Fresh Papaya with Lime and Palm Sugar Syrup
This fresh papaya with lime and palm sugar syrup recipe tastes like your dream vacation! It’s bright, sweet, and ready in less than 10 minutes. Papaya is available most of the year and peaks in the summer and fall, so it makes for a fun fruity side dish or breakfast whenever you’re craving something a little tropical.
Why You’ll Love This Fresh Papaya Recipe
- Easy no-cook recipe. This recipe is simple and requires no cooking at all. All you need to do is cut up a papaya, whisk together lime juice and palm sugar (or brown sugar), and toss everything together.
- Comes together in under 10 minutes. All you need is a few minutes to cut the papaya and another minute to measure the ingredients for the syrup.
- Fun alternative to a standard fruit side dish. Impress your friends at brunch or this year’s holiday table by making a fun tropical fruit side instead of the traditional apple or cranberry dishes.
- Feels like a tropical escape. Tired of the chilly weather already? Make this dish and pretend you’re on a tropical getaway somewhere. It’s cheaper than a real vacation but just as tasty.
How to Cut a Fresh Papaya
If you aren’t familiar with cutting papayas, the best way we’ve found is to slice the papaya in half lengthwise first. Then use a spoon to scoop out the black caviar-shaped seeds in the middle of the fruit. Lay each half of the papaya open/flat-side-down on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the thin skin on the outside of the fruit. Alternatively, you can slice the papaya into wedges like you’re cutting a melon, then cut the fruit from the rind on each wedge. Once you’ve separated the rind from the fruit, cut the papaya into bite sized pieces.
What is Palm Sugar?
Palm sugar is a natural sweetener that comes from the sap or nectar in palm flowers in coconut or toddy palm trees. It’s used in Southeast Asian cooking, and we use it in many of our Thai-inspired recipes. Palm sugar has a sweet, mild butterscotch flavor. It’s sold in small discs or in tubs. We usually find it in international or Asian grocery stores or online. For more information about palm sugar, check out Hot Thai Kitchen’s article about it.
Ingredients in This Fresh Papaya with Lime and Palm Sugar Syrup Recipe
- Papaya – papaya is a sweet tropical fruit that is available year round and peaks in summer and fall months. It’s incredibly healthy and a great source of vitamin C and other nutrients.
- Lime – the mild acidity in lime complements the natural sweetness of the papaya.
- Palm sugar – palm sugar is typically used in Southeast Asian recipes, and we like its butterscotch notes with the papaya.
- Salt – a little salt amplifies the natural flavors in the papaya.
- Coconut – this is optional, but we like the additional tropical notes that coconut gives this recipe.
How to Make Fresh Papaya with Lime and Palm Sugar Syrup
- Place the diced papaya into a medium to large bowl with enough room for mixing.
- In another small bowl or container, whisk together the lime juice, palm sugar (or brown sugar) and salt until the sugar has dissolved.
- Pour the syrup over the papaya and gently toss to mix so that all of the fruit is coated in the syrup.
- Top with unsweetened coconut shavings, if using.
Tips & Variations
Choosing the Right Papaya
Suggested Variations
Serving and Storage Suggestions
We like to serve this as a breakfast or brunch side dish, or as a fruity side for main meals. It would be great alongside rice bowls, curries (try it as a side dish with our Thai Red Curry with Pumpkin), pancakes, or simple scrambled eggs and toast.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 or 3 days. If you plan on storing some of this, we recommend not adding the coconut shreds until you’re ready to serve it.
Fresh Papaya with Lime and Palm Sugar Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 medium-large ripe papaya peeled, seeds removed, and fruit diced
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp palm sugar shaved into pieces with a sharp knife (or you can use brown sugar)
- ⅛ to ¼ tsp salt depending on preference
- Unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut chips
Instructions
- Place the diced papaya into a medium to large bowl with enough room for mixing.1 medium-large ripe papaya
- In another small bowl or container, whisk together the lime juice, palm sugar (or brown sugar) and salt until the sugar has dissolved.1 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp palm sugar, ⅛ to ¼ tsp salt
- Pour the syrup over the papaya and gently toss to mix so that all of the fruit is coated in the syrup.
- Top with unsweetened coconut shavings, if using.Unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut chips
Final Thoughts
This recipe is one of our favorite ways to bring the vacation to us. Whether you make it in the summertime or during colder fall months, it always adds an element of sunny deliciousness to your table. If you like this recipe, we’d love it if you’d rate it and comment below! You can also see a video for how we put this recipe together by checking out our Instagram!
More Fruity Dishes
If you’re looking for more fruit salads or fruit-based dishes, check these out:
