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Creamy Grape Salad is made with fresh grapes, a sweet cream cheese dressing and a crunchy brown sugar pecan topping. An easy potluck side dish or dessert!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe!
You know a recipe has to be good when two different people, who don’t even know each other, recommend the exact same recipe within a few days of each other!
That’s exactly how this Grape Salad came to me. One of my lovely blog readers, Jennie, emailed me the recipe and just a few days later, a friend told me about the same one. I figured that was a pretty good sign I needed to try it.
Fortunately, we had a potluck coming up, which is one of my favorite places to try a new recipe. If it doesn’t turn out, you can just quietly slip it onto the table and no one has to know who brought it! Fortunately, there was no hiding necessary with this one.
Quick and easy. This creamy grape salad comes together in minutes with just a handful of ingredients.
Perfect for potlucks. It travels well, feeds a crowd and is always a fun addition to a potluck, BBQ, picnic or family gathering.
Creamy and crunchy. Juicy grapes are coated in a sweet, creamy dressing and topped with brown sugar and crunchy pecans. It’s the perfect combination of flavors and textures.
Salad or dessert? I use the word “salad” rather loosely here. With cream cheese, sugar and a sweet crunchy topping, it tastes a lot more like dessert. But it has fruit in it, so I’m going with salad!
Ingredients Needed
- Red Grapes
- Cream Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Sugar, granulated sugar and brown sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Pecans
How to Make Grape Salad
- Remove stems from grapes and wash.
- Allow grapes to dry and then place in a bowl.
- Mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and sour cream together in a separate bowl. Beat until creamy and smooth.
- Add cream mixture to grapes and stir to combine.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes but can be done the night before.
- Sprinkle the top with 1 cup of brown sugar and chopped pecans right before serving.
Tips from leigh Anne
- Use both red and green grapes. Using a combination gives the salad beautiful color and a nice mix of sweetness and flavor.
- Make sure your grapes are dry. After washing the grapes, dry them thoroughly before adding the creamy dressing. Any extra moisture can make the dressing thin and watery.
- Use seedless grapes. They make the salad much easier to eat, especially when serving it at a potluck or party.
- Soften the cream cheese. Room-temperature cream cheese will blend much more easily and give you a smooth, creamy dressing without any lumps.
- Chill before serving. Give the salad some time in the refrigerator before serving. It tastes best cold and chilling gives all the flavors a chance to come together.
- Wait to add the topping. For the best crunch, add the brown sugar and pecan topping shortly before serving.
- Toast the pecans. This step is optional, but a few minutes in the oven or a dry skillet brings out the flavor of the pecans and makes the topping even better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make grape salad ahead of time?
Yes. Grape Salad is a great make-ahead recipe. Prepare the grape and cream cheese mixture several hours ahead or the night before and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Add the crunchy sugar and pecan topping closer to serving time.
What is a good substitute for sour cream?
If you prefer, plain Greek Yogurt is a good substitute for sour cream in many recipes. Be aware that the texture will be slightly different.
How long does grape salad last in the refrigerator?
Store leftover Grape Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. The grapes will release some moisture as they sit, so the salad is best enjoyed within the first day or two.
Can I make grape salad without nuts?
Absolutely. Just leave out the pecans. You will lose a little of the crunch, but the creamy grape salad will still be delicious.
Whether you call it a salad, a side dish or dessert, this creamy Grape Salad is one of those easy recipes that belongs at a potluck. Juicy grapes, creamy dressing and that sweet brown sugar pecan topping make it hard to stop at just one spoonful. And considering two different people told me I needed this recipe within the same week, I probably should have known it was going to be a keeper!
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Grape Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. red grapes approx. 12 cups
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz sour cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Take stems off grapes and wash and dry them. Place in a bowl.
- Set aside
- Mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and sour cream together in a bowl.
- Add cream mixture to grapes and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes but can be done the night before.
- Before serving, sprinkle the top with 1 cup of brown sugar and chopped pecans.
Nutrition Facts:
Suzanne says
How long can I keep this grape salad without brown sugar and pecans in the frig and serve it. Would it keep a week?
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
A week may be a bit long – I’d say 3-4 days at the maximum, it will tend to get watery after that