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This grape salad is impossible to stop eating! Sweet, juicy grapes coated in a tangy, sweet, and creamy sauce, dotted with pecans, and topped with brown sugar, this is a potluck and BBQ fave. Plus, it’s made in just a few minutes, and is so easy to throw together. Refreshing and crisp, this is one of my favorite recipes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Uh, good? More like AMAZING. This grape salad is crisp, sweet, and a little tangy. It has all the rich flavors of a really delicious baked dessert, but without actually being a baked dessert.
- The texture in this salad is SO pleasing. The grapes are crisp and juicy, the dressing is creamy, and the pecans have this incredible crunch.
- This can be a side dish (like coleslaw or 7 layer salad) or a cool, fruity dessert! You gotta love a recipe that can do both. For a sweeter, even more desserty salad, try vanilla yogurt in place of the sour cream.
- With 4 pounds of grapes total, this recipe makes a big batch of grape salad. It’s absolutely perfect for potlucks, baby showers, and family barbecues, especially if you’ve got a large group to feed. For smaller gatherings (or just for yourself) you can easily halve the recipe!
Key Ingredients
Grapes – I love, love the colors you get by using green and red grapes together. If you prefer one type of grapes to another, you can absolutely use one type for all 4 pounds. Also, whole grapes can be a choking hazard, so if you’re serving this at a gathering with kids, halve or quarter the grapes before mixing up the salad.
Sugar – There’s just enough sugar in this grape salad recipe to offset the tanginess of the sour cream and cream cheese. It’s not so much that it overwhelms the other flavors in the salad, though. If you’re afraid it’ll be too sweet, start out with just 2 tablespoons of white sugar in the dressing, then taste it and add more as desired. You can also use brown sugar or a sugar substitute in the dressing if you’d rather.
Pecans – It’s not required, but if you have time, toast the pecans to bring out even more of their buttery, nutty flavor. If you don’t have or don’t like pecans, walnuts or almonds would also work! Add the nuts at the last minute so they stay crunchy. If there’s a nut allergy in your group, you can leave them out completely.
Chef’s Tips
- After you wash the grapes, make sure to dry them really well. If they’re still wet, the dressing won’t coat them like it should, and you’ll end up with a liquidy mess.
- If you’ve got time, mix up the sweet dressing and grapes the night before and let the grape salad (sans nuts and brown sugar garnish) sit in the fridge overnight. That gives the ingredients time to meld and makes them even more flavorful. Don’t make it too far in advance, though, or the grapes will lose their crispness.
- Use a hand mixer to combine the ingredients for the sweet dressing. It’ll give you a lovely whipped dressing that you can then fold the grapes into. Of course, if you don’t have a hand mixer or just don’t want to fuss with it, don’t fret. A whisk or silicone spatula will work just fine, too!
Include These Other Dishes in your Next Potluck
- Chickpea Salad (Mediterranean Style)
- Keto Broccoli Salad
- Cornbread Salad
- Chicken Salad with Grapes
- Cheesy Broccoli Cornbread
- Perfect Pea Salad
- Crisp Apple Salad with Raisins and Pecans
- Cauliflower Potato Salad
Amazing Creamy Grape Salad with Pecans
Equipment
- Large bowl with lid (or plastic wrap)
- Medium bowl
- Large wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green seedless grapes
- 2 pounds red seedless grapes
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup white sugar or granular Swerve
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans divided
- 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar or Brown Swerve
Instructions
- Wash and dry grapes and place in large bowl. Set aside.
- In medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla, stirring until completely smooth.
- Add sweet dressing mixture to grapes. Stir until evenly coated. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator at least 30 minutes, until ready to serve.
- Immediately before serving, stir in ¼ cup chopped pecans, mixing until fully incorporated. Top grape salad with remaining ¼ cup pecans and sprinkle on brown sugar to garnish. Serve immediately after garnishing.
- Cream cheese must be completely softened or the consistency of the sweet dressing mixture will be off.
- If your grapes are very tart, you may want to increase the sugar to balance it out. If they’re very sweet, reduce the sugar so it’s not overwhelming.
- Make it Reduced Sugar: Use equal amounts granular Swerve in place of the white sugar and Brown Swerve in place of the brown sugar.
- Make it Dairy Free: Use vegan cream cheese, and replace the sour cream with vegan sour cream or dairy-free yogurt.
- Make it Vegan: Use vegan cream cheese, and replace the sour cream with vegan sour cream or dairy-free yogurt. Make sure your white sugar is vegan, or use a sugar substitute.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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This was so easy and so yummy! It’s perfect for dessert or a snack on a hot afternoon or evening. I will admit it was so good I had some with breakfast! I used swerve powdered sugar because I sometimes will get a grit with granular. My green grapes were tart and my purple ones were sweet and I loved that too!
We’re so happy you enjoyed this Creamy Grape Salad! No shame in eating it for breakfast, either. Sounds like a great way to start your day!