Family Fruit Salad

Easy homemade fruit salad with papaya, apples, and bananas in a citrus juice mixture.

This fruit salad is one of those recipes that’s always been around in my family. My mom used to make it all the time, especially when we wanted something refreshing and simple. It’s still my absolute favorite fruit salad because it’s perfectly balanced: sweet, tangy, and super fresh!

Cost Breakdown:

These prices reflect what I paid for the full ingredients at the store. While the recipe may only use part of some items, the cost reflects buying the full ingredient since you can’t purchase just a portion at the store.

• Papaya $3.43

• Gala Apples $2.19

• Bananas $1.20

• Limes $0.48

• Orange Juice $3.79

• Sugar $2.48

  Total: $13.57

* Prices based on grocery stores in Central Texas - March 2026.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs Papaya

• 3 lbs Gala Apples

• 7 Bananas

• 2 Limes

• 26 oz Orange Juice

• ½ cup Sugar

Steps:

• Slice the papaya, apples, and bananas into bite size pieces and add them to a large bowl.

• Pour in the orange juice until the fruit is mostly covered. (about 26oz but adjust as needed.)

• Squeeze in the juice of 2 limes. This mixture should taste slightly tangy. This helps keep the fruit from browning.

• Add sugar and mix well to balance the flavor back to sweet.

• Let the fruit salad sit for about 30 minutes in the fridge so the flavors come together. Then it’s ready to serve!

Tips:

• Adjust the sugar depending on how sweet your fruit is.

• If you prefer a stronger citrus flavor, add a little extra lime juice.

• Use 100% orange juice for best results.

Recipe Summary:

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 10

This meal came out to about $1.35 per serving based on Central Texas grocery prices in March 2026. Price may differ depending on the ingredients you have on hand.