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Grape Salad
With sweet, smooth, and crunchy textures, grape salad is a classic side dish. This creamy fruit salad is made with juicy grapes, crunchy pecans, and brown sugar.
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Sweet and creamy with a combination of bright green and red grapes and topped with crunchy pecans and brown sugar. With just 10 minutes of prep time, this unique fruit salad makes a delicious side dish.
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With sweet, smooth, and crunchy textures in every bite, grape salad is so easy to make and is always a crowd-pleaser. This refreshing fruit salad is great for potlucks, parties, and gatherings with friends and family.
Grape salad is a classic side dish often seen at holiday dinners where you can eat it as either a side dish or even a dessert. Light and irresistible, the combination of nutty and fruity flavors pair perfectly with special-occasion meals with pot roast and roasted vegetables.
Made with big, juicy, crisp grapes, each bite feels like a cool refreshing treat. Quick to make, this fruit salad comes together in just a few minutes, then all you need to do is chill and eat.
Grape Salad Ingredients
- Grapes - seedless green grapes
- Grapes - seedless red grapes
- Cream cheese - softened
- Sour cream - full fat
- Sugar - granulated white sugar
- Vanilla - pure vanilla extract works best
- Brown Sugar - light brown
- Pecans - chopped
Grape salad has the best flavor when grapes are in season, which is August through October. During this time frame, the perfectly ripe grapes pack the most punch with a crisp bite and flavor. They are also the most firm which affects the way the sour cream mixture sticks to them as you stir to coat them. Just make sure that you buy seedless grapes.
Other fresh fruits, like strawberries and apples, can be added to the salad with the grapes, or they can replace the grapes in the recipe. In addition to other kinds of fresh fruit, you can also mix in pieces of candy bars like Snickers, Three Musketeers, or Heath Bars for a sweet addition.
Pecans or walnuts taste delicious with the grape salad, you can even toast the nuts for a more flavorful taste. Crushed graham crackers can be an additional topping for your sweet salad. Grape salad tastes best when it’s chilled, so keep it in the fridge until right before you are ready to serve it.
How to Make Grape Salad
FIRST STEP: Wash and dry the seedless grapes. Allow the grapes to dry and set them aside.
SECOND STEP: Using a stand mixer, or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the cream cheese and sour cream for 2 minutes.
THIRD STEP: Keeping the mixer speed on medium-high, add the vanilla extract and granulated sugar. Blend for an additional 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth.
FOURTH STEP: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the green and red seedless grapes to evenly mix the grapes together.
FIFTH STEP: Using a large wooden spoon or a silicone spatula, pour the cream cheese mixture over the top of the grapes. Stir the grapes and cream cheese mixture to coat the grapes thoroughly.
SIXTH STEP: Tightly cover the grape salad and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
SEVENTH STEP: Just before serving, remove the grape salad from the refrigerator and evenly sprinkle the salad with brown sugar and chopped pecans. Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 - 4 days.
Can I use other kinds of fruit?
Grapes are in season from August until October. You can add other fresh fruits to the grapes, such as strawberries or apples, or replace the grapes entirely with those other fruits.
Can I add Snickers to my grape salad?
Mix in pieces of candy bars like Snickers, Three Musketeers, or Heath Bars for a sweet addition to your fruit salad. You could also sprinkle toffee bits on the top.
Can I use Greek Yogurt?
You can use Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream as it provides a similar tanginess to the creamy dressing.
How to Store Grape Salad
IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftover grape salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
IN THE FREEZER: It’s not recommended to freeze this fruit salad.
Grape Salad
With sweet, smooth, and crunchy textures, grape salad is a classic side dish. This creamy fruit salad is made with juicy grapes, crunchy pecans, and brown sugar.
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds seedless green grapes (about 2.5 cups)
- 2 pounds seedless red grapes (about 2.5 cups)
- 3 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- ¼ cup sour cream (+ 1 tablespoon)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2½ tablespoons pecans (chopped)
DIRECTIONS
- Wash and dry the seedless grapes. Allow the grapes to dry and set them aside.
- Using a stand mixer, or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the cream cheese and sour cream for 2 minutes.
- Keeping the mixer speed on medium-high, add the vanilla extract and granulated sugar. Blend for an additional 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss together the green and red seedless grapes to evenly mix the grapes together.
- Using a large wooden spoon or a silicone spatula, pour the cream cheese mixture over the top of the grapes. Stir the grapes and cream cheese mixture to coat the grapes thoroughly.
- Tightly cover the grape salad and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Just before serving, remove the grape salad from the refrigerator and evenly sprinkle the salad with brown sugar and chopped pecans.
Notes
TIP: Make sure you buy seedless grapes for this recipe. If the green or red ones at the grocery store don’t look nice, you can just use one color in the salad as long as the amount of grapes adds up to 4 pounds of grapes.
TIP: Grapes are not in season until August - October. When you make a recipe when grapes are not in season, they don’t pack as much of a punch with flavor. They are also not as firm bursting with juice when you bite into them. Firmness impacts the way the sour cream mixture sticks to them as you stir to coat them because they are more likely to get mashed if they are out of season. Make this great recipe in August for crunchy perfectly ripe grapes that hold their own in the stirring process and taste delicious and fresh!
TIP: The dressing will stick much better to dry grapes.
TIP: If you are making this salad for younger kids, you can cut the whole grapes into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
TIP: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature to ensure you don’t end up with lumps in your dressing.
TIP: You could toast your pecans before sprinkling them on the top of the salad for even more flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 192IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
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Comments
Aline Williamson says
would like to recieve your recipes