Last updated on April 26th, 2022 at 03:58 pm
Growing up we always called this recipe frog eye fruit salad. Maybe that’s just because it is a fun name for a kid, and it really just sticks with you. I can’t seem to find any other name for it, so I guess that one is gonna stay.
Fruit salad is my preferred kind of salad. I’ve noted before that I haven’t always been the biggest salad fan. But give me a sweet and juicy salad full of fruit, with no greens in sight, and I am in.
But this is not your typical fruit salad. Included in the mixed bowl of fruits is a wide range of fresh-cut fruits along with a mixed sweet whipped topping and the big secret ingredient.
The secret to this fruit salad recipe – pasta. So, I guess that makes this a pasta salad?
Pasta, marshmallows, pineapple whipped cream dressing, and a whole heap of fresh fruit make this a fruit salad you won’t want to miss.
Why is it Called Frog Eye Fruit Salad?
The secret ingredient itself is what causes the unique recipe name.
Acini di pepe means seeds of pepper in Italian – and they are about the size of peppercorns so the name holds true. When the cooked acini di pepe pasta is added to the dish, it ends up looking kind of like frog eyes. I guess. I mean, I haven’t looked at a whole lot of frog’s eyes in my day. So I’ll take this recipe’s word for it.
You should be able to find acini di pepe pasta in a smaller, dense box in the pasta aisle. Or you can buy some online.
Because I make a few adjustments to the recipe (i.e. adding in a lot more fresh fruit), it loses a little bit of the look. In a more traditional frog eye fruit salad the dressing-covered pasta is a lot more evident.
If you were to mix together just the whipped cream dressing with the cooked pasta it would look similar to a tapioca pudding.
Ingredients of Frog Eye Fruit Salad
Fruit.
You can really choose what fruits you prefer, but I have suggestions for what seems to work best in this salad.
The more traditional recipes typically call for canned pineapple and canned mandarin oranges. Which is okay if you are in a rush, but I thought I’d try using fresh fruit to make it.
And I added a whole lot more than just pineapple and mandarin oranges. My recipe includes grapes, apples, strawberries, kiwis, and bananas along with the pineapple and orange slices. I think this all adds a lot more variety in both taste and texture to the fruit salad.
I also elected to include mini marshmallows. Because marshmallows are delicious.
Also, if you have the time to make homemade whipped cream, I highly encourage it. Since that is part of the main dressing for all of the other ingredients, a homemade one kicks everything up a notch.
You can also feel free to try any of the following when mixing up your own batch:
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Cherries (fresh or maraschino)
- Shredded coconut
- Watermelon
- Honeydew melon
How did yours turn out?
I’d love to hear when you try out this frog eye fruit salad! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.
Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.
Delicious Frog Eye Fruit Salad
Course: Dessert, Sides, AppetizersDifficulty: Intermediate20
servings15
minutes20
minutes35
minutesPasta, marshmallows, pineapple whipped cream dressing, and a whole heap of fresh fruit make this a fruit salad you won’t want to miss.
Ingredients
1 cup dry acini di pepe pasta
2 cups pineapple, chopped
1 and 1/2 cups grapes, halved
1 and 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced
4 mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned
3 large kiwi
1 large apple, chopped
1 banana, sliced
2 cups mini marshmallows
- Pineapple Whipped Cream Dressing
1 cup pineapple juice, divided
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups prepared whipped cream
Directions
- Boil the pasta according to package directions and drain it in a fine-mesh strainer
- Rinse, peel, cut, chop, and slice the fruit into bite-sized pieces
- Pineapple Whipped Cream Dressing
- make pineapple sauce, reserve 1 tbsp juice
- combine with whipped cream
- add in the pasta and fruit
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