Gram’s Frozen Fruit Salad!!!
Sometimes the deliciousness of a food is based as much on nostalgia as it is on flavor. Such is the case with Frozen Fruit Salad, which is an old-fashioned treat that’ll take you back to days gone by with just one bite but also happens to be totally scrumptious. It’s (more or less) a fruit salad that’s been folded into a sweet and creamy mixture before being frozen into sliceable form. It’s cool and creamy, but still lets the true flavor of the fruit shine through and (if you’re asking me) has way more staying power than its outdated cousin the jello salad.
Now, your grandma might have made this with cherries or a can of fruit cocktail or added some nuts, but Gram used this sweet and simple combination of bananas, strawberries, and pineapple. And that’s one of the nice things about this – it’s versatile enough that you can swap out fruit for whatever you happen to have on hand. The magic is really in the frozen creamy mixture that ties everything together, so there are countless combinations of fruit that would work well.
INGREDIENTS
1 pint strawberries, diced
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
2 bananas, chopped or sliced
2 cups whipped topping, plus more for serving
PREPARATION
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and strawberries with an electric mixer until well combined.
With a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the pineapple, bananas, and whipped topping.
Pour mixture into a 9×13-inch pan and place in freezer to chill until solid. (This can take up to 24 hours.)
Allow to thaw for 10-15 minutes before slicing into squares and serving.
