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.
What You’ll Need to Make Classic Fruit Salad with Century Sauce
- Green apples
- Strawberries
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Coconut
- Pecans or walnuts
- Cream
- Sugar
- Vanilla
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!
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 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.
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 Century Sauce
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
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.
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Pretties You Need To Serve Fruit Salad
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When do you add the vanilla, please?
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!
What do you mean by cream?
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.
Will substituting Half and Half for the cream still produce a good sauce?
Hi, Kate! It sure will! I know you’ll love this recipe!
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.
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!
Thus far I have enjoyed all of your recipes. Keep them coming!
Hi, Shelley! Thank you SO MUCH! Let me know if there ever is something you would like me to make!
Hi can this sauce be made and poured on the day before?
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!