When it comes to incorporating fruits into the diet, red fruits are among the most popular choices worldwide. This delicious and nutritious group of fruits comes in a variety of flavors, textures, and aromas, from juicy and sweet to crisp and tart. The best part about red fruits is that you can eat them raw, cooked, or blended into the most delicious desserts and dishes! Below, I share 30 of the best red fruits to eat as a snack as well as to enhance your favorite sweet and savory recipes!
Jump to:
- The Top 30 Best Red Fruits
- 1. Strawberries
- 2. Raspberries
- 3. Red Apples
- 4. Cherries
- 5. Watermelon
- 6. Cranberries
- 7. Red Passion Fruit
- 8. Red Dragon Fruit
- 9. Red Prickly Pear
- 10. Red Anjou Pear
- 11. Red Grapes
- 12. Blood Oranges
- 13. Nectarines
- 14. Red Durian Fruit
- 15. Pomegranate
- 16. Grapefruit
- 17. Cherry Tomatoes
- 18. Red Currant
- 19. Red Plums
- 20. Rambutan
- 21. Lychee Fruit
- 22. Red Bananas
- 23. Tamarillo
- 24. Red Goji Berries
- 25. Red Mangoes
- 26. Desert Quandong
- 27. Red Chokeberry
- 28. Red Guava
- 29. Red Kiwi
- 30. Pluots
- Red Fruits FAQs
- Related Red Fruits Recipes
The Top 30 Best Red Fruits
1. Strawberries

Strawberries are among the most popular red fruits in the world. They are sweet and juicy and have a wonderful aroma that just about anyone can recognize. You can eat strawberries raw, add them to salads, incorporate them into strawberry dessert recipes such as my strawberry cupcakes, or dip them in chocolate as I do with my white chocolate-covered strawberries. They are also delicious when made into jams and strawberry compote.
2. Raspberries
Raspberries are another popular red fruit, especially in the United States. They are very juicy and have a tart, sweet taste with a floral aroma. Raspberries are another fruit that can be enjoyed fresh and raw. You can also enjoy them in baked goods and icecreams such as my decadent raspberry brownies and creamy raspberry ruby ice cream. They are delicious when used as toppings for decorated cakes and cupcakes. Check out some more raspberry desserts.
3. Red Apples
Apples come in many different colors, and red apples are among the top 10 red fruits eaten. In fact, there are more than 20 varieties of red apples, including Fuji, Red Delicious, and Royal Gala. Depending on the variety, the flavor and texture of red apples can range from sweet and crisp to mild with tougher skin. Red apple fruits are popular in baked desserts such as apple pies, crisps, and turnovers. They are wonderful additions to my puff pastry apple turnovers and Bailey's apple pie recipe. Apple desserts are truly everyone´s favorite!
4. Cherries
Cherries are another fruit that comes in many varieties, including rainier, bing, and sweet cherry. They have a sweet and tart taste that makes them a delicious fruit to eat raw as well as include in desserts such as pies and turnovers. Try them in my delightful cherry hand pies or cherry clafoutis! Some cherries are also used to make the popular maraschino cherry, a sweet, preserved, bright red cherry often used as a drink garnish.
5. Watermelon
Watermelon is another common fruit in all parts of the world. Although it has a hard, green outer skin, it has bright red flesh that is extremely juicy and has black, brown, or white seeds. Depending on the ripeness of the watermelon, its flavor can range from bitter to sour and sweet. Watermelon is a refreshing fruit to eat raw on a hot summer day. While some opt for seedless watermelon, they are one of the red fruits with seeds that do not pose any danger if eaten.
6. Cranberries
Cranberries are a small, red superfruit often seen in juices or as a sauce during Thanksgiving. However, it is a wonderful red fruit you can eat raw any time of year! Cranberries tend to be tart when dried or used in juice but have a slightly sweet taste when eaten raw. They are excellent additions to baked goods and breads, such as my cranberry orange bread.
7. Red Passion Fruit
Red passion fruit is a large, round fruit with a red outer skin and brown-yellow flesh. It is delicious when eaten raw and has a sweet and citrusy flavor with a floral aroma. You can use red passion fruit in baked goods and desserts such as my passion fruit coconut panna cotta or my silky chocolate passion fruit tart. Or, you can use it to add a fruity flavor to marinades and salsas.
8. Red Dragon Fruit
Native to Southern Mexico and Central America, red dragon fruit has a deep red flesh and bright pink exterior. It has a mildly sweet flavor that some describe as a cross between a kiwi fruit and a pear. While commonly eaten raw, you can also use it in desserts, jams, and juices.
9. Red Prickly Pear
Also known as the red cactus pear, this medium-sized cactus fruit grows on cacti in the United States and Mexico. They are very aromatic, with a juicy texture and a sweet flavor. After you peel the skin, you can enjoy them raw, cook them, or make them into juices, jams, and purees. These red spiky fruits have also been known to help soothe hangovers!
10. Red Anjou Pear
Similar to green anjou pears in terms of flavor, shape, and size, red anjou pears have a deep red color and a soft and juicy texture. Their subtle and sweet flavor makes them a great red fruit to eat raw. They are excellent in poached pear recipes and are delicious additions to desserts such as my almond pear cake.
11. Red Grapes
There are several red grape varieties, some of the most popular being concord grapes, red globe grapes, and moondrop grapes. Wine lovers will also know some red grapes from Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. However, their extremely sweet flavor makes them a delicious and nutritious snack to eat raw or blend into jams and jellies.
12. Blood Oranges
Blood oranges are a variety of orange fruits that have a beautiful red flesh versus the usual orange interior. Its citrusy flavor is also slightly different and is described as a mix between a sweet orange and a tangy grapefruit. Some even describe it as having hints of raspberry. You can eat blood oranges raw or juiced. You can also use them in any recipe that calls for oranges, such as baked goods, salads, or cocktails.
13. Nectarines
Nectarines are sweet, juicy, and acidic fruits that resemble a peach but slightly smaller and sweeter in taste. They are commonly eaten raw but are just as excellent in dessert recipes. Since they are so similar to peaches, you can use them as a peach substitute in peach cobblers and peach cakes.
14. Red Durian Fruit
Red durian fruit is a red-fleshed version of the unique durian fruit found in Southeast Asia. This large, spiny fruit has a pungent, unpleasant odor similar to garbage when ripe. The smell is so bad that it is banned in public places in many countries. However, despite its smell, it has a delightfully sweet and fruity flavor. Its soft and custard-like texture makes it an excellent addition to sweet and savory recipes. You can also eat it raw.
15. Pomegranate
Originally from the Mediterranean region, pomegranates are a tart and slightly sweet bright red fruit with dark red seeds on the inside. Their flavor resembles cranberries and is delicious when raw, although the juices can stain. Pomegranate is also a popular topping and addition to sweet and savory dishes such as yogurts, meat dishes, smoothies, and salads.
16. Grapefruit
Grapefruits are a sour and bitter citrus fruit with beautiful ruby red flesh. They are somewhat sweet, so they can be peeled and eaten raw and are often turned into juices. However, it is common to be turned into compote and curds or used in salads, breakfast pancakes, and cakes.
17. Cherry Tomatoes
One of the most common questions is whether tomatoes are vegetables or fruits. And believe it or not, they are actually fruits! Cherry tomatoes are one of the popular red fruits often grown in gardens. You can also find them in the wild. They have a small, round shape and a fruity taste that make a great addition to salads and savory pasta and meat dishes.
18. Red Currant
Red currant is a member of the gooseberry family, native to Western Europe. They are small, round red fruits with a flavor that resembles raspberries and rhubarb. You can eat these sweet fruits raw or use them in dessert recipes such as cakes, muffins, pies, and cookie bars. They are also delicious when turned into jams and juices.
19. Red Plums
Red plums are a medium-sized, bright red fruit with smooth skin and reddish-orange flesh. They have a sweet and tart flavor and are pleasant to eat raw as a snack or as an addition to yogurt, salads, puddings, and cobblers.
20. Rambutan
Native to Southeast Asia, rambutans are a unique, bright red fruit with a white flesh and fuzzy exterior. They are fruity and sweet with acidic notes and can be eaten raw or added to desserts and salads. However, you must peel and remove the large seed in the middle before eating.
21. Lychee Fruit
Lychee fruit is another Asian fruit with a unique appearance. It has a bumpy red skin with a creamy red flesh and red gel in the center. When it comes to flavor, lychee is slightly acidic with floral notes. It is often described as a cross between a strawberry and a watermelon. You can peel and eat lychee fruit alone or use it in desserts, drinks, salads, and sauces.
22. Red Bananas
Although most only know of familiar yellow bananas, these soft and sweet fruits also come in a reddish-purple variety! Red bananas are native to Southeast Asia, and, unlike yellow bananas, these fruits in red have a hint of raspberry flavor when ripe. You can eat them raw or use them in any other banana recipe, such as my banana bread or banana mini muffins.
23. Tamarillo
Tamarillos are small, oval-shaped, bright red fruits native to Central America. They look similar to tomatoes but have a tangy and mildly sweet flavor. While its skin is bitter, its flesh can be eaten raw or cooked in sweet and savory recipes. Tamarillo is primarily used in ice creams and sorbets, but you can also cook and use it in sauces and chutney or alongside meat dishes.
24. Red Goji Berries
Goji berries are tiny, tangy, and sweet, with a flavor that tastes like a cross between a cranberry and a cherry. These berries have a chewy texture and are absolutely delightful when eaten raw as a snack. You can add them to drinks and salads or use them in baked goods and desserts.
25. Red Mangoes
Mangos are another fruit that comes in various colors depending on where they are in the ripening process. Red mangoes are super sweet and juicy and have a flavor that resembles many fruits, including pineapple, peach, apricot, and banana. You can peel, slice, and eat raw mangos or use them in desserts like my creamy mango mousse cake.
26. Desert Quandong
Native to the continent of Australia, the desert quandong is a red fruit with a sweet and sour taste and a salty aftertaste. Its sweet and salty flavors make it an excellent addition to sweet and savory dishes and desserts, including jams, sauces, and chutneys. You can also eat it raw, right off of the tree!
27. Red Chokeberry
Red chokeberries are a superfood that comes from the rose family. They are native to North America and taste bitter and acidic when eaten raw. However, because of their taste, they are best used in jams, jellies, pies, and wine.
28. Red Guava
Red guava is a rare variety of guava fruit native to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. It has a very sweet taste, similar to pears and strawberries. While both the skin and the seeds of red guava are edible, you can also choose to remove them. In addition to eating them raw, you can also cook them or add them to desserts and smoothies.
29. Red Kiwi
Red kiwi is a variety of kiwi fruit with light skin and golden flesh with a red heart in the center. They have a sweet and slightly tart taste with a pleasant fruity aroma. For this reason, they are pretty popular and can occasionally be found in your local grocery store. Red kiwi is commonly eaten raw, and while you can technically eat the skin, many choose not to because of its fuzzy texture. You can also eat them on salads or in fruit mixes.
30. Pluots
Plouts are small, round, bright red fruits that are a hybrid between apricots and pears. Their sweet flavor resembles the plum, while its skin is reminiscent of the apricot. These delicious fruits are great to eat on their own. However, you can also use them in baked goods recipes and jams that call for plums and apricots. You can also cook and use pluots in savory recipes such as chutneys and sauces.
Red Fruits FAQs
Red fruits typically get their color from pigments named lycopene and anthocyanins. Lycopene is primarily found in fruits such as tomatoes, grapefruit, red guava, and watermelon, while fruits such as berries, red grapes, and currants get their color from anthocyanins.
Red fruits offer numerous health benefits and are a good source of vitamins A, C, and E and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus. They are also a good source of fiber and antioxidants.
Leave a Reply