With its minimal prep time and crowd-pleasing appeal, Grape Salad is the cool, crunchy, and surprisingly refreshing dish you want at your next gathering. Juicy grapes, crisp apples, and toasted pecans are coated in a luscious vanilla, cream cheese, and Greek yogurt dressing.
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A nostalgic recipe made modern!
If you’ve attended a potluck in the Midwest, you know we use the term “salad” pretty loosely around here.
While I will always be drawn to more vibrant, veggie-loaded salads (like this Roasted Vegetable Salad), grape salad is an old-school recipe for which I have an exceptional weakness.
This grape salad recipe has a few Well Plated tweaks. We skip the sour cream and marshmallow cream, opting instead for Greek yogurt, which provides the same creaminess and moderate tang.
I also cut down on the sugar by…a lot. I add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon honey. (Some recipes call for as much as a cup of sugar, which I truly cannot imagine!)
Don’t worry, though—this healthier grape salad is still quick and easy to make and I promise it’s going to be a crowd-pleaser!
5 Star Review
“This recipe is simple and amazingly delicious. I made it for a holiday and everyone kept grabbing the bowl for seconds and thirds.”
— Mary —
Grape Salad
email me the recipe!
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Ingredients
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 pound seedless red grapes about 2 ½ cups
- 1 pound seedless green grapes about 2 ½ cups
- 2 medium sweet-crisp apples such as Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp, diced (or an additional 1 pound mixed grapes)
- 4 ounces reduced fat cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Toast until golden and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. DO NOT WALK AWAY. Nuts love to burn at the last second. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth and creamy.
- Place the grapes and apples in the bowl with the cream cheese. Roughly chop the pecans and add about 2/3 of them to the bowl.
- Stir to combine, using a big spoon to coat the fruit evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans over the top. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate grape salad in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO MAKE AHEAD: Up to 1 day in advance, toast the pecans and beat the cream cheese mixture together. Cover and refrigerate the cream cheese mixture, and place the toasted pecans in an airtight storage container at room temperature.
Nutrition
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Sign Me UpGrape Salad Toppings
You’ll find the ingredients and instructions below, but let’s talk toppings!
I finish this grape salad recipe with toasted pecans for crunch and nuttiness—this also helps keep with our theme of a lightened up recipe! But here are some more topping ideas, healthy and, well, not as much.
- Walnuts. If you prefer, you can swap the pecans for walnuts. Toast ’em first!
- Coconut. You could use sweetened or unsweetened—this salad is plenty sweet, so I’d go with unsweetened personally. Shredded coconut or coconut flakes would both work, and I think toasted coconut flakes would be especially delish!
- Candy Bars. Crushed candy bars are a popular grape salad topping. (Yes, we Midwesterners are a rare breed—we also bring you this cheesy Pineapple Casserole.) Try diced Snickers or Heath bars.
- Graham Crackers. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over the top of your salad. (Finish with a pinch of brown sugar for extra cozy flavor.)
- Nilla Wafers. Crumbling vanilla wafers over the top would also be tasty!
What to Serve with Grape Salad
This is an easy side salad you can serve with brunch, lunch, and dinner. You can even make it a dessert!
- Chicken. Creamy grape salad is delicious with Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders for a kid-friendly dinner.
- Eggs. For a delightful brunch pairing, serve Egg White Frittata or Spinach Quiche with this salad.
- Casserole. Serve this recipe with Ham Casserole to make it a meal.
- Other Salads. Enjoy this recipe with everything from Avocado Egg Salad to Chicken Pasta Salad.
I love how easy this was to make! Plus, it’s super delicious and refreshing on a hot day.
I’m SO happy that you enjoyed it, Nancy!
Hands down the best grape salad ever!! I make this all summer long!! Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Sheila! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This recipe is simple and amazingly delicious. I made it for a holiday and everyone kept grabbing the bowl for seconds and thirds. It’s destined to become a regular feature on our table. Thank you! :-)
Hi Mary! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Delicious and fresh. The perfect accompaniment for a Mother’s Day brunch!
Hi Monique! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Will the apples get brown?
Hi Janet, I do not normally have this problem. Enjoy!
This stuff is addicting! It’s light yet flavorful, and the texture is out of this world. The mix of red and green grapes made it look even more appetizing. I made it for a small gathering, and everyone kept asking for the recipe. I love how fresh and light it feels, even with the creamy dressing. Such a crowd-pleaser.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Alessandra!
It’s such a refreshing and satisfying salad. I followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out great. The creaminess of the dressing paired with the pop of the grapes is so unique and tasty! Thank you so much, Erin!
So glad to hear you enjoyed the salad, Candice! Thank you!
This grape salad turned out even better than I expected! I wasn’t sure about mixing grapes and apples with a cream cheese dressing at first, but it was absolutely delicious. The flavors complement each other so well, and the texture is incredible with the crunch from the nuts. I’m already planning to make it for our next family get-together!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Aileen! Thank you!
This worked exactly as written, thanks! Made it for a crowd and it disappeared! Everyone said, “Make more please!”
Yay! Thank you Dj!