing about the Pinoy Fruit Salad is it doesn’t really have a strict set of ingredients that we have to follow. While, yes, this recipe gives you specific ingredients you can follow for an easier approach, it will be entirely up to you on what fruits you want to add or maybe even other ingredients you also want to add which can give more flavor and more personality to the dessert salad.

Think of it as a way to make this super easy dish more special. This is a good opportunity to make it truly about you and what you make.

Fruit Salad Tips

• If you’re looking to find raw ingredients instead of the canned ones, make sure that it is fresh. Good choices for fruit you can get are the ones in your local market and are produced locally, so you’re sure to find fresh fruits for the salad.
• Canned fruit cocktails usually have a sweetened syrup along with it, it is sometimes dyed and it can taint the whole color of the fruit salad as a whole. If you want to have a more appealing look and have more color for the salad, you can drain them first before adding them into the mix with the other ingredients. This will also ensure a thick and creamy salad because there will be no excess liquid.

Notes on Ingredients

Fruits

Photo from Pepper.ph

The usual Pinoy fruit salad uses the ready-made fruit cocktail you can buy in your local stores or supermarkets. If you are looking for alternatives you can use fresh fruits such as strawberries, grapes, apples, or oranges.

Some other specific types of canned fruits such as canned peaches, pears, or lychee can be also acceptable. Another good addition to the mix would be to add some yogurt and nuts for that extra crunch and flavor in the salad.

For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:

Our very own version of the yummy Fruit Salad

• 1 can fruit cocktail
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1 pack all-purpose cream
• 1 cup sugar palm, (kaong)
• 1 cup nata de coco, (optional)
• 10 pcs maraschino cherries, (optional)
• ½ cup cheddar cheese, cut into cubes (optional)

• In a bowl, add-in the condensed milk and the all-purpose cream. Mix until well-incorporated.

• Add-in the fruit cocktail, sugar palm, nata de coco, and cheddar cheese. Mix until all of the ingredients are well-blended.

• Cover the bowl with a wrap. Refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight.

• Transfer to a serving bowl or serving cups and top with maraschino cherries. Serve and enjoy!

Don't forget to check out more information like cooking tips, suggestions, and notes on the sections above in case you jumped to this recipe.

Calories 206 Calories from Fat 82

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Pin and save this recipe to your Pinterest account! Click on the Pin button above 🙂

Thank you and I hope you find this article useful! It’ll mean a lot if you RATE THE RECIPE below and SHARE THIS TO YOUR FRIENDS! 🙂