Mexican Fruit Salad (Ensalada de Frutas con Crema)

Mexican fruit salad, or ensalada de frutas, is diced fresh fruit (apple, banana, papaya, cantaloupe, strawberries and mango) folded into a sweet, silky cream of media crema and condensed milk, then topped with granola, coconut and raisins. It’s sold by the cup at fruterías and juice stands all over Mexico, and at Christmas it turns into the richer ensalada navideña. It takes about 25 minutes and no cooking.

Mexican Fruit Salad at a Glance

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What Is Mexican Fruit Salad?

In English, “Mexican fruit salad” gets used for two different things. In Mexico, ensalada de frutas almost always means the creamy one: fruit in sweet cream with granola on top, eaten as a snack, breakfast or dessert. The chile-and-lime version is really a fruit cup. Here’s how the family breaks down:

Also not to be confused with ensalada de Nochebuena, the Christmas Eve salad of beets, jícama, oranges and peanuts. That one is savory-sweet and has no cream. You’ll find it in our guide to Mexican Christmas foods.

The Fruit

Use fruit that’s ripe but firm enough to dice cleanly. The classic mix is a balance of crisp (apple), soft (banana, papaya) and juicy (melon, strawberries). Read about these and other Mexican fruits if you want to branch out.

• Apples: red, crisp ones like Gala or Red Delicious, skin on for color.
• Bananas: ripe but not spotty; slice them last so they don’t brown.
• Papaya: Mexican Maradol papaya is the traditional choice; it’s sweet and soft.
• Cantaloupe: or honeydew; drain off extra juice so it doesn’t water down the cream.
• Strawberries, mango and grapes: for color and sweetness. Pineapple works too.

The Crema: Media Crema and Condensed Milk

The cream is what makes it Mexican. Fruterías use media crema, a shelf-stable table cream sold in small cans (Nestlé is the common brand), sweetened with condensed milk. It pours like heavy cream and thickens slightly when chilled.

• No media crema? Use ¾ cup Mexican crema, or ½ cup sour cream whisked with ¼ cup heavy cream.
• Sweetness: start with ⅓ cup condensed milk and add more to taste. Fruterías make it very sweet.
• Lighter: swap half the crema for plain Greek yogurt.

Toppings

How to Make Mexican Fruit Salad

Full amounts are in the recipe card below.

1. Make the crema. Whisk the media crema, condensed milk and vanilla until smooth. Taste, add more condensed milk if you want it sweeter, and chill for 30 minutes if you have time.
2. Dice the sturdy fruit. Cut the papaya, cantaloupe, mango and strawberries into ½-inch pieces and halve the grapes. Drain off any pooled juice.
3. Cut the apples and bananas last. Dice the apples and slice the bananas, and toss them with a squeeze of lime or orange juice to keep them from browning.
4. Fold or layer. Fold the fruit into the crema in a large bowl, or do it frutería style: fruit in cups with the crema poured over the top.
5. Top and serve. Finish each serving with granola, coconut, raisins and nuts, and serve cold.

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Mexican Fruit Salad (Ensalada de Frutas con Crema)

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Mexican ensalada de frutas: diced apple, banana, papaya, cantaloupe, strawberries and mango in a sweet media crema and condensed milk cream, topped with granola, coconut and raisins.

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Ingredients

• 2 red apples, such as Gala, cored and diced
• 2 ripe bananas, sliced
• 1½ cups diced papaya
• 1½ cups diced cantaloupe
• 1 cup strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1 cup diced mango
• 1 cup seedless grapes, halved
• 1 tablespoon lime or orange juice
• 1 can (7.6 oz) media crema (about 1 cup)
• ⅓ to ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup granola
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Whisk the media crema, condensed milk and vanilla until smooth. Taste and add more condensed milk if you like. Chill for 30 minutes if you have time.
2. Dice the papaya, cantaloupe, mango and strawberries into ½-inch pieces and halve the grapes. Drain off any pooled juice.
3. Dice the apples and slice the bananas, then toss them with the lime juice to keep them from browning.
4. Fold all the fruit into the crema in a large bowl, or divide the fruit among cups and pour the crema over the top.
5. Top each serving with granola, shredded coconut, raisins and nuts. Serve cold.

Notes

No media crema? Use ¾ cup Mexican crema, or ½ cup sour cream whisked with ¼ cup heavy cream. For a lighter, biónico-style version, replace half the crema with plain yogurt. Skip watermelon; it waters down the cream. The crema keeps 3 days refrigerated; the dressed salad is best within a few hours.

Christmas Version: Ensalada Navideña de Frutas

At Christmas and New Year’s, Mexican families make a richer, make-ahead fruit salad for a crowd. It swaps most of the fresh fruit for canned fruit cocktail and pineapple, adds crisp red apples and pecans, and binds it all with a dressing of cream cheese, media crema and condensed milk. It’s chilled for a few hours or overnight and served cold next to the hot ponche.

• Blend the dressing until completely smooth; lumps of cream cheese won’t loosen once it’s cold.
• Drain the canned fruit well, or the salad turns soupy overnight. A spoonful of the syrup in the dressing is fine.
• Add pecans and marshmallows right before serving so they stay crisp and fluffy.

Serve it with a warm mug of ponche navideño. The full recipe is in the card below.

Biónico: The Yogurt Version

From Guadalajara, the biónico is a breakfast cousin of ensalada de frutas: a big cup of diced fruit topped with a sauce of yogurt, sour cream and condensed milk, then granola, coconut and raisins. To turn this recipe into a biónico, replace half the media crema with plain yogurt and pile the toppings high.

Make Ahead and Storage

• Crema: keeps 3 days in the fridge in a covered jar.
• Cut fruit: cut everything except the apples and bananas up to a day ahead and refrigerate.
• Dressed salad: best within a few hours. The fruit releases juice and the bananas soften, so it keeps about 1 day. The Christmas version holds up better and keeps 2 to 3 days.
• Don’t freeze it; the cream separates and the fruit turns mushy.

Mexican Fruit Salad FAQ

What is Mexican fruit salad called in Spanish?

Ensalada de frutas. With cream it’s ensalada de frutas con crema; the Christmas version is ensalada navideña or ensalada de Navidad; the Guadalajara yogurt version is a biónico.

What is the cream on Mexican fruit salad made of?

Media crema (a light table cream) sweetened with condensed milk and a little vanilla. Some cooks add sour cream, yogurt or cream cheese.

Can I use sour cream instead of media crema?

Yes. Whisk ½ cup sour cream with ¼ cup heavy cream or milk to thin it, then sweeten with condensed milk. It’s a little tangier.

How do I keep the bananas and apples from browning?

Cut them last and toss them with a squeeze of lime or orange juice before folding them in.

Can I make Mexican fruit salad the night before?

Make the crema and cut the sturdier fruit the night before, then dice the apples and bananas and combine everything just before serving. The Christmas version is the one designed to sit overnight.

Is Mexican fruit salad the same as a fruit cup?

No. A fruit cup (vaso de fruta) is fruit spears with lime, Tajín and chamoy. Ensalada de frutas is creamy and sweet. Here’s our Mexican fruit cups recipe.

More Mexican Desserts and Snacks

RecipeMexican Fruit CupsStreet-cart fruit spears with lime, Tajín and chamoy→GuideMexican Fruits40 fruits of Mexico with names, pictures and seasons→RoundupMexican DessertsThe classic sweets, from flan to churros→RecipePonche NavideñoWarm Christmas fruit punch with tejocotes and guava→GuideMexican Christmas FoodsWhat Mexicans eat from Las Posadas to Reyes→GuideMexican CremaThe tangy cream behind so many Mexican dishes→RecipePaletasFruit-packed Mexican ice pops→RecipeTres Leches CakeThe milk-soaked cake for every celebration→

Jorge Garcia

Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.

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