Types of Yellow Fruits with Their Name and Picture (Identification)

Yellow fruits come in all shapes and sizes. The most common yellow fruits are yellow apples, lemons, yellow plums, and yellow pears. Some examples of sweet tropical yellow fruits include bananas, pineapple, mango, and yellow star fruit. Other uncommon yellow fruits include yuzu, loquat, yellow watermelon, and golden raspberries.

Yellow fruits are tasty and are also packed with healthy vitamins and minerals. Like all fruits, the yellow varieties contain fiber and natural sugars. In addition, the yellow color in fruits comes from lutein and zeaxanthin—carotenoids that are essential antioxidants. Generally, fruits with yellow flesh or skin are also high in vitamins A and C.

This article contains a list of common yellow fruits and how to identify them. In addition, you will learn about delicious tropical and exotic yellow fruits that you may not have heard of.

What Fruits are Yellow in Color?

Types of yellow fruits typically fall into five categories. Fruits are pomes, berries, drupes, pepo, and citrus fruits. While types of yellow fruits may not be as common as red or green fruits, there are still plenty to choose from. Here is a brief overview of some varieties of yellow-colored fruits.

Yellow pomes: These are fleshy fruits that have a central seed-filled core. Examples of yellow pomes are apples, quince, pears, and plums.

Yellow drupes: These fruits have a large stone in the middle. For example, yellow cherries, dates, and yellow varieties of mango are all yellow drupes.

Yellow citrus fruits: The classic yellow citrus fruit is a lemon. However, pomelo and grapefruits are also in this category.

Yellow berries: There are many fruits that are classed yellow berries that we tend to think of as other types of fruit. Examples of yellow berries include yellow gooseberries and bananas. Even a pineapple is a yellow fruit consisting of fused juicy berries. Some yellow fruits we consider vegetables include yellow bell peppers and yellow tomatoes.

Yellow pepo: Pepo fruits with yellow skin or flesh include varieties of summer squash, pumpkin, melons, and some types of zucchinis. However, only one yellow pepo—canary melon—is on the list of yellow fruits because we tend to use the others as vegetables.

Common Types of Yellow Fruits (With Pictures)

Let’s look in detail at delicious yellow fruits you can grow in your garden or find in your local store.

Yellow Apple (Malus domestica) 

Yellow apples tend to be medium-sized fruits with bright yellow skin and crispy flesh. The most common type of yellow apple is the Golden Delicious variety with yellowish-green skin and a sweet taste. Other yellow apple varieties can have yellow skin with red blushing and a round shape.

People tend to associate apples with green or red fruit. But there are many shades of yellow apples. Here are a few popular types of yellow apples:

• Crispin apple—This apple has yellowish-green skin and pale-yellow flesh with delicious flavors, including notes of honey, sweetness, and spice.
• Jonagold—This crisp apple has a yellowish-green skin with shades of crimson red. The large yellow and red apple has a sweet, tart flavor.
• Newton Pippin—This native cultivar is a light green apple with a tinge of yellow on its skin. Biting into the crunchy apple reveals a yellow, fresh-tasting flesh. Some Pippin varieties are all yellow.
• Golden delicious—This classic yellow apple has a sweet taste and crunchy flesh. The apple’s appearance is described as “uniform yellow with some red blushing.”

Yellow Pear (Pyrus communis or Pyrus pyrifolia)

Many varieties of Asian and European pears have yellowish, smooth skins covered in freckles. Some sweet yellow Asian pears have an apple-like shape with pale yellow or yellowish-green skin. They have crisp, juicy flesh. European yellow pears are more “pear-shaped” with yellowish-green freckled skin that turns slightly red as they ripen.

A popular yellow variety of pear in the United States is the Bartlett Pear or Williams Pear. This delicious pome comes in yellow and red varieties. They have a characteristic sweet taste and soft juicy flesh. Another pear variety is the Boscs pear with dark yellow, almost tan skin, and crisp, firm flesh.

Related reading: Types of dwarf pear trees.

Yellow Mirabelle Plum (Prunus domestica subsp. syriaca)

The Mirabelle plum is a small oval yellow fruit with flecked skin and sweet flavor. Mirabelle plums are prized from all the varieties of plums due to their exquisite flavor and beautiful spring blossoms on the tree. The golden yellow plums have a sweet, tangy taste that is delicious fresh or used in jams, jellies, or pies.

Finding Mirabelle plums in stores is tricky in the United States because they can only be imported from the Lorraine region in France. However, plenty of native yellow plum trees grow in the US. Some outstanding sweet yellow plums with a tangy flavor include Yellow Ball, Golden Large, and Yellow Honey.

Yellow plums are oval drupes measuring between 0.7” and 2.7” (2 – 7 cm). Some purple or red varieties of plums have a dusty, waxy coating on the shiny dark skins. However, cutting the plum open reveals yellow-green or yellow-amber flesh.

Yellow Cherry (Prunus avium)

Some varieties of sweet cherries—notably the Rainier cherry—are yellow fruits with firm skins and a rounded, globular shape. Yellow-skinned cherries may develop red coloring as they ripen in early to mid-summer. When fully ripe, the tasty fruits are various tones of yellow and red.

Another type of yellow and red cherry is the Royal Ann variety. This sweet and sour cherry has a firm flesh that is delicious fresh straight off the tree or used in preserves. In addition, the yellow cherry’s sweet-tart flavor makes it a refreshing fruit to eat.

Further reading: Varieties of Sweet and Tart (Sour) Cherries.

Yellow Citrus Fruits (With Pictures)

Most varieties of citrus fruits are orange or green. However, a few tangy fruits in the citrus category have yellow rinds.

Pomelo (Citrus maxima)

Pomelo is a large yellow fruit with a yellow to green thick spongy rind covering pale yellow segments of citrus fruit. The huge citrus fruit is identified by its pale-yellow peel, tangy-sweet grapefruit-like segments with a slightly bitter aftertaste. The yellow fruit is primarily round with a pointed end.

The botanical name Citrus maxima means “biggest citrus” fruit. The huge fruit can measure between 6” and 10” (15 – 25 cm) in diameter and weigh up to 4 lbs. (2 kg).

Lemon (Citrus limon)

Lemons are the typical yellow fruit most people think of when describing a yellow, sour citrus fruit. Most varieties of lemons are identified by their oval shape, bright yellow rind, and tart, acidic taste. However, some lemons have a sweeter taste than others, depending on the cultivar.

Yellow lemons grow to about 2” (5 cm) in diameter. Although there is variation in size and shape, most yellow lemons are oval with slightly pointed ends. Popular varieties of lemon include Eureka lemons, Meyer lemons, and Lisbon lemons.

Grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi)

Grapefruit is a sour citrus fruit with a thick citrusy rind covering fleshy segments that are either pale yellow or deep red. Grapefruits are identified by their rounded, spheroid shape and yellowish-orange skin. The large yellow fruits measure 4” – 6” (10 to 15 cm) in diameter.

Grapefruit got its name from the distinctive way the large round citrus fruits grow in grape-like bunches. The most common grapefruit varieties have yellow or pink pulp, and their flavors range from sweet to sour and tart. Grapefruit is closely related to large pomelo citrus fruits.

Sour Yellow Fruits (With Pictures)

Apart from tangy citrus fruits that make your lips pucker, some other yellow fruit varieties have a naturally sour taste.

Yellow Gooseberries (Ribes)

Yellow gooseberries are a true type of berry or currant that are about the size of a grape and have a sour taste. Varieties of yellow gooseberries have a sweeter taste than the green or red varieties. However, they still have the characteristic tartness of gooseberry fruits.

Gooseberries include many cultivars ranging in color from green, yellow, red and dark purple, almost black. Because of their tart flavor, gooseberries are typically used for making pies, preserves, or jams.

Quince (Cydonia oblonga)

Quince is a tart, golden-yellow fruit that looks like a sizable lumpy apple. The rounded yellow fruit has a firm flesh that gives off a strong aroma and has an astringent, sour taste. This yellow pome grows on a small deciduous tree, and its golden fruits measure 3” to 4.5” (7 – 12 mm) across.

Despite looking like sweet yellow fruit, the apple-like pomes have a characteristic sour taste that is unpalatable. However, cooking quince fruits turns them into sweet jelly or jam with a honey flavor and deep apricot color.

Sweet Yellow Fruits (With Pictures)

A characteristic trait of most yellow fruits is their intense sweetness. However, there are several varieties of yellow-skinned fruits that are especially sweet.

Canary Melon (Cucumis melo)

The canary melon is a large yellow fruit with a tough, leathery, bright yellow skin and pale yellowish-green sweet inner flesh. The notable feature of canary melon is its sweet flavor with tangy overtones. Also called the San Juan Canary melon, the large oval fruit measures up to 5” (13 cm) across and can weigh up to 5 lbs. (2 kg).

The common name of this melon variety comes from the vibrant bright yellow color like a canary bird. The taste of the canary melon is sweeter than honeydew melons. The sweet, pale yellow flesh tastes delicious fresh chopped up in fruit salads or fresh fruit platters.

Barhi Dates (Phoenix dactylifera)

The yellow Barhi date is a sweet oval fruit with a golden yellow skin covering a crunchy sweet flesh. As the yellow drupe matures off the tree, the date develops a brown color with a chewy texture as the sweetness intensifies. Bahri dates measure 0.8” to 1.6” (2 – 4 cm) long and up to 1.2” (3 cm) wide.

Unlike most other dates, Barhi dates are sold as an unripe type of date and have a crunchy texture. The thin yellow skin covers flesh that is sweet like butterscotch but has some astringency. This is one of the most unique types of dates as it is edible unripe as well as fully ripened.

The taste of yellow dates is described as butterscotch or cinnamon to fresh sugar cane and coconut. These are one of the few varieties of dates to have astringent overtones similar to eating some types of persimmons.

Tropical Yellow Fruits

Some of the tastiest yellow fruits are exotic varieties from tropical regions of the world. Here are some of the most common yellow tropical fruits to try at home.

Banana (Musa)

Banana is one of the recognizable yellow fruits due to its long, curved cylindrical shape and bright yellow peel. Botanically, bananas are yellow berries with a soft starchy flesh that is creamy white to a pale-yellow color.

The soft, sweet fruit grows in clusters (hands) of around 20 fruits, and an individual fruit (finger) measures around 7” to 8” (17 – 20 cm) long.

Although bananas are typically bright yellow with black freckles, there are other types of bananas. For example, bananas can be red, purple, or green. When bananas are overly ripe, they become dark brown and mushy with an intense sweetness.

Mango (Mangifera indica)

Mango is a yellow, orange or green-red fruit with an intensely bright yellow, sweet, fibrous flesh. Mangos are identified by their thick, leathery skin, oblong egg shape that is slightly flattened, and sweet, resinous aroma. Mangoes can be red, green, orange, or yellow, depending on the cultivar. Mango varieties can vary in taste and appearance. The aromatic drupes typically measure 2” – 10” (5 – 25 cm) long.

Although mangoes are native to South Asia, many different kinds of mangoes grow in Florida, Spain, the Caribbean, Africa, and Australia.

Related reading: Types of mangoes.

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

Pineapple is a deliciously sweet yellow fruit with juicy flesh. Cutting a pineapple open reveals a pale yellow to vibrant yellow flesh. The sizable spiky fruit is known for its excellent tropical taste and extremely sweet flavor with tangy overtones. Pineapples can weigh between 2 and 6 lbs. (0.9 – 2.7 kg).

Pineapples have an instantly recognizable appearance. The tropical plant has thick, spiky skin with a crown of rigid leaves. Inside, the center of the pineapple is a tough, fibrous core. The core is removed to create yellow pineapple rings to eat fresh or use in savory or sweet dishes.

Related reading: How to grow a pineapple.

Papaya – Yellow Pawpaw (Carica papaya)

The yellow pawpaw or papaya is an exotic yellow fruit with a dense yellow flesh that gives off a sweet musky aroma. The large yellow fruit has an oblong to oval shape like a small butternut squash. The tough skin protects sweet yellow flesh and a center filled with many black seeds.

Yellow papaya fruits grow between 4” to 8” (10 – 20 cm) long and can weigh between 1.1 and 2.2 lbs. (0.5 – 1 kg).

Star Fruit (Averrhoa carambola)

Star fruit is an unusual yellow fruit with five or six distinctive ridges running down its sides. This yellow tropical fruit has a unique taste that is like a combination of pear, grape, apple, and sweet citrus fruits. When cut in slices, star fruit has its recognizable star shape. Star fruit is yellow when fully ripe.

Yellow star fruits measure 2” to 6” (5 to 15 cm) long. They have smooth, waxy skin and an overall oval shape. Inside, the fruit has pale yellow to darker yellow flesh and several brown seeds.

Durian (Durio)

Durian is a huge spiky yellow fruit with a round to oblong shape measuring 12” (300 mm) long. The yellow flesh of durian fruit is only visible when cutting the yellowish-brown husk open. Typically, the flesh of durian fruit is yellow; however, there also are some red varieties.

The yellow flesh from this unusual fruit has a sweet, creamy flavor with hints of chives and garlic. Some people say the flesh has a texture like cheesecake that seems both savory and sweet at the same time.

Uncommon Yellow Fruits (With Pictures)

Yuzu (Citrus junos)

Yuzu is an uncommon yellow citrus fruit that looks like a small bumpy grapefruit. The round yellow or pale orange fruits are slightly flattened on both ends. Yellow yuzu fruits are also highly aromatic and have a taste of grapefruit with hints of mandarin orange. The yellowish-orange fruits typically measure between 2.2” and 3” (5.5 – 7.5 cm) in diameter.

The aromatic zest and the juice of yuzu are commonly used in Japanese cuisine, similarly to the use of lemons in other cuisines.

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)

Loquat is a small yellow fruit that grows in clusters on a small evergreen tree. The rounded pear-shaped loquat has smooth or slightly hairy yellow or orange skin. This covers a tangy yellowish flesh reminiscent of sharp, sweet citrus fruits. The small yellow fruits grow 1” to 2” (3 – 5 cm) long.

Loquats can be eaten fresh, poached in syrup, or can be used to make jam, chutneys, pies or tarts.

Yellow Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)

The most common type of watermelon is the kind with red or pink colored flesh. However, you can also find varieties of watermelons with yellow flesh. Yellow watermelons are said to be sweeter than the red varieties, and although yellow watermelons don’t contain lycopene, the red color antioxidant, they contain high levels of beta-carotene which gives them the yellow color.

Golden raspberries

Golden raspberries are an unusual type of golden berry which is less common than the red varieties. Golden raspberries tend to have a sweeter taste and are less tart than the red varieties and are pale golden-yellow to orange color.

Related articles:

• Tasty Red Fruits With Their Picture
• The Best Green Fruits – Identification Guide
• Types of Citrus Fruits