This grape salad is a total crowd-pleaser! You’ve got juicy grapes, a creamy dressing, crunchy pecans, and a sweet brown sugar topping.
It’s a hit with kids and gets rave reviews at every potluck. Plus, it only takes 5 minutes to put together (plus some chilling time) – perfect for a quick and delicious treat!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Few ingredients: The ingredient list is short here, which means less time spent in the kitchen measuring out things!
- Quick and easy: It only takes a few minutes to put this together, and then all you have to do is wait for it to chill in the fridge.
- Crowd pleaser: This recipe is so versatile – serve it as a snack, as a side or as part of a potluck. Either way, it’s always a hit with everyone!
Once summer is in full swing and my kids ask for food every 5 minutes… I need to have a few snacks on hand they will eat without complaining, I can prep ahead in a few minutes and that cool them down after playing in the backyard.
Grape salad is definitely a favorite around here, and one that ticks all of my boxes for easy summer snacks!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Grapes: I prefer using a mix of green and red seedless grapes, but feel free to stick to just one color! Green grapes yield a more tart taste, while red grapes are more sweet.
- Sour cream: Swap in Greek yogurt (plain, or vanilla for a sweeter taste) for some added protein.
- Pecans: Feel free to use walnuts in place of the pecans.
How to make Grape Salad
Before you start: I highly recommend using grapes cold from the fridge! If you’re in a hurry and need to use your grapes straight from the store, that’s fine – the salad will need a little longer to chill in the fridge.
1. Prepare the grapes:
Start by washing your grapes. If you’ll be serving this salad to kids younger than 5, cut the grapes in halves (or even into quarters if it’s for younger toddlers).
Pat them dry to avoid watering down the dressing.
2. Make the dressing:
Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until completely smooth.
Use a hand mixer for the smoothest result! Most of the time I don’t want to drag it out so I start with a whisk, but end up getting the mixer anyway. So if you want to avoid washing extra dishes, start with the mixer 😉
Fold the prepared grapes into the cream cheese mixture until evenly coated. If you want, spread the grape mixture in a serving dish.
3. Finish and chill:
Combine the brown sugar and the chopped pecans. Sprinkle evenly over the grapes. Loosely cover and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.
The brown sugar will melt and turn into a yummy sauce, so don’t skip the chilling before you serve your grape salad!
Top tips
- Serving dish choice: If you use a deeper, more narrow serving dish or bowl, the brown sugar mixture will be thicker on top which is ideal if you want less but bigger servings. If you want to stretch the grape salad across more smaller servings (eg for potlucks), I recommend spreading the grape mixture in a more shallow casserole dish (7×11 is a good choice). The brown sugar mixture will be less thick on top, but more servings get an even amount of it and you won’t end up with everybody picking off the top layer and leaving the bottom layer without sauce.
- Sweeten to taste: Everybody likes a different amount of sweet in fruit salad, so feel free to adjust the granulated sugar in the creamy dressing up or down to suit your family’s taste.
Helpful hints
Recipe variations
- Salty & sweet: Try sprinkling a pinch of flaky sea salt over the salad if you enjoy a sweet and salty treat.
- Toast the nuts: To elevate the flavor, try toasting the nuts before mixing them into the salad. The toasty goodness really shines through, just let them cool before using them in the recipe.
- Add a fun twist: Try sprinkling a chopped Snickers or Heath bar on top of the salad. It’s a game-changer for adding crunch and a hit of sweetness!
- More fruit: Don’t stop at grapes! Adding fruits like apples or blueberries can make your salad pop with color and texture.
- Add some crunch: Sprinkle crushed graham crackers over the salad right before serving.
Storage
For the freshest and crunchiest grape salad, it’s best to make it on the same day you plan to enjoy it.
But don’t worry if you have leftovers—they’re still delicious! You can keep the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
If you like a sweet and salty sandwich filling, try repurposing your leftovers into a delicious salad. Add canned, drained tuna or shredded chicken along with some chopped celery for a delicious tuna or chicken salad. Obviously don’t try this if you don’t like brown sugar with your meats, but for my fellow salty/sweet fans… it’s delicious!
Serving ideas
We mostly enjoy grape salad as an afternoon snack by itself, but there are a few different ways to use it:
- Take it to a potluck or barbecue
- Serve it as a side with an entrée like baked chicken breast or instant pot chicken breast
- Serve it in a sandwich (a wrap or a pita bread are both great here) or over lettuce for lunch
- Add it to a picnic spread, or as a side for a sandwich dinner – like an egg salad sandwich, or a pulled pork sandwich
- Use it as a lighter dessert option
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Creamy Grape Salad
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 2 pounds grapes green, red or a mix; cold from fridge recommended
- 4 oz cream cheese ½ block of Philly, softened
- ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Prep grapes: If not already done, wash grapes and pat dry. Cut in half or quarters if serving to children under 5 years old, or if grapes are very large.
- Make dressing: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold in prepared grapes. Spread in a serving dish if desired (see notes for recommendations).
- Finish and chill: In a separate small bowl, combine light brown sugar and chopped pecans. Sprinkle evenly over grapes. Loosely cover and chill in refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Serve cold.
Coleen says
I love this grape salad I used crushed Butterfingers throughout and some crushed on top yummy.