Barley Free Apple-Ginger Fruit Salad Cups
These little apple cups are as pretty as they are delicious — a vibrant mix of berries, pear, and crisp apple tossed in a bright lime-honey dressing with fresh ginger and a whisper of Ceylon cinnamon. The whole thing comes together with nothing but fresh fruit, a squeeze of citrus, and a drizzle of honey, so there's zero guesswork about hidden grains or grain-derived additives sneaking into your bowl. That's genuinely good news for anyone navigating a barley-free lifestyle, since packaged fruit salads and store-bought dressings can be surprisingly risky territory. Here, every ingredient is straightforward and naturally grain-free from start to finish. Hollowing out the apple halves into little edible bowls is a fun step that takes only a melon baller and a couple of minutes, and it makes the presentation feel almost too good to eat. A short 10-minute rest lets the dressing soak into the fruit and coax out all those gorgeous juices before you pile everything into the cups. Finish with a scatter of fresh mint and you've got a showstopper that works equally well as a light dessert, a brunch centerpiece, or a snack that everyone at the table will reach for first.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the apple cups
- 4 medium apples (such as honeycrisp or fuji), for the cups
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime), for brushing cups
For the fruit salad
- 2 medium apples (such as granny smith or pink lady), diced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 medium ripe pear, diced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
For the dressing
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ¼ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp lime zest
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Halve 4 apples crosswise (through the equator, not stem to base) to create 8 cup-shaped halves. Use a melon baller or small spoon to scoop out the core and enough flesh to form a shallow bowl, leaving a wall about 1/2 inch thick. Brush the cut surfaces and interior of each cup with 1 tbsp lime juice to prevent browning, then set aside on a serving platter.
- 2
In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tbsp lime juice, honey, grated ginger, ground Ceylon cinnamon, and lime zest until the honey is fully dissolved and the dressing is smooth.
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