Start by whisking together the cream of coconut and pineapple juice in a medium bowl. You want to make sure they are thoroughly combined, creating a sweet and creamy dressing for your fruit salad. It should have a smooth texture and a lovely golden hue.
In a large mixing bowl, add all the prepared fruit except for the bananas. This includes the chopped pineapple, sliced strawberries, sectioned mandarin oranges, blueberries, and green grapes. Mix gently with a spatula to avoid bruising the fruits.
Pour the cream of coconut mixture over the fruit. Then, sprinkle the sweetened shredded coconut on top. This mixture brings a delightful tropical flavor that will make each bite feel like a vacation.
Now comes the fun part! Using a large spoon, gently toss all the ingredients together until the fruit is evenly coated with the dressing. Be careful not to mash the fruit; you want to maintain their shape and texture.
If you’re serving immediately, you can add the sliced bananas right in and toss once more to combine. The bananas add a creamy element to the salad and absorb the sweet flavors.
If you’re making this ahead of time, take a different approach. Add all of the fruit to the bowl but keep the bananas separate. Cover the fruit bowl and cream of coconut mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Before serving, drain any excess liquid accumulated in the fruit bowl due to refrigeration. This step helps prevent the salad from becoming watery.
Finally, when you are ready to serve, add the bananas to the fruit bowl along with the cream of coconut mixture. Toss everything together one last time for a beautifully combined salad.
Serve the Pina Colada Fruit Salad immediately for the best texture and flavor, or keep it chilled until you’re ready to dig in. Enjoy the tropical flavors!