First, chill the can of coconut milk for at least 12 hours. {overnight}

Begin by slicing the strawberries and the apples. {to get the same patriotic effect, you could use pineapple… we didn’t because we thought it looked too yellow, and apples looked more white – but it sure tastes amazing either way in the salad, so you do what you want}

While slicing the apples, put them in a bowl with the lemon juice and toss to coat. {this keeps the apples from browning}

In a large serving bowl, toss in all of the fruit.

To make the whipped coconut milk: Remove the can from the refrigerator – open and pour off most of the liquid that has accumulated. Transfer the remaining coconut milk to a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high for about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until the coconut cream is nice and thick and fluffy. I usually add one tablespoon and then taste test to see if it’s the desired sweetness. Remember that the fruit is sweet, so you might not want the whipped coconut milk super sweet. But maybe you do, and that’s okay too.

Toss the whipped coconut milk into the fruit and gently mix it all up.

Add the coconut flakes if desired and mix again.