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Infuse fall flavors into your summery coleslaw with this easy Apple Coleslaw recipe that’s coated in a zippy honey mustard dressing. This make-ahead salad recipe takes just 5 minutes to prepare!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Apple cider vinegar: In addition to lending a lovely tangy flavor to the dressing, this helps prevent the apples from browning as you store this make-ahead coleslaw recipe.
- Coleslaw mix: A 16-ounce bag of store-bought coleslaw mix is the key to the super-speedy prep time (just 5 minutes!). Or, substitute a pound of fresh cabbage and shred it yourself (I recommend steering clear of the food processor which will pulverize or “rice” the leaves rather than shredding them). Many coleslaw mixes also include shredded carrots which you can purchase in the produce department or julienne carrots by hand.
- Apples: Any crispy variety will do. For a more sweet flavor, try Gala, Fuji, or Jonagold. Or if sweet-tart results, opt for Granny Smith, McIntosh, Cortland, or Braeburn.
Step-by-step instructions
- To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, honey, mustard, poppy seeds, and salt and pepper (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Cover and chill until serving time or up to 3 days in advance.
- In a large bowl, add coleslaw mix, apples, scallions, cranberries, and almonds. Drizzle with dressing to taste and toss to combine.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 10 (1-cup) side dish-sized servings.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: This is one salad recipe that actually tastes better made at least a few hours early; this allows the dressing to work its magic and the flavors to blend beautifully. Plus coleslaw is even more refreshing served chilled. Toss together this Apple Coleslaw up to 3 days early, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until mealtime.
- More mix-ins: Feel free to get creative with the crunchy and sweet elements. In addition to (or as a replacement for) the cranberries and almonds, try toasted walnuts, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, or dried figs. Crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese would also taste incredible in the mix, too.
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Apple Coleslaw
Infuse fall flavors into your summery coleslaw with this easy Apple Coleslaw recipe that's coated in a zippy honey mustard dressing. This make-ahead salad recipe takes just 5 minutes to prepare!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces coleslaw mix (see note 2)
- 2 apples peeled, cored, and julienned (see note 3)
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, honey, mustard, poppy seeds, and salt and pepper (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Cover and chill until serving time or up to 3 days in advance.
- In a large bowl, add coleslaw mix, apples, scallions, cranberries, and almonds. Drizzle with dressing to taste and toss to combine.
Notes
- Apple cider vinegar: In addition to lending a lovely tangy flavor to the dressing, this helps prevent the apples from browning as you store this make-ahead coleslaw recipe.
- Coleslaw mix: A 16-ounce bag of store-bought coleslaw mix is the key to the super-speedy prep time (just 5 minutes!). Or, substitute a pound of fresh cabbage and shred it yourself (I recommend steering clear of the food processor which will pulverize or “rice” the leaves rather than shredding them). Many coleslaw mixes also include shredded carrots which you can purchase in the produce department orjulienne carrots by hand.
- Apples: Any crispy variety will do. For a more sweet flavor, try Gala, Fuji, or Jonagold. Or if sweet-tart results, opt for Granny Smith, McIntosh, Cortland, or Braeburn.
- Yield: This recipe makes 10 (1-cup) side dish-sized servings.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: This is one salad recipe that actually tastes better made at least a few hours early; this allows the dressing to work its magic and the flavors to blend beautifully. Plus coleslaw is even more refreshing served chilled. Toss together this Apple Coleslaw up to 3 days early, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until mealtime.
- More mix-ins: Feel free to get creative with the crunchy and sweet elements. In addition to (or as a replacement for) the cranberries and almonds, try toasted walnuts, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, or dried figs. Crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese would also taste incredible in the mix, too.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 230kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 4gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 86mgPotassium: 233mgFiber: 4gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 155IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is the Executive Chef and CEO of Culinary Hill, a popular digital publication in the food space. She loves to combine her Midwestern food memories with her culinary school education to create her own delicious take on modern family fare. Millions of readers visit Culinary Hill each month for meticulously-tested recipes as well as skills and tricks for ingredient prep, cooking ahead, menu planning, and entertaining. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the iCUE Culinary Arts program at College of the Canyons.
Love this recipe. Best I’ve made.
The colors in this salad are awesome! I used half green and half purple cabbage for a little more jazz. Wonderful recipe!
Tried this recipe and it was terrific. Will be making it again.