Frozen Fruit Salad Cupcakes

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These frozen fruit salad cupcakes are made with cherries, bananas, and pineapples in a lightly sweet, creamy, frozen filling topped with a dollop of whipped cream! This refreshing, easy no bake dessert is perfect for warmer months!

Easy Frozen Fruit Salad Cupcakes

Frozen fruit salad had never really been on my radar until I tried it at a local ice cream shop years ago. A creamy, frozen dessert with chunks of fruit in it? I tried it, fell in love and decided to make my own version.

In this frozen fruit salad, creamy sweetened condensed milk is folded into light and fluffy cool whip along with a hint of lemon juice for brightness and some almond extract for a uniquely deep flavor. Maraschino cherries, bananas, and pineapples are mixed into the smooth filling before it is spooned into muffin tins and frozen solid. The result is a light, refreshing dessert with just the right amount of sweetness. It’s perfect for spring and summer days and is sure to win over a crowd.

Feeling inspired to make more recipes with fresh fruit? ‘Tis the season. Try my Strawberry Banana Frozen Yogurt Cupcakes, these Fruit Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups, or this Raspberry Peach Sangria Trifle.

What Is Frozen Fruit Salad?

Frozen fruit salad is a chilled dessert of fresh fruit suspended in a creamy, frozen mixture of whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk. This no-bake treat is often frozen in a loaf pan and sliced but I decided to turn it into cupcake form instead.

Recipe Ingredients

Here is a list of ingredients needed to make fruit salad cupcakes. Scroll to the recipe card below for measurements.

• Cool Whip – Take the Cool Whip out of the freezer to thaw before using. Feeling adventurous? Try making your own Homemade Whipped Cream instead. One full recipe of my whipped cream would replace 8 oz of Cool Whip.
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Lemon juice
• Almond extract – I love almond extract here but vanilla will work just fine as well.
• Maraschino cherries – Drain the juices from the cherries, but hold on to 2 tablespoons for use in the filling. This will help keep the frozen dessert from becoming icy.
• Crushed pineapple
• Bananas

How to Make Frozen Fruit Salad Cupcakes

Making frozen fruit salad cupcakes couldn’t be easier. It’s just a few simple steps. Make sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

• Soak the bananas in pineapple juice to help keep them from browning too much.
• Fold the Cool Whip, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and almond extract together.
• Stir in the cherries, pineapple, bananas (drain the pineapple juice), and 2 tablespoons of cherry juice from the jar.

• Freeze. Fill a cupcake pan lined with cupcake liners with the mixture and freeze until solid.
• Garnish with whipped cream and cherries.

Recipe Tips & Variations

Here are some tips and tricks that will help you achieve the best frozen fruit salad cupcakes possible. I even threw in some fun variations for you to try.

• Drain the fruit. Before adding the fruit to the mix, make sure it is drained off any excess moisture, This will help keep the dessert from developing an icy texture.
• Don’t over-mix. You want the Cool Whip to maintain some of its volume. So, when mixing the sweetened condensed milk and the fruit into the Cool Whip, fold the ingredients in gently and only until just incorporated.
• Experiment with different fruits. Try strawberries or blueberries instead of cherries or consider using crushed peaches instead of pineapple. Most fruits are a welcome addition to this frozen fruit salad.
• Add some nuts. Traditionally, this dessert often has nuts in it. Throw your favorite nut into the mix (I like cashews and pecans here) along with the fruit for a little extra crunch.
• Make your own whipped cream. Instead of Cool Whip, make your own whipped cream. Try my Homemade Whipped Cream, this Stabilized Mascarpone Whipped Cream, or even my Strawberry Whipped Cream.

Can These Be Made In Advance?

Absolutely. Once the cupcakes have frozen completely arrange them in a single layer in an airtight container. Seal the container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Fresh Fruit Recipes:

Summer is coming and it’s got me thinking about fresh fruit. These frozen fruit salad cupcakes are some of my favorites but here are some other delicious recipes starring fresh fruit.

• Fruit Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups
• Fruit Pizza
• Berries and Cream Layer Dessert with Dulce de Leche
• Raspberry Peach Sangria Trifle
• Fresh Berry Vanilla Layered Cake
• Banana Split Icebox Cake
• All Fruit Party Cake

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