Grape Salad Recipe
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This delicious Grape Salad Recipe makes an easy and delicious side dish or dessert. Creamy, crunchy, and made with just 5 ingredients, including juicy grapes. It has been a family favorite for years!
Grape salad is one dish I could always guarantee would be served at our southern family reunions when I was growing up. I’ve made this recipe for my own family and friends for so many years. Creamy and delicious, each bite of this southern salad has a fresh burst of sweet grapes and crunchy nuts combined with a tangy dressing. It’s so easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser!
This grape salad recipe is a nostalgic side dish or dessert featuring fresh, juicy grapes with a sweet and tangy, creamy dressing topped with a bit of brown sugar. It’s just perfect for luncheons, family meals, holidays, picnics and more! You’ll love how simple it is to make and how scrumptious it tastes!
How to Make Grape Salad
You only need a few ingredients and a few minutes to make this dish! Here’s how you’ll make it.
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
Grapes – I use a mixture of different colors of seedless grapes – red, green, and black. The key is ensuring the grapes are as fresh and sweet as possible. The sweet, juicy grapes enhance the tart and creamy dressing. You can use your grapes whole or slice in half if you prefer.
Cream Cheese – Softened to room temperature to make the dressing.
Sour Cream – This combines with the cream cheese to add a bit of tang to the dressing.
Vanilla Extract – I love to use my homemade vanilla extract, but you can use another quality vanilla extract if you choose.
Brown Sugar – The recipe doesn’t call for much, but you can adjust depending on preference and the sweetness of your grapes.
Roasted Pecans – You can omit in case of nut allergy (or if taking to a party where that is unknown) but can include toffee bits as a replacement if you wish.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the Grapes. Wash and dry your grapes, and then add them to a large mixing bowl.
Make the Dressing. In another smaller bowl, mix together your softened cream cheese and sour cream. Next, pour in a bit of vanilla extract. (The vanilla adds so much flavor!) Mix well.
Combine Grapes, Dressing, and Chill. Add the dressing to your grapes. Mix well to ensure all of your grapes are coated. Then, cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for eight hours to chill and set.
Add the Topping. Before serving, remove from the refrigerator and top with the brown sugar and optional toppings of pecans or toffee bits, if using.
Serve Cold. Grape salad is best served cold, which makes it a refreshing treat throughout the warmer months.
Storage Tips
To store: Wrap well or add to an airtight container. This keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, making it a great make-ahead recipe perfect for serving at any gathering.
More Favorite Salad Recipes
Here’s my recipe for Grape Salad. I hope you make it soon! It’s perfect for bridal and baby showers, tailgating, picnics, reunions, and everything in between!
Grape Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups seedless grapes, washed, dried, with stems removed
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar, depending on the sweetness of your grapes
- 1/2 cup roasted pecans
Instructions
- Add grapes to a large bowl. Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Pour over grapes and stir until well-coated.
- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
- When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and top with brown sugar and toasted pecan pieces, if using. Serve cold.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Since you made this I have another salad I want to ask you about…did you ever eat pineapple cheese salad as a kid? My granny used to make it and now that I think about it, I can’t believe I ate it! I am not sure of the total recipe, and that’s why I’m asking. I think it was a piece of lettuce, a ring of pineapple, mayo, shredded cheddar cheese and a cherry on top. Ring any bells? This grape salad sounds like what my other grandmother used to make, so now I’m going to try it! So excited- bring back memories!
Oh my goodness, Melissa! I did eat it as a kid! We also still eat pear salad with the same thing – mayo, shredded cheese, and a cherry on top. It’s one of my brother-in-law’s favorite dishes.
What a perfect recipe for a hot summer day. I cannot wait to try it!
Thanks so much, Natalie. The hotter the weather, the better this salad tastes!
Robyn, this sounds fabulous! I am going to make for my kids this week, I am sure they will be thrilled!
I bet they will love it! My son gobbled it up.
Um, OKAY! This looks so so so good. Firm grapes are one of the treasures of life. You rock.
You are so right about being a treasure! Thanks so much, Karen.
this salad makes a yummy dessert too 🙂 great clicks…
YES! Great for snacks, desserts, side dishes, well…. anything. Thanks so much.
Grape Salad is a staple in our home for special occasions but I don’t think I could have it without the brown sugar/pecan topping. That is my favorite part. I’ve even had one where crumbled bacon was added to the topping. The salty-sweet combo was fantastic!
My Daddy was the same way, he loved the topping. I would scrape it to the side and he would eat mine. 🙂 Now, that bacon version could easily have changed my mind!
This salad is a staple at our family gatherings too…my husband’s cousin always makes it, no one else knows the recipe. Perhaps I’ll use yours, and casually show up with it at the next family event…surely no one will be offended? 😉
Well, this version is definitely a little different from the one that includes the pecans and brown sugar. So…. you could just say you made a “lighter” version. 🙂 Oh, and the honey changes it up a bit, too.
I’ve never heard of any such thing, but I love that it’s so different. I often get sick of the same old fruit salad again and again.
I hope you like it, Jen.
Yummm!! I remember my mom making a grape salad, that I wasn’t a huge fan of – but hers was really fussy … adding nuts and raisins. I’ll have to give your recipe a try, it looks so refreshing 🙂
My aunts included nuts and a brown sugar topping that I always picked off. It just seemed to take away from the grapes. Even as a child, I wasn’t a fan of the topping for this salad. I like this simpler version. 🙂 Hope you like it, too!
What a simple, yummy salad!
It is so very simple and perfect for warm weather get-togethers.