Who says all your side dishes need to be savory? This traditional southern Hot Baked Curried Fruit recipe features a mix of canned fruits topped with a rich butter, brown sugar, and curry mixture that’s baked into sweet, fruity perfection. It’s a great classic side dish for either Thanksgiving or Christmas.
If you’re planning your holiday dinner and need another idea for a side dish, I’m here to help! At first glance, you may think that this recipe is a dessert, but it’s traditional in the South to serve this Hot Baked Curried Fruit as a side dish with turkey or ham.
The contrast of a little sweet along with the savory is a very Southern thing. We do love our “sweet and salt” in the South – biscuits with a slice of ham and peach preserves, cream cheese with sweet-hot pepper jelly, curried baked fruit with a perfect Roast Turkey and Southern Cornbread Dressing. Yum.
This is a fall and winter recipe that uses readily available canned fruits along with butter, brown sugar, and curry powder. When it’s cooking, the fragrance will fill your home with a beautiful holiday scent!
— This post was originally published on November 17, 2010. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: Southern Vintage
Cooking Method: Oven/Stovetop
Total Time: 40 Minutes
Servings: 8
Primary Ingredient(s): Canned pineapple chunks, canned pear halves, canned peach halves, canned apricot halves, maraschino cherries, brown sugar, curry powder, butter
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I’m the third generation that has made this recipe for the holidays. To me it smells like Christmas. My grandmother added … a touch of white wine.“
— Beth
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- It’s the perfect side dish for holiday dinners and adds a touch of sweetness to a buffet loaded with savory food.
- Super easy to make! 10 minutes of prep (and most of that is opening cans).
- Curry adds a warm, aromatic note to the fruit and enhances its natural sweetness.
Ingredient Notes
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- Various Canned Fruits — These are ordinary, easily sourced canned fruits available at any grocery store.
- Maraschino Cherries — Optional but highly recommended.
- Curry Powder — I recommend only McCormick brand curry powder for this recipe. This was the most widely available brand in rural America during the time period when this recipe originated (following World War II), so it’s important for the authentic flavor of the original dish.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on page 141 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
How to Make Baked Fruit
Before You Begin
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Before you start the recipe, be sure to drain all the fruit very well. I usually place mine in a colander in the sink and let it sit for 20 minutes or so.
Layer the Fruit and Make the Sauce
- Layer the drained fruits in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, curry powder, and butter. Heat until the butter and sugar are completely melted.
Combine Fruit with Curry Mixture
- Pour the butter, sugar, and curry mixture over the fruit. Mix lightly taking care not to break the fruit.
Bake the Fruit
- Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure the fruit is very well drained; otherwise, the finished recipe will be watery.
- Canned apricots are sometimes more difficult to source than the other fruits. If you can’t find them, you can increase the other fruits to compensate.
- This recipe is a wonderful accompaniment for almost any poultry or pork recipe. I’ve served it with marinated pork loin, roast chicken, and even with fried quail.
How to Prep Curried Baked Fruit in Advance
Drain the fruit well and store it in a closed container in the fridge. Prepare the butter-sugar-curry mixture and store it in a separate container in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, remove the fruit from the oven and let it come to room temperature. Reheat the butter mixture either in the microwave or on the stove. Add the fruit to a baking dish, pour over the butter and spice mixture, and bake.
Storing Leftovers
If you have leftovers, allow them to cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Freezing is not recommended as the fruit will become mushy when thawed.
Questions About Curried Baked Fruit
As I’ve said above, I only recommend McCormick’s curry powder for this recipe. I have no idea what’s in other brands, how mild or spicy they may be, or how their taste might alter your outcome with the recipe. McCormick’s is available everywhere.
Hot Baked Curried Fruit is not the least bit spicy. The hot just means it’s hot from the oven. The curry powder used in this recipe is not spicy at all.
I suppose you could use fresh fruit in this recipe if you like. However, I don’t recommend it. Besides taking much longer to prep (you’d have to peel, core, pit, and chop all that fresh fruit), it would cost quite a bit more than using the canned counterparts.
More Popular Holiday Dinner Recipes
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Recipe
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Hot Baked Curried Fruit
Ingredients
- 30 ounces canned pineapple chunks drained
- 15 ounces canned pear halves drained
- 15 ounces canned peach halves drained
- 15 ounces canned apricot halves drained
- 10 ounces maraschino cherries drained
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon curry powder (McCormick brand)
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Allow all the fruits to drain very well in a colander.
- Layer the fruits in a 9×13 baking dish.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, curry powder and butter. Heat until the butter and sugar are completely melted.
- Pour over fruit and mix lightly taking care not to break the fruit.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.
Notes
- Make sure the fruit is very well drained otherwise the finished recipe will be watery and take care to break the fruit as little as possible when tossing with the butter mixture.
- Leftovers should be cooled completely and then stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
If you’re looking for a lovely fruit salad that’s more fresh than cooked, try this Honey Lime Fruit Salad from Carolina Honeybees!
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
We always have dressing on Thanksgiving. We never make it much during the year but we love it during the holidays. We also make the baked fruit like yours with a little curry powder. You can tell we are both South Georgia girls!
I’m a meals on wheels volunteer. A great organization. I love Thanksgiving dinner, but my favorite part is the pies!
The baked fruit dish sounds great. My family has to have baked mashed potaoe casserole with their turkey. Mom has to make a turkey no matter what else is planned. Love your site!
Lana,
Hope you are doing fine and also hope to see you at the reunion. My favorite dish for Thanksgiving is homemade Chicken and Dumplings. Hand made dumplings, not the ones bought at the store.
Would enter for the wreath, but I haven’t gotten into twitter yet.
Paul
I have found another twist to this recipe that I don’t think that I have shared with you. Years ago when I was in the florist business, our association published a cook book. One of the recipes was for sherried fruit. In recent years I have been leaving out the curry powder and putting in sherry( to the taste). Of course, you know me, if sherry isn’t at hand, I’ll add burbon or any whiskey. Your Mama is not a lush, just looking for flavor. Love you. What a wonderful job you are doing with this post.
Random question. Does anybody have a tried-and-true method for keeping brown sugar soft and fresh once you’ve opened the package? Thanks!
Put a slice of bread in the bag with the brown sugar.
Love your fruit bake as a side dish for Thanksgiving. My Southern family serves at least two sweet dishes with the main course: my mom’s pear “salad” (actually very much like a dessert mousse) and my own very favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner, fresh cranberry/orange relish. Since I’ve already met most of of your contest requirements, let me just share this post through Stumbleupon.
Last year I came up with a NEW tradition that I hope to keep tweaking as the years go on – savory sweet potato crisp. It involves baking chopped sweet potatoes with a topping inspired by that of a fruit crisp – but with herbs and bacon and nuts instead!
I already follow your blog and have for over a year. I even remember your old format.
AND, last but certainly not least, I am subscribed to your blog. Love it!!!!
Thanks, again!
I “like” Lindsay Olives on FB (and they are the only brand I will buy, BTW). We especially love their large black olives. YUM!
Our family favorite for Thanksgiving is the one you published before–Dressing! We have cranberry sauce for the sweet element to our dinner, but your fruit sounds quite delicious.
I would love to win one of those gorgeous wreaths.
I “like” you on FB. :)
BTW, I have tweeted your post and giveaway!
My family can never get enough of my dressing at Thanksgiving! It is our favorite dish. We would miss the turkey and get over it, but Thanksgiving without my dressing is, well, just another day. LOL! Love your fruit here, too!!! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. I REALLY want one of these wreaths. Have order two to be sent to relatives this year!
Hi Lana,
Great giveaway and your recipe for the baked fruit looks wonderful. My favorite holiday side dish is something I’ve been making for the past 20 years or so and it’s a sweet and cheese onion casserole. SO good.
The olive wreath looks so pretty. I’d love to win it.
Thank you for a chance at this beautiful give-away! My son’s and I just narrowed it down to 11 “must have” items for Thanksgiving. I’ll say this as our “one favorite” because they just go together turkey-gravy-mashed potatoes-peas:@)
That wreath would look great in my kitchen.
I have to make corn pudding every year for my son and 2 of his best friends who always share their second meal with us.
I “like” you on Facebook :)
That fruit looks great! I’m all about sweet and salty too :)
The giveaway is fantastic! I love the smell of fresh bay. My favorite Thanksgiving dish is cheesy potatoes. My hands down favorite!