Friends and family are sure to enjoy this easy Filipino fruit salad recipe with cream cheese and condensed milk. It’s a Pinoy style dessert from the Philippines that whips up in minutes using canned fruits.
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According to my mom, my grandmother didn’t do much cooking. However, there was a dessert that she liked to whip up often.
It should come as no surprise that the recipe is a breeze to make. That’s because she was super busy with six kids.
My mom shared the recipe with me and it’s super delicious. It’s a Filipino fruit salad with cream cheese and condensed milk that uses canned fruit.
It’s a little different than the standard young coconut buko salad with fruit because my grandmother added extra cream cheese. She loved the flavor and texture it adds to the treat.
It’s really a thick and rich dessert that takes almost no effort at all to make. And it’s perfect for those who like quick and easy recipes.
If that’s you, may may want to check out some useful cooking tips for easy meal preparation. I like to make things as simple as possible.
Filipino Fruit Salad Recipe Ingredients
This simple Asian dessert is made with only six ingredients! They are common foods so you may already have them in your kitchen.
Cream Cheese
The recipe uses two 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese. Although you can use reduced-fat, I recommend using the full-fat cheese for the best taste.
Sweetened Condensed Milk
To offset the tang in the cream cheese and make it creamier, sweetened condensed milk is mixed in. It also adds in a milky flavor.
Canned Fruit
The fruit salad comes together quickly by using canned fruits. I like to use fruit cocktail, mandarin oranges, and pineapples. However, you can use any types of fruits you like.
Dried Coconut
Adding coconut boosts the tropical flavor. Since there’s already sweetness from the fruit and condensed milk, use unsweetened shredded dried coconut.
Quick Tips:
- Soften the cream cheese. The cheese needs to be soften so it blends in but you can do that quickly by microwaving it for about 25 seconds. Or just let it sit out at room temperature for one to two hours.
- Use popular Filipino canned fruits. Canned mangoes, lychee, rambutan, and palm fruit will give the salad a more tropical taste. You can even use young coconut meat strips or macapuno strings instead of the dried coconut for a more traditional style.
- Try it with table cream. Some recipes for buko salad from the Philippines use canned table cream with or without the cream cheese. You can replace 8-ounces of cream cheese with one 8-ounce can of table cream. Or replace all of the cream cheese with two 8-ounce cans of the cream.
- Freeze it. The fruit salad is super refreshing on a hot summer day when it’s served frozen! It will freeze hard so you’ll want to let it thaw about 15 minutes before scooping out into dishes unless you freeze it in single servings.
How To Make Filipino Fruit Salad With Cream Cheese
The process for making the Filipino fruit salad is super simple. It’s one of those dump and stir one bowl recipes. Just follow these simple steps!
- Add two blocks of cream cheese and a can of sweetened condensed milk into a large bowl.
- Combine the condensed milk and cheese with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Stir in the drained canned fruit and dried coconut with a spoon until the ingredients are well combined in the bowl.
That’s all there is to it!
Buko Salad Variations
You can serve the dessert immediately if you’d like. However, it tastes best when chilled so we like to put it in the refrigerator for a couple hours first.
However, you’ll often find us eating a few samples right after it’s done along with licking the mixing bowl clean.
It’s so delicious that you won’t be able to stop yourself. A lot of people think this Filipino fruit salad tastes a little like yogurt.
My grandmother never added coconut. But, my mother wanted it to be more like an ambrosia salad and the traditional young coconut salad.
Since my mom has gone low-carb, she no longer makes this tasty Pinoy dessert from the Philippines. Instead, she came up with a low-carb cheesecake salad made with berries as an alternative.
You can find that recipe on the Low Carb Yum website where my mother shares her keto friendly creations.
In my mother’s low-carb version, she uses heavy whipping cream and zero carb sweeteners to replace the sweetened condensed milk.
My mom’s favorite sweeteners to use are stevia powder and monk fruit powder. I’m still into consuming regular sugar, though.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fruit Salad Pinoy Style
If you have a question about this Filipino fruit salad with cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk recipe, check here first. I’ve answered many of the common questions below.
Can you freeze Filipino fruit salad?
Because it’s unbearably hot in the Philippines, many Filipinos like to store the salad in the freezer for a cool refreshing treat. If it’s too hard to scoop frozen, just let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes to soften.
What type of mixture is buko salad?
The traditional fruit salad served in the Philippines is buko salad. It’s usually a mixture of coconut (buko), mixed fruit, sugar palm, coconut gel (nata de coco), table cream, and condensed milk. The recipe I’ve shared is a modified version that my grandmother created.
How long does the fruit salad last?
The salad will keep for at least 5 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months when frozen. But it’s so delicious that it likely won’t last that long!
Other Easy Dessert Recipes
Although I really love the Filipino buko salad, I’ve moved to a diet without gluten or dairy. So the following treats have become my new favorites:
- My Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe makes soft and chewy cookies just like the Tollhouse ones I used to eat as a kid.
- Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Cups have everything I love about Reese’s but without any questionable ingredients.
If you’ve moved to a low-carb eating plan, I recommend trying one of these low-carb treats instead:
- 3-Ingredient Keto Peanut Butter Cookies are one of the easiest cookies to make as you only need a few simple ingredients.
- Keto Carrot Cake is super easy to make and comes complete with a sugar-free cream cheese frosting.
- Keto Chocolate Avocado Mousse is rich and creamy without the need to add a lot of cream. In fact, you can use all coconut cream to make it without dairy!
Filipino Fruit Salad with Cream Cheese
An easy fruit salad with cream cheese and condensed milk. It whips up in minutes using drained canned fruits.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 14 ounces canned sweetened condensed milk
- 60 ounces canned fruit cocktail, drained
- 15 ounces canned mandarin orange, drained
- 8 ounces canned pineapple, drained
- 1 cup unsweetened dried coconut
Instructions
- In large bowl, combine cream cheese and condensed milk with electric mixer until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Refrigerate. Serve chilled.
Notes
To avoid clumps of cream cheese, be sure to use softened cream cheese. Cheese from the refrigerator can be softened by microwaving on HIGH power for 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
½ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 338Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 141mgCarbohydrates: 46gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 2gSugar: 43gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 5g
First published on July 18, 2018. Post updated on April 14, 2021, with new photos and additional recipe information.
robin rue says
I have definitely never had anything like this before. We love regular fruit salad, but now I have to give this one a try!!
Leona says
I hope you do try it!
Candy says
Both recipes sound wonderful. Quick and easy to make. A treat everyone will enjoy.
Leona says
Yes!
Glenda Cates says
I will make this the next time my Stepdaughter and her family come over for dinner
Leona says
I’m sure they will love it!
Terri Steffes says
We love cream cheese and fruit in this house, so this would be a winner!
Leona says
Absolutely!
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh says
I bet that is amazing! The condensed milk makes me want to run out and buy the stuff to make this!
Leona says
It gives such a nice sweet taste.
Wendy says
Wow this looks so good! I’ll have to try and make this one day soon. It will be a great summer treat! Anything fruity is a favorite of ours.
Leona says
It’s perfect for summer.
Anosa Malanga says
Wow, this is so easy to do. How come I only knew about this now. Gotta give myself a try and make some over the weekend.
Leona says
Yes you do!
Jenn @ EngineerMommy says
I have never tried a fruit salad like this but it looks delicious. I bet the kids would love this too. I want to try this recipe this weekend.
Leona says
I loved it as a kid.
Jenn says
Oh my goodness this sounds good. I love fruit and cream cheese. I make a wonderful fruit salad that is similar to this one. I can’t wait to try yours.
Leona says
I hope you do give it a try!
Amber Myers says
This sounds great! I’ve never tried filipino fruit salad, so I’m excited to try it. These sound like fantastic flavors.
Leona says
I think you’ll love it.
Sarah Bailey says
There is nothing quite like a good fruit salad in the summer and this one sounds absolutely delicious – I love the idea of using cream cheese with it!
Leona says
Cream cheese gives it such a great taste like cheesecake.
Lisa says
That looks very tasty. Such a light and perfect summer treat but also very easy to make. My kind of recipe.
Leona says
Hope you give it a try Lisa!
Pam Wattenbarger says
My aunt used to make a salad just like this when I was growing up. I had forgotten it, but I need to whip up a bowl for dinner one day.
Leona says
You definitely do!
Alyssa from The Sparkly Life says
I had never heard of a filipino fruit salad before but this reminds me so much of a different fruit salad that I loved as a kid. Definitely saving this one for the future! 🙂
Leona says
Enjoy!
Heather says
I’m not sure I would like this. Something about cheese and fruit together doesn’t sit right with my stomach.
Leona says
I guess cheesecake with fruit topping isn’t a go with you either.
Tasheena says
I’ve never had this type of fruit salad before. This recipe looks divine. Would love to try making it for dessert.
Leona says
It’s always a hit for us.
Chubskulit Rose says
Making salad here in the states is different when I was in the Phils. I learned to use cream cheese and it’s so much better.
Leona says
Agree! That’s why my mom ended up doubling the cream cheese.
Lori Vachon says
I’ve never had a fruit salad such as this. Looks like a wonderful addition to any menu!
Leona says
You should definitely give it a try!
Kita Bryant says
These looks so fluffy and delicious. I could really stand to chow on one of these right now!
Leona says
I hope you give it a try Kita!
Ellen from Ask Away Blog says
YUM! looks easy enough that even I can do it! LOL
Leona says
For sure!
Austin says
Wow a bunch of blowing smoke reviews..not one of you who said they was gonna make it,came back and said if was any good SMH..Well guess what I made it and it is very good. I left out the coconut cause I hate coconut.
Loretta says
How much sweetener to use?
Leona says
There’s no sweetener needed as the condensed milk is already sweetened.
Angie says
My auntie gave my mom this recipe and we use to INHALE this delectable dessert along with their yummy dishes of lumpia and pancit. My mom gave me the recipe which I lost over the years. Now in her later years, my mom couldn’t remember the recipe so we thought we had lost it. So when I googled ambrosia and Filipino Fruit Salad came up, I knew we had hit the mother load. I am going to the store TODAY to get these ingredients so my family and I can have this for dessert TONIGHT ~~ thank you and salamat po!!!