Absolutely! The classic “Better Than Sex Fruit Salad” is a rich, creamy dessert salad—not a traditional healthy fruit salad. The most common version combines cherry pie filling, tropical fruit cocktail, pineapple, bananas, sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and whipped toppin
🍒 Better Than Sex Fruit Salad
Serves: 8–12
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: At least 4 hours
Difficulty: Very easy
No cooking required
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) fruit cocktail, very well drained
- Chunky tropical fruit cocktail is especially good.
- 1 can (8 oz / 225 g) crushed pineapple, very well drained
- 1 can (21 oz / 595 g) cherry pie filling
- 2 large bananas, sliced
- 1 can (14 oz / 397 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 8 oz (225 g) sour cream
- 1 tub (8 oz / 225 g) Cool Whip or other whipped topping, thawed
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced — optional
- 1 cup blueberries — optional
- 2 kiwis, peeled and diced — optional
This ingredient combination and method closely follow the classic published versions of the recipe.
👩🍳 Detailed Instructions
1. Thaw the whipped topping
If using frozen Cool Whip, allow it to thaw completely in the refrigerator.
Don’t microwave it to thaw it. You want it cold and fluffy rather than melted.
2. Drain the canned fruit extremely well
This is one of the most important steps.
Drain:
- Fruit cocktail
- Crushed pineapple
Let them sit in a strainer for several minutes. You can gently press the pineapple with the back of a spoon to remove excess juice.
Why? Too much liquid will make your finished salad watery instead of thick and creamy.
3. Make the creamy base
In a large mixing bowl, add:
- 8 oz sour cream
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 8 oz thawed Cool Whip
Using a spatula or large spoon, gently mix until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.
Don’t beat it aggressively—the goal is to keep the whipped topping fluffy.
4. Add the cherry pie filling
Add the entire can of cherry pie filling.
Gently fold it into the cream mixture.
The mixture should become beautifully pink with visible pieces of cherries throughout.
5. Add the pineapple and fruit cocktail
Add the well-drained:
- Fruit cocktail
- Crushed pineapple
Fold gently until distributed throughout the creamy mixture.
6. Prepare the bananas
Slice 2 bananas into approximately ¼-inch slices.
For the freshest-looking salad, add the bananas relatively close to serving time.
If you need to prepare everything several hours ahead, toss the banana slices very lightly with a little lemon juice. This helps slow browning.
7. Add the bananas
Gently fold the banana slices into the salad.
Don’t stir too vigorously because the bananas can break apart and turn the mixture mushy.
8. Add optional fresh fruit
For a more colorful version, gently fold in:
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Kiwi
These aren’t essential to the classic recipe, but they add freshness and color.
9. Cover and refrigerate
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Overnight is even better if you’re making it for a party the next day—the flavors have more time to blend.
10. Serve cold
Give it one gentle stir before serving.
Spoon into small dessert bowls or glasses.
You can garnish with:
- A cherry
- A strawberry
- A little extra whipped topping
- A few blueberries
- Shredded coconut
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
⭐ My tips for making it REALLY good
1. Don’t skip the sour cream.
It sounds unusual in a dessert, but it provides tanginess that balances the extremely sweet condensed milk and cherry filling.
2. Drain the fruit really well.
This makes a huge difference in consistency. Watery canned fruit can turn the creamy mixture thin.
3. Don’t use underripe bananas.
Choose bananas that are ripe and sweet but still firm.
4. Add bananas later if making it ahead.
For the best appearance, prepare the creamy mixture and other fruit ahead of time, then add bananas closer to serving.
5. Chill it properly.
Four hours is the minimum I’d recommend. The salad tastes much better thoroughly chilled.
6. Don’t overmix.
Fold rather than vigorously stir so the fruit stays intact.
🍓 A fresher version
If you find the classic version too sweet, you can make it lighter by using less condensed milk and adding more fresh fruit. Strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, grapes, and mandarin oranges work particularly well. There are also versions that use cream cheese and fresh whipped cream for a more substantial, cheesecake-like dressin
🥄 The classic ratio to remember
For an easy shopping list, remember:
1 fruit cocktail + 1 pineapple + 1 cherry filling + 2 bananas + 1 condensed milk + 1 sour cream + 1 Cool Whip.
That’s the classic formula.
Best served: very cold, preferably the same day or within about 24 hours for the freshest banana and fruit texture.