Grape Salad with Cream Cheese
Published 5/8/2023
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This grape salad with cream cheese is just what you need on a hot summer day. Crisp grapes combined with a tangy cream cheese dressing and topped with candied pecans — yum!
Easy Creamy Grape Salad Recipe
We’ve found the perfect side dish during those warmer months, and it’s this amazing creamy grape salad! We took this vintage recipe and revived it into our own creation. You’ll love it!
This grape salad with cream cheese will be a crowd-pleaser at your next summer BBQ, family reunion, or any special occasion. It’s one of our favorite ways to eat grapes, and soon it’ll be yours, too!
why you’ll love it!
- It’s an easy recipe that’ll be ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
- The crunchy pecans combined with the juicy grapes are simply MAGICAL.
- Because this grape salad is best chilled, it’s great for making ahead of time.
- The perfect dish during the summertime! It’s so refreshing.
Featured Ingredients
- Roasted pecans: roasted pecans are added to the top of the salad to add a nutty sweetness and crunch.
- Sugar: we used granulated sugar for this recipe, but feel free to use a mixture of brown sugar instead.
- Cayenne pepper: it may seem like an odd ingredient to add, but it gives this dish a deeper, more exciting flavor!
- Butter: we used unsalted butter for this delicious recipe.
- Cream cheese: softened cream cheese acts as a base for the dressing and gives this salad that irresistible tangy flavor.
- Sour cream: similar to cream cheese, sour cream makes this easy salad recipe creamy and dreamy.
- Maple syrup: we love how the maple syrup adds notes of caramel, vanilla, and maple to the grapes.
- Vanilla extract: a little bit of vanilla takes this grape salad with cream cheese to a whole other level!
- Red & green grapes: we used both red and green grapes for this recipe, but use whatever types of grapes you like!
How to Make Grape Salad with Cream Cheese
MAKE CANDIED PECANS
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the pecans, sugar, cayenne pepper, and butter.
While the sugar and butter are melting, stir the nuts often so they become completely coated in the sugar mixture.
Next, transfer the nuts to a plate or small baking dish to cool. Set aside.
MAKE THE DRESSING
Add the cream cheese, sour cream, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix until combined.
ADD GRAPES + SERVE
Now all you have to do is add the star of the dish — the grapes! Combine the grapes, dressing, and nuts and serve immediately.
Enjoy your sweet fruit salad!
Other Fun Ways to Eat Grape Salad
This easy grape salad recipe can be enjoyed in lots of different fun and creative ways for some added flavor and texture. Here are some of our favorite ideas for inspiration:
- Candy: chop up your favorite candy bar, whether that’s Snickers, Heath Bars, or Three Musketeers, and use it as a topping to up the decadence of your yummy dessert salad!
- Fruit: berry fruits like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries would up the sweet, fruity flavor to the next level.
- Graham crackers: crush up some graham crackers and sprinkle them on top for added texture and sweetness.
- Yogurt: swap out the cream cheese or sour cream for your favorite kind of yogurt. Vanilla, plain, or unsweetened Greek yogurt would be super tasty.
Top Tips for Perfect Panera Mac and Cheese
FAQs
When making a grape salad, it’s best to stick with seedless grapes. Red, purple, and green grapes are all great choices for this recipe.
If you want to add some color, feel free to mix up the different types of grapes! You can also try using the sweet new cotton candy grapes that you can find in grocery stores now — they add a delicious burst of flavor!
Yes. Grapes are no different than any other fruit and need to be washed before you can safely eat them. So, make sure you rinse those grapes off, especially if they’re not organic.
After washing them, you have the option to leave them whole or cut them up. If you’re having the salad at a gathering with kids, it might be best to cut the grapes into halves or fourths. This makes them easier to eat and less of a choking hazard.
Unfortunately, no. The cream cheese coating of this delicious salad won’t hold up when frozen, so once it thaws, you’ll be left with a runny mess that isn’t nearly as tasty.
Storage
Store any leftover grape salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. After that, the grape juice will break down the cream cheese mixture and make the dressing runny.
Grape Salad with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted pecans
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 8 oz. sour cream, ~1 cup
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 lbs. red grapes
- 2 lbs. green grapes
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the pecans, sugar, cayenne pepper, and butter. While the sugar and butter are melting, stir the nuts often so they become completely coated in the sugar mixture.
- Transfer the nuts to a plate or small baking dish to cool. Set aside.
- Add the cream cheese, sour cream, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix until combined.
- Combine the grapes, dressing, and nuts. Serve immediately.
Tips & Notes
- This is a great dish to make ahead of time. If you make it the day or night before, omit the nuts until you are serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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