Easy Grape Salad

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This Easy Grape Salad recipe is loaded with fresh grapes, sweetened cream cheese, and a crunchy, nutty topping. It’s ready in just 5 minutes plus chilling time.

A large serving bowl full of grape salad.


 

Grape Salad another one of those classic Midwestern desserts that we pass off as a salad (similar to Snickers Salad or Strawberry Pretzel Salad). It’s a sweet and nutty side dish with a creamy sauce and a crunchy topping.

It’s easy to make: mix up cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla, then add chilled grapes and top with brown sugar and walnuts. That’s it!

It’s 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!

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for easy grape salad.

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 won’t 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 toasted walnuts are great in this salad, or try toasted pecans instead.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. In a large bowl, add cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla and stir to combine.
Cream cheese and sour cream mixed together for grape salad.
  1. Carefully fold in the grapes and gently toss until evenly coated. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix brown sugar and walnuts.
A large serving bowl full of grape salad without the sugar and nut topping.
  1. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top of the grapes. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or overnight. Serve cold.
A large serving bowl full of grape salad.

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.
Small plates of grape salad with spoons.

Recipe FAQs

How do you soften cream cheese fast?

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.

How many cups are in a pound of grapes?

1 pound of seedless grapes contains about 2 ½ cups of grapes. If the grapes have seeds, 1 pounds of seeded grapes contains about 2 cups of grapes.

How do you serve grape salad?

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 don’t fight for the crunchy nuts and brown sugar.

More summer sides

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Easy grape salad in a serving bowl.

Easy Grape Salad

This easy Grape Salad recipe is loaded with fresh grapes, sweetened cream cheese, and a crunchy, nutty topping. It's ready in just 5 minutes plus chilling time.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 12 servings (1 cup each)
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Calories 341
5 from 149 votes

Ingredients 

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 Video

Notes

  1. Cream cheese: If the cream cheese is not softened to room temperature, the cream cheese and sour cream won’t combine well (the mixture will be lumpy). If this happens, stir it quickly with a whisk.
  2. 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.
  3. Walnuts: Chopped and toasted walnuts are great in this salad, or try toasted pecans instead.
  4. Yield: This recipe makes at least 12 cups Grape Salad, enough for 12 servings, 1 cup each.
  5. 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).
  6. 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 341kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 4gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 72mgPotassium: 400mgFiber: 2gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 475IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. Hi! I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It’s what I had but it turned out amazing! With the yogurt not being quite as thick as the sour cream I used 1.5 cups. Then I felt like it wasn’t sweet enough so I added another quarter cup and this was phenomenal!!! Thank you!!!5 stars

  2. This is delicious! I used pecans and not walnuts though. I had a bunch of grapes left over after Christmas and this was a great recipe to use the extra grapes. Two thumbs up!5 stars

  3. I started making this about a month ago. It has become the family favorite.
    I am making a double size for Thanksgiving.5 stars

    1. Thank you for sharing, Gina! I’m so happy this has become a family favorite! Happy Thanksgiving! – Meggan

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