Winter Fruit Salad Cinnamon (Printable)

A refreshing mix of winter fruits paired with a warm cinnamon vanilla drizzle for festive gatherings.

# Components:

→ Fruit

01 - 10 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
02 - 4 large Fuji apples, cored and diced
03 - 2 pomegranates, arils removed

→ Cinnamon Vanilla Dressing

04 - 1 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 cup water
06 - 2 cinnamon sticks
07 - 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped (or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract)

# Method:

01 - In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla bean including seeds and pod.
02 - Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved.
03 - Remove from heat and allow the dressing to cool to room temperature for approximately 1 hour. Remove the cinnamon sticks and vanilla pod.
04 - In a large bowl, combine the mandarin orange segments, diced apples, and pomegranate arils.
05 - Drizzle the cooled cinnamon vanilla dressing over the fruit and gently toss until evenly coated.
06 - Serve immediately, or chill until ready to serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks absolutely stunning on any table, with those ruby pomegranate arils and bright orange segments making you feel like you've done something fancy.
  • The cinnamon vanilla dressing is unexpectedly sophisticated—it's basically drinking a warm hug made liquid.
  • You can prep it ahead and actually have one less thing to worry about when guests arrive.
02 -
  • Don't skip letting the dressing cool completely—I learned this the hard way when I poured hot liquid over fresh fruit and ended up with a sad, soft mess.
  • If you're using vanilla extract instead of a bean, add it after the dressing cools rather than heating it, since the heat destroys some of that delicate vanilla flavor.
03 -
  • Buy your fruit a day ahead so everything is at peak ripeness and hasn't started drying out in the produce section.
  • If you can't find fresh pomegranates, frozen arils work surprisingly well and save you from that tedious seed removal process.
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