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Home › Recipes
12 Comments

Classic Fruit Salad with Old Fashioned Century Sauce

Stacey Pirtle

by Stacey Updated: Jul 21, 2019

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This post may contain affiliate links.

Let’s talk fruit salad.  It’s sweet and tart, crisp and crunchy.  It positively zings with flavor!  Made right, it’s all the things a special dish should be. Not to mention it’s as versatile as the day is long.  Fruit salad has earned a rightful spot on holiday tables, at picnics, potlucks, brunches, Sunday dinners. At my house, it even gets eaten as dessert.  Ah, fruit salad.  The stuff of dreams.

CLassic Fruit Salad with Old Fashioned Sauce


What You’ll Need to Make Classic Fruit Salad with Century Sauce

  • Green apples
  • Strawberries
  • Bananas
  • Blueberries
  • Coconut
  • Pecans or walnuts
  • Cream
  • Sugar
  • Vanilla
Apples, strawberries, bananas and blueberries are the base for a classic fruit salad.

Of course, not any old fruit salad will do.  The fruit should be fresh.  The colors should pop.  And the textures should be varied.  This classic salad uses green apples, strawberries, bananas and blueberries.  Shredded, sweetened coconut and chopped walnuts and pecans add texture and flavor!

Old Fashioned Fruit Sauce

But what makes this fruit salad really good is the simple old fashioned sauce that goes over it!  Cream, sugar and a splash of vanilla simmer low and slow to create a lovely rich sauce that lightly clings to each piece of fruit.

Old Fashioned Fruit Sauce being poured over a classic fruit salad.

Old Fashioned Century Sauce gets its name honest.  A family recipe passed down through my brother-in-law’s family, his grandmother, who learned it from her mother, faithfully made and served the sauce on her fruit salad every holiday from 1910-1966.  She said it made the fruit taste better since it’s not at its sweetest during the winter months.

Aerial view of fruit salad.

When my sister and brother-in-law shared this family recipe with me some years ago, it only took me one little taste before I knew that his Granny Stodghill must have been a culinary genius. 

Imagine a bowl of fruit drizzled with melted homemade ice cream…  that’s what this is.  A veritable fruit salad heaven.

CLassic Fruit Salad with Old Fashioned Sauce

Classic Fruit Salad with Old Fashioned Century Sauce

Bright and colorful fruit salad is complemented by an old fashioned sauce that changes how you enjoy fruit salad!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fruit, holiday, picnic
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Stacey | SouthernDiscourse.com

Ingredients

  • 2 medium green apples diced
  • 1 lb. strawberries diced
  • 1 pt. blueberries
  • 2 bananas sliced
  • 1 C sweetened, shredded coconut
  • 1 C chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Old Fashioned Century Sauce

  • 1 C cream
  • ¾ C sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a small sauce pan, slowly heat cream and sugar on low heat.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Continue to stir frequently as cream heats.  When sauce is thin and begins to simmer, remove from heat.  Add vanilla.  Stir.  Allow to cool.
  • Toss chopped fruit and nuts in a bowl.  Pour cooled sauce over the top.  Gently toss again.  Serve immediately or cool in fridge up to 30 minutes.
CLassic Fruit Salad with Old Fashioned Sauce
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Pretties You Need To Serve Fruit Salad

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Fresh fruit salad with a 100 year old sauce recipe that makes pure fruit salad heaven! #fruit #fruitsalad #southerndiscourse #freshfruit

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Filed Under: Holidays, Recipes, Salads Tagged With: Christmas, Thanksgiving

Meet Stacey

Southern Discourse is a place where you can find southern family dishes, along with special recipes & table settings. Bringing connection & friendship back to the table by wrapping everything in the faith & grace from which true hospitality springs! Read More

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Avatar photoNancy

    December 12, 2018 at 6:24 pm

    When do you add the vanilla, please?

    Reply
    • Stacey Pirtlestacey

      December 12, 2018 at 8:23 pm

      Hi, Nancy! Add the vanilla after you remove the cream and sugar from the stove top. Stir and let cool before pouring the sauce over the fruit!

      Reply
  2. Avatar photoPat

    December 16, 2018 at 10:46 am

    What do you mean by cream?

    Reply
    • Stacey Pirtlestacey

      December 16, 2018 at 3:11 pm

      Hi, Pat!

      You can buy heavy cream or heavy whipping cream in the refrigerated section of your local grocery story, usually next to the milk.

      Reply
      • Avatar photoKate mckinley

        November 28, 2020 at 10:08 pm

        Will substituting Half and Half for the cream still produce a good sauce?

        Reply
        • Stacey Pirtlestacey

          November 29, 2020 at 10:38 pm

          Hi, Kate! It sure will! I know you’ll love this recipe!

          Reply
  3. Avatar photoAlyce

    January 10, 2022 at 4:01 pm

    Can this recipe be made sugar free with Splenda or Stevia and using unsweetened coconut? As a diabetic this looks so lovely, I would love to make it and enjoy without the sugar.

    Reply
    • Stacey Pirtlestacey

      January 11, 2022 at 12:52 pm

      Hi, Alyce! This fruit salad can be made with a sugar substitute and unsweetened coconut. As always, there will be some difference in taste, and it will still contain quite a bit of natural sugars from the fruit and the cream. Of course, I can’t endorse whether or not it will meet the standards for a diabetic lifestyle. That is far outside of my realm of expertise!

      Reply
  4. Avatar photoShelley

    November 10, 2024 at 7:03 pm

    5 stars
    Thus far I have enjoyed all of your recipes. Keep them coming!

    Reply
    • Stacey PirtleStacey

      November 17, 2024 at 1:12 pm

      Hi, Shelley! Thank you SO MUCH! Let me know if there ever is something you would like me to make!

      Reply
  5. Avatar photoKelly Killewald

    April 19, 2025 at 6:08 pm

    Hi can this sauce be made and poured on the day before?

    Reply
    • Stacey PirtleStacey

      April 22, 2025 at 1:30 pm

      Hi, Kelly! The sauce can be made the day before, but I would dress the salad the day of for the freshest presentation. Fruit tends to break down the longer it sits in dressing. Enjoy!

      Reply

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Meet Stacey

Southern Discourse is a place where you can find southern family dishes, along with special recipes & table settings. Bringing connection & friendship back to the table by wrapping everything in the faith & grace from which true hospitality springs! Read More

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