Easy Southern Grape Salad
This family favorite Southern Grape Salad requires only 10 minutes of prep and a few ingredients to whip up! It is creamy, crunchy and a great side dish that doubles as dessert for Potlucks, BBQ, meal trains and summer evenings.
Super simple salads – do you love them, or hate them? Well if you are like me you love ’em and you make them once a week.
Which means you’ve gotta try this SUPER SIMPLE, creamy and crunchy Grape Salad Recipe. And y’all can thank me later.
With upcoming barbeques, holidays and warmer weather approaching, it’s time to mix it up with a new recipe along with old favorites like pea salad.
If you follow Trisha Yearwood or Pioneer Woman, you’ve probably heard them mention making a tasty Southern Grape Salad side dish or dessert.
Related Link : Southern Pea Salad.
This Grape Salad Recipe is a slightly healthier take on the traditional Grape Salad recipe these wonderful ladies share.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS
- This Grape Salad Recipe is SUPER QUICK AND EASY to make.
- It’s a great Southern Side Dish that can double as dessert.
- Its cheesecake and salad in one #besttreatever.
- Perfect for Potluck dishes, BBQs, tailgating and lunch boxes.
- Versatile and easy to substitute ingredients to your taste.
- Huge CROWD PLEASER – and easily doubled.
So folks, now that I’ve got your whole mouth salivating, are you ready to see just how EASY this Grape Salad dish is to toss together in minutes?
Ingredients
There are only 8 ingredients in this Southern Salad, but most of them are fridge or pantry staples.
- seedless green grapes
- seedless red grapes
- sour cream
- cream cheese
- marshmallow fluff
- vanilla
- powdered sugar
- candied pecans <= these make the salad even more awesome.
Related Link : Easy Squash Casserole.
How to Make Grape Salad
- Remove grapes from stems, wash and dry.
- Soften the cream cheese and blend it with vanilla, marshmallow fluff and sour cream.
- Fold the grapes into the marshmallow cream mixture.
- Serve the Grape Salad chilled. Wait to put the toppings on until serving so they don’t get soggy.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to only use seedless grapes for this.
- Use a mixture of grapes for color.
- This Grape Salad is amazing with any kind of crumbled chocolate bar on top.
- I opted to top this with chopped candied pecans (instead of brown sugar that traditional recipes call for), as these are sweet enough and bring that nice crisp crunch.
- Make sure to wash and dry grapes really well as this will help the cream mixture stick to them better.
- I highly recommend slicing the grapes in half, because they’re much easier to eat that way. But cutting so many grapes can time consuming. So, don’t forget about the quick grape cutting technique by layering grapes in between two clear plates and cutting them with a serrated knife. See the picture below.
- Best served chilled and wait until just before serving to add the nuts so they don’t get soggy.
- Serve with an extra half cup of pecans for guests to add more to their salad if they desire.
Questions You Might Have
Can You Make Grape Salad Ahead of Time?
Depending on your cream mixture ingredients, you can make this up to a day ahead of time. If you’re using something premade like Cool Whip, it can last for about a day in the refrigerator.
But, with most “fresher” type cream mixtures, I recommend making this dish the day of your meal as it shouldn’t take much time to toss together.
It can be stored in the refrigerator for hours ahead of time too. It is best served cold so pull it out at the last minute.
And don’t add the nuts until you’re ready to serve the Grape Salad otherwise, they’ll get soggy.
Recipe Variations
This stress free, potluck perfect dish is extremely versatile. The toppings can be traded out so easily.
- Add chocolate candy like Heath, Butterfingers, toffee or Snickers.
- Swap pecans for walnuts or chopped up granola for healthier options.
- The cream can be substituted with yogurt.
- You can add in some cooked chicken. You may need an extra portion of the dressing.
Why is my Cream Mixture Not Mixing Well?
If your creamy mixture is lumpy and not smooth as it should be, the cream cheese probably wasn’t soft enough to use yet.
Serving Suggestions
This Southern Salad recipe goes well with just about anything and everything. It’s great as a side dish OR dessert.
More Southern Food Recipes
If you like the quickness and ease of this Grape Salad side dish, then you’ll want to check out these other quick, easy and delicious southern type recipes:
- Shrimp Creole.
- Cajun Shrimp.
- Candied Sweet Potatoes.
- Air Fryer Cajun Fish Fillets.
- Red Potato Salad.
- Super easy Creole Sauce.
- Cajun Shrimp Salad.
- Cornbread- Instant Pot + Skillet Versions.
- Squash Casserole.
- Smothered Pork Chops.
- Pea Salad.
More Grapes Recipes You May Like
- Grape Caterpillars Skewers (a hit with kids young and old!).
- Try this Wild Rice Salad with Pickled Grapes for a different way to enjoy grapes.
- And, grapes are the star of the show in a delicious Watermelon Fruit Bowl and Christmas Fruit Salad.
Weight Watchers Points
There are 10 Blue plan SmartPoints in one serving.
Thank you for reading my Grape Salad recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.
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Southern Grapes Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (907g) seedless red grapes
- 2 lbs (907g) seedless green grapes
- 1 cup (240g) sour cream
- 8 ounces (225g) cream cheese softened
- 1 cup (85g) marshmallow fluff
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
For the topping:
- 1-2 cups (109g-218g) candied pecans chopped
Instructions
- Remove grapes from stems wash and dry, slice in half (if desired), and then set aside.
- Heat cream cheese in microwave for 15 second intervals until very soft (softer than letting it soften on the countertop, unless you’re using an electric mixer to smooth out the lumps).
- Add in sour cream, vanilla, marshmallow fluff, and powdered sugar mixture. Stit to combine.
- Then fold in the clean and dried grapes to marshmallow cream mixture, until incorporated.
- Serve chilled for best taste, and wait to add the candied pecans right before serving so they don’t get soggy.
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to only use seedless grapes for this.
- Use a mixture of grapes for color.
- This Grape Salad is amazing with any kind of crumbled chocolate bar on top.
- I opted to top this with chopped candied pecans (instead of brown sugar that traditional recipes call for), as these are sweet enough and bring that nice crisp crunch.
- Make sure to wash and dry grapes really well as this will help the cream mixture stick to them better.
- I highly recommend slicing the grapes in half, they’re much easier to eat that way. But cutting so many grapes can time consuming. So, don’t forget about the quick grape cutting technique by layering grapes in between two clear plates and cutting them with a serrated knife.
- Best served chilled and wait until just before serving to add the nuts so they don’t get soggy.
- Serve with an extra half cup of pecans for guests to add more to their salad if they desire.
thank you so much for that grape slicing tip! That is genius!! I love this slightly healthier version of a classic!
I’ve seen a few grape salads, but hey, you added candied pecans! Love that combination of flavors! A recipe that will get done asap, it’s grape season here.
Oh, I have never imagined to make a grape salad, but it looks gorgeous and sounds delicious. Easy to make it, too. LOVE it!
My mom used to make this all the time when I grew up in the south. It would often be a dinner side dish for us. I love this idea for a potluck or neighborhood bash.
Love how easily this grape salad comes together and the addition of those candied pecans! Definitely perfect for potlucks.
I just thought I would drop by and say hello.
Grape salad is one of my favorites and yours looks wonderful! The images really make you crave this recipe too.