Fruit Salad with Orange–Vanilla Balsamic Syrup

Bright, juicy, and never boring—this fruit salad gets a simple upgrade from a quick orange-vanilla syrup made with The Olive Leaf Cara Cara Orange Vanilla Balsamic. It’s the kind of crowd-pleasing side you can toss together ahead of time for brunch, cookouts, or holiday spreads.

Ingredients (10–12 servings)

Syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup orange juice
• 2 tsp vanilla paste (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
• ¼ cup The Olive Leaf Cara Cara Orange Vanilla Balsamic

Fruit

• 4 lb strawberries, cut into chunks
• 1 lb blueberries
• 1½ lb purple grapes, halved
• 1½ lb green grapes, halved

(Optional add-ins: sliced kiwi, pineapple, or a handful of chopped fresh mint.)

Directions

1. Make the syrup. In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, orange juice, vanilla, and Cara Cara Balsamic. Bring to a boil, then simmer 15–20 minutes until slightly thickened. Cool completely, then refrigerate.
2. Combine the fruit. In a large bowl, gently toss strawberries, blueberries, and grapes.
3. Toss & chill. Pour chilled syrup over the fruit and fold to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2–4 hours (up to 24) so the flavors mingle. Toss again just before serving.

Make-Ahead, Serving & Storage

• Do ahead: Syrup keeps 5 days refrigerated; mix with fruit a few hours before serving for best texture.
• Lighter option: Reduce sugar to ¾ cup or swap in ½ cup honey.
• Serve with: Yogurt and granola for breakfast, or spoon over pound cake/angel food cake for dessert.
• Store: Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days; fruit will soften over time.