This Creamy Apple Salad is made with crisp apples, pecans and golden raisins tossed in cinnamon cream cheese dressing. This colorful salad is easy to put together and is prefect snacking anytime of year or serving at your holiday gatherings.
With fall fast approaching and the holidays not much further away my mind has been on the cooler weather. I love having a house full of family and friends gathered together to enjoy food and laughter. Last year this Creamy Apple Salad was one of my go to dishes. Similar to Grape Salad or Ambrosia Salad this easy fruit salad can be served as a side dish, snack or dessert.
How to make Creamy Apple Salad: (scroll down for the free printable recipe card):
Ingredients:
- cream cheese
- sour cream or greek yogurt
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
- vanilla extract
- red and green apples
- pecans
- golden raisins
- lemon juice
- water
Special Equipment:
- electric hand mixer
- two large mixing bowls
- sharp knife
Instructions:
- In a mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer on high speed, mix together the cream cheese, brown sugar and cinnamon until light and fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes.
- Next add the sour cream and vanilla then blend until combined. If you are making this to serve later then transfer into an air tight container and keep in the fridge for up to two days.
- In a large mixing bowl combine then lemon juice with water. Transferring the apples into the the lemon water will help them to remain crisp and not brown.Place this bowl near where you will be chopping the apples so you can transfer the chopped apples into the lemon water easily.
- Core the apples and then chop them into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces. As you are cutting transfer the apples into the lemon water.
- Drain the chopped apples from the water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Transfer apples to a bowl with the cream cheese mixture most of the pecans and golden raisins. Reserve some of the nuts and raisins for garnishing the top of the salad.
- Toss to coat the apples evenly. Sprinkle remaining pecans and raisins over top. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Variations and Substitutions:
- I used a combination of red and green apples I liked the combination of the sweet red apples with the tartness of the green apples. You can use all red apples or more red and less green. It’s a matter of personal taste.
- I used sour cream to make this salad but if you would prefer a healthier version try using greek yogurt instead. Either option is delicious!
- You can use regular raisins, dried cranberries, or even dried cherries instead of golden raisins. The cranberries and cherries will add a bit of tartness to the salad.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg to give this more of an apple pie flavor. I recommend using about an 1/8 of a teaspoon.
- Exchange the pecans for walnuts or almonds. Use either whole nuts or or chopped like I did.
My Notes and Tips:
- You can make the cream cheese mixture a up to a day in advance. Store the mixture in the fridge until ready to serve. Do not cut the apples until you are ready to serve as they will become soft and soggy is left in the dressing.
- If you are going to use chopped pecans you can save some time by buying the nuts already chopped in the baking section of your grocery store.
- Use an apple slicer to make coring the apples easier. Using a slicer will also help create more uniform size pieces of apple.
How to Store Leftovers:
Refrigerator: Keep leftover salad in a tightly sealed bowl for up to threes day.
Freezer: This salad does not freeze well. I do not recommend freezing and thawing this recipe.
I hope you and your family will love this recipe as much as we do! If you do try this recipe please come back and leave a comment letting me know how much you liked it!
Happy Cooking Y’all!
Susanne
Looking for more great recipes with apples? You’ll love these:
Apples with Creamy Peanut Butter Dip
Creamy Apple Salad
This Creamy Apple Salad is made with crisp apples, pecans and golden raisins tossed in cinnamon cream cheese dressing. This colorful salad is easy to put together and is prefect snacking anytime of year or serving at your holiday gatherings.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 274 kcal
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound red apples
- 1 pound green apples
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cups cold water
Instructions
-
In a mixing bowl use an electric hand mixer on high speed to cream together the cream cheese, brown sugar and cinnamon until it reaches a light, fluffy texture. About 3 minutes.
-
Add the vanilla and sour cream and blend until combined.
-
In a large bowl combine the lemon juice with water and set it aside.
-
Core the apples and then chop them into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces. As you are cutting transfer the apples into the lemon water.
-
Drain the chopped apples from the water and pat dry with paper towels.
-
Add the most of apples, pecans, and golden raisins to the cream cheese mixture. Reserve some of the raisins and pecans for garnishing the top of the salad.
-
Toss in the mixture until evenly coated. Garnish with reserved raisins and pecans. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- If you prefer to make this with greek yogurt swap the 8 oz. cream cheese for 1 cup greek yogurt.
- You can make the cream cheese mixture a up to a day in advance. Store the mixture in the fridge until ready to serve. Do not cut the apples until you are ready to serve as they will become soft and soggy is left in the dressing.
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Apple Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 274
Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 30mg10%
Sodium 70mg3%
Potassium 270mg8%
Carbohydrates 33g11%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 26g29%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 420IU8%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 66mg7%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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