Tropical Fruit Salad

Spring is ALMOST here, and for me that means Summer is right around the corner! I love everything about foods in warmer weather. Everything is so refreshing, the best fruits are in season, and food is just much more enjoyable in the Summer! I decided to get a jump start and create a creamy and 'healthier' dessert option! I cut up some of my favorite tropical fruits and coated them in a 'cheesecake' like cream that went really well with all of the fruity flavors! This makes a decent amount, but let me just tell you guys that my in-laws devoured this dessert and went back for seconds without any hesitation!

Coconut shreds are one of my absolute favorite toppings! I sprinkled some on top of the dish for a fun and creative look!

You can really use any fruit you would like, however, try sticking with similar flavors. All of the fruits I chose are on the sweeter side instead of tart or bitter. That way every bite is enjoyed equally!

Another fruit that would taste amazing with the ones I chose is Kiwi! I couldn't add it into this dessert since I am allergic to them, but the sweetness of the flavor and green contrast of the color against the other fruits would be a perfect addition!

One suggestion I would give you all when making this dessert is to fold in the cream a little at a time into the fruits. This allows you to control how much cream you want in there! I used all of the cream because I just love the French vanilla flavor that it has, however if you want to take down some of the sweetness you can use just half or 2/3 of the amount made. I already know that this fruit salad is going to be a big hit at many family BBQ's this summer!

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Prep Time: 25 minutes Serves: 6-8 People

Cook Time: N/A

Total Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Mango, peeled and chopped

• 1/2 cup Lychee (canned or fresh), roughly chopped

• 1 cup Strawberries, sliced

• 1/2 cup Blueberries

• 1 cup Fresh Pineapple, chopped

• 14 oz. Canned Mandarin Oranges, drained

• 3 Bananas, peeled and sliced into coins

• Juice of 1/2 a Lemon

• 8 oz. of Cream Cheese

• 1 Packet of Cheesecake Flavored Instant Pudding Mix

• 1 cup French Vanilla Creamer

• 1/2 cup Coconut Shreds

• 1 Cara Cara Navel Orange, or any orange

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, add in all of the prepared fruit, except for the bananas. Set aside

2. In a small separate bowl, add the sliced bananas and lemon juice. Coat all of the banana slices to prevent them from browning in the dessert. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese with an electronic mixer until the cream cheese if fluffy and soft. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and add in the cheesecake pudding mix. You don't need to prepare the pudding, you're just using the powder for the cheesecake flavor.

4. Once those are mixed, turn the mixing speed to low and add the french vanilla a few tablespoons at a time. This prevents clumping from occurring so do not add in the french vanilla all at once.

5. Continue to mix until it's soft and creamy.

6. In the large fruit bowl, add in the bananas. Slowly pour in the desired amount of cream cheese mix that you'd like to the bowl.

7. Transfer to a serving dish and top with shredded coconut and cara cara oranges.

8. Chill in the fridge for at least and hour before serving.

9. Enjoy!