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This Easy Grape Salad recipe is loaded with fresh grapes, sweetened cream cheese, and a crunchy, nutty topping. Itβs ready in just 5 minutes plus chilling time.
Grape Salad another one of those classic Midwestern desserts that we pass off as a salad (similar to Snickers Salad or Strawberry Pretzel Salad). Itβs a sweet and nutty side dish with a creamy sauce and a crunchy topping.
Itβs easy to make: mix up cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla, then add chilled grapes and top with brown sugar and walnuts. Thatβs it!
Itβs kid-friendly, and I love it too because I can eat it as a dessert and still feel light and full of energy afterwards. What a great summer side dish!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Cream cheese: If the cream cheese is not softened to room temperature, the cream cheese and sour cream wonβt combine well (the mixture will be lumpy). If this happens, stir it quickly with a whisk.
- Grapes: Chilled red grapes (the sweetest you can find), and preferably seedless. If you know small children will be eating the salad, consider quartering the grapes.
- Walnuts: Chopped and toastedΒ walnuts are great in this salad, or try toasted pecans instead.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large bowl, add cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Carefully fold in the grapes and gently toss until evenly coated. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix brown sugar and walnuts.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top of the grapes. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or overnight. Serve cold.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes at least 12 cups Grape Salad, enough for 12 servings, 1 cup each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (the salad may get watery over time but is still safe to eat).
- Make ahead: This salad is best enjoyed the day you make it. However, you can get a head start by pulling the cream cheese out of the refrigerator a few hours before you make it.
- Grape Salad with Snickers: Yes, chopped up Snickers Bars are supposedly a must-have on this salad (reminiscent of Snickers Salad).
- Grape Salad with strawberries. Natural, good-for-you fresh berries tossed in with the grapes, how can that taste anything but excellent?
- Grape Salad with graham crackers. Crushed graham crackers as a topping on grape salad add a little sweetness, with or without the brown sugar topping.
Recipe FAQs
Unwrap your block of cream cheese completely (discarding the cardboard box and inner foil wrapper). Place on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for about 15 seconds per 8 ounces of cream cheese.
1 pound of seedless grapes contains about 2 Β½ cups of grapes. If the grapes have seeds, 1 pounds of seeded grapes contains about 2 cups of grapes.
This salad is at its best when placed on the table when its icy cold. Sprinkle the toppings on and serve with a spoon so everyone can help themselves. For a better topping-to-grape-ratio, assemble grape salad in a shallow casserole so people donβt fight for the crunchy nuts and brown sugar.
More summer sides
Salad Recipes
Easy Cold Pasta Salad
Salad Recipes
Easy Potato Salad
Salad Recipes
Broccoli Salad Recipe
Salad Recipes
The Best Macaroni Salad
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Easy Grape Salad
IngredientsΒ
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened (see note 1)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 pounds red seedless grapes chilled (about 10 cups, see note 2)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped (see note 3)
InstructionsΒ
- In a large bowl, add cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Carefully fold in the grapes and gently toss until evenly coated. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix brown sugar and walnuts.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top of the grapes. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or overnight. Serve cold.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Cream cheese: If the cream cheese is not softened to room temperature, the cream cheese and sour cream wonβt combine well (the mixture will be lumpy). If this happens, stir it quickly with a whisk.
- Grapes: Chilled red grapes (the sweetest you can find), and preferably seedless. If you know small children will be eating the salad, consider quartering the grapes.
- Walnuts: Chopped and toastedΒ walnuts are great in this salad, or try toasted pecans instead.
- Yield: This recipe makes at least 12 c. Grape Salad, enough for 12 servings, 1 c. each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (the salad may get watery over time but is still safe to eat).
- Make ahead: This salad is best enjoyed the day you make it. However, you can get a head start by pulling the cream cheese out of the refrigerator a few hours before you make it.
If I use the candy bars, do I omit the brown sugar and pecans?
Hi Wanda! You leave the brown sugar, and you replace the pecans with the candy bars. Or, you could leave the pecans if you wanted and just add candy bars too. But you definitely want to keep the brown sugar. Thanks! -Meggan
Sharon Lee
The brown sugar and chopped pecans are what make this salad special. You might want to consider adding them at least once to see how delicious it is! (Unless of course it is being removed for medcal reasons.)
Thank you so much about mentioning cutting grapes so those at risk will not choke. Those preparing for Developmentally Disabled and many older adults could use that tip as well. This salad is amazingly good!
How far ahead of serving time can this salad be made
Been looking for recipe like thus β¦ my question is should I make day ahead .. several recipes do t recommend..
Hi Nancy, you absolutely can chill this overnight. I hope you love it! β Meggan
nice recipe!
This reminds me of that scandalous NYT list of Thanksgiving side dishes by state and this was what Minnesota supposedly serves at every Thanksgiving tableβ¦ Iβve never seen this grape salad dish before and Iβve lived in Minnesota my whole life?
Maybe itβs a Wisconsin thing, with the cream cheese and all?
Hi Juli, your comment cracks me up. Have you had Snicker Salad? Obviously not the same thing, but in my mind itβs a Minnesota classic and equally scandalous (no wait β MORE scandalous, because snicker bars covered in Cool Whipβ¦LOL). Grape salad is probably a Wisconsin thing (or the NYT knows more about the Midwest than we do, ha ha!). I will pull out one of my church cookbooks from New Ulm, MN and see if Grape Salad is in there. Take care and thanks. π
Could the brown sugar pecan mix be omitted.
Of course! You can make it however you want. Thanks Marilyn.
Sharon Lee
The brown sugar and chopped pecans are what make this salad special. You might want to consider adding them at least once to see how delicious it is! (Unless of course it is being removed for medcal reasons.)
It sounds good. I have a quick question how many people does that recipe feed?I need to make the recipe for 65 people.
Hi Stacey! I figure 4 pounds of grapes will feed 16 people as a side dish. Thatβs 4 ounces of grapes (plus the cream cheese/sugar/nut topping). Iβd quadruple the batch and you should be good! Some people will eat more and some people will eat less or none. Good luck! Thanks for the question!
Iβm so glad I saw this. I also have a childhood flashback of my great grandmother making something similar. I always loved it, but forgot about it. Will start making again!
I am so going to make this. LOVE the ingredients and simplicity of this. Thanks Meggan!
You should make it, Kevin! Itβs so good and just the easiest thing around. π