Directions
This easy Grape Salad Recipe is filled with contemporary pink grapes which might be tossed in a candy cream cheese dressing and sprinkled with brown sugar and pecans. It may be served as a facet dish or dessert, and it’s excellent for spring, summer season, holidays, and events! In the event you’re searching for one thing a little bit completely different on your vacation menu, this might be an exquisite addition.
Scrumptious and Simple Grape … Salad?
Can we speak about how I by no means even heard of grape salad till a number of years in the past? I noticed a video for it in my Fb feed, and I believed it seemed … attention-grabbing. I’ll admit that I used to be completely skeptical.
In the future not lengthy after, we had been at my in-laws for lunch, and my mother-in-law served up grape salad. It was … scrumptious!
That evening, I Googled “grape salad” and lo and behold, it’s completely a type of outdated recipes that it appears everybody and their grandma have a (very, very comparable) recipe for. (Aside from our household, apparently!) It was new to all of us, and we’re completely smitten!
Primarily, grape salad consists of entire grapes tossed in a candy vanilla cream cheese dressing after which garnished with brown sugar and chopped pecans. It would sound weird, I do know, however belief me. You’ll like it!
Key Substances
Right here’s the breakdown of grape salad (which was almost similar in each single recipe I discovered on-line whereas I used to be researching):
- Seedless grapes (both all pink, all inexperienced, or a mix of the 2)
- Cream cheese (one 8-ounce block softened to room temperature)
- Bitter cream
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract (1-2 teaspoons, to style)
- Brown sugar (you should utilize wherever from a number of tablespoons to a full cup)
- Chopped nuts (often walnuts or pecans, and once more wherever from a number of tablespoons to a full cup)
As you may see, there’s a commonplace listing of components that was the identical in each recipe I discovered, however a number of the portions different. So, be at liberty to mess around with a number of the quantities!
How To Make the Candy Cream Cheese Dressing
This can be a tremendous easy creamy “salad” dressing to make! In a big mixing bowl, use an electrical mixer at medium pace. Beat collectively the softened cream cheese, bitter cream, sugar, and vanilla extract till clean and thick (about 3 minutes). That’s it!
How To Make This Dish
- Add the grapes to the bowl with the cream cheese dressing. Gently fold the grapes into the cream cheese combination utilizing a rubber spatula till every thing is evenly coated.
- Refrigerate this straightforward grape salad for not less than 1 hour earlier than serving or as much as in a single day.
- Previous to serving, sprinkle with brown sugar and chopped pecans. Leftovers might be saved within the fridge for as much as 3 days. (Past that, it’ll get watery and the grapes will lose their crisp.)
Ideas for Success
- You should use all pink grapes (my favourite!), all inexperienced, or a mix of the 2 primarily based in your private preferences.
- I used full-fat cream cheese and bitter cream as a result of I needed a pleasant, thick combination. Low-fat options have larger water content material. So, when you use low-fat simply remember that your “dressing” could possibly be thinner or barely extra watery.
- For a lighter model, use yogurt instead of the bitter cream.
- Some recipes use Cool Whip and/or marshmallow creme together with the cream cheese, which additionally sounds totally wonderful.
- You may sprinkle the brown sugar and pecans earlier than chilling, and the brown sugar will type of dissolve into the combination (SO GOOD), however be sure you give it a stir earlier than serving when you do that!
- You undoubtedly need to chill this for not less than an hour earlier than serving, however the longer the higher, which makes this an ideal dish to prep the day earlier than serving. I like how contemporary and crisp the grapes stayed, even days later.
- There are numerous recipes on the market that embody chopped up sweet bars like Butterfinger or Snickers. Who am I to oppose that?!
- Think about toasting your nuts earlier than chopping them and tossing them on this grape salad for a deeper taste and extra crunch!
- Double or triple this recipe to feed a crowd!
- Need extra crunch? Add some toasted, shredded coconut! Pomegranate arils would even be scrumptious right here.
Ceaselessly Requested Questions
One pound of seedless grapes accommodates about 2.5 cups of grapes.
I don’t advocate doing that, as it’ll launch their juices and trigger the grape salad to grow to be watery. If wanted, you could possibly slice earlier than serving to individuals who may have it.
Extra Dessert Fruit Salads To Strive
Grape Salad
This easy Grape Salad Recipe is splendidly contemporary, creamy, and candy. It may be served as a facet dish or dessert, and is ideal for spring and summer season holidays and events!
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (230 ml) bitter cream
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 kilos (1.81 kg) pink seedless grapes, rinsed and drained effectively, about 10 cups
- ½ cup (110 g) mild brown sugar
- 1 cup (99 g) chopped pecans
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In a big mixing bowl, utilizing an electrical mixer on medium pace, beat collectively the cream cheese, bitter cream, sugar and vanilla extract till clean and thick, about 3 minutes.
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Add the grapes to the bowl and, utilizing a rubber spatula, gently fold the grapes into the cream cheese combination till every thing is evenly coated. Refrigerate for not less than 1 hour earlier than serving, or in a single day.
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Previous to serving, sprinkle with brown sugar and chopped pecans. Leftovers might be saved within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
- Grapes: You should use all pink grapes (my favourite!), all inexperienced, or a mix of the 2 primarily based in your private preferences. Go away them entire
- Cream Cheese and Bitter Cream: I used full-fat cream cheese and bitter cream as a result of I needed a pleasant, thick combination. Low-fat options have larger water content material so when you use low-fat simply remember that your “dressing” could possibly be thinner or barely extra watery.
- Lighter Different: Use yogurt instead of the bitter cream.
- Brown Sugar Topping: You may sprinkle the brown sugar and pecans earlier than chilling, and the brown sugar will type of dissolve into the combination (SO GOOD), however be sure you give it a stir earlier than serving when you do that!
- Make-Forward: Chill the combination for not less than 1 hour earlier than serving and as much as in a single day.
- Storage: Preserve leftovers within the fridge for as much as 3 days. After that, the grapes will lose their crispness and the combination will get watery.
Dietary values are primarily based on one serving
Energy: 252kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 2g, Fats: 12g, Saturated Fats: 4g, Ldl cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 61mg, Potassium: 293mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin A: 360IU, Vitamin C: 3.8mg, Calcium: 52mg, Iron: 0.7mg
Images by Dee Frances.
