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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.
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!
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 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
- 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 ½ 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 don’t fight for the crunchy nuts and brown sugar.
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Easy Grape Salad
Ingredients
- 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
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped (see note 3)
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
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.
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!!!
Great substitution! I’m so glad you liked it! -Meggan
I made this & I put 2 apples diced in with the grapes I was delicious !!
Happy you loved it, Vickie! – Meggan
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!
I started making this about a month ago. It has become the family favorite.
I am making a double size for Thanksgiving.
Thank you for sharing, Gina! I’m so happy this has become a family favorite! Happy Thanksgiving! – Meggan
Delicious! Everyone loved it.
I’m so happy everyone loved it, James! Take care! – Meggan
I would specify that in step one you only use the white sugar, and not the brown
Thanks, Ericka! – Meggan
Wonderful..I added some sweet apples,only because I wanted to use them up. Really a good salad, or a desert served with a homemade muffin. Thanks!
I’m so happy you loved the grape salad, Cathy! You’re welcome! – Meggan
I make this for every family event and it disappears! My daughter calls it “cheesecake grapes.”
I love it! That’s wonderful! I appreciate you sharing this with me. Take care! – Meggan
To say this was a hit at our community’s Memorial Day picnic, is an understatement. Multiple people wanted the recipe and others raved about it! I used half red and half green grapes. I cut the grapes in half. As suggested by others, I served it in a 10 x 13 and I didn’t put the topping on it until I put it on the buffet table.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Lynda! I’m so glad it was a hit! Take care! – Meggan
Great salad. Used pecans and added extra and made it a hit
Thanks Amanda! Glad you enjoyed. – Meggan
I have made this many times. I prefer to mix the brown sugar and nuts in with the salad for a more uniform taste. It is still crunchy and people seem to love it.
Thanks Sharon, that sounds great too! Glad you liked it. – Meggan
If I am making this the night before, is it best to wait to put the topping on the next day an hour before it is served? Wasn’t sure if the nuts would get soggy if left overnight?
Hi Tiffany, it should be fine but if you are worried about it you can add them right before. Hope this helps! – Meggan
Several years ago, the NYTimes ran an article that shared traditional Thanksgiving dishes from all 50 states. Minnesota was assigned this grape salad, saying it was traditional and everyone served it. I’ve lived in Minnesota my whole life and never had even seen grape salad at a church basement funeral luncheon, let alone Thanksgiving.
Clearly, the NYTimes got that all wrong and it should have been assigned to Wisconsin…..
We had this exact recipe at a baby shower at my friends house in Hudson, WI and it was delicious. She used frozen grapes and it was so refreshing!
I have found that the brown sugar gets runny if you put it on when mixing. I usually let them put it on themselves. Especially if you are taking it somewhere & are unsure if Somerton has a nut allergy. I have been making this for years. Kids loved it & now grandkids love it.
Soo easy, soo tasty! Everyone loved it!
Hi Julie! I’m so glad everyone loved it! – Meggan
Love this salad It is easy to make and is very refreshing. I have a question – do you think it could be frozen?
Hi Iris, I’m so happy you love it! I don’t know for sure that it would freeze well due to the sour cream and cream cheese. Cream cheese definitely can separate some when it is frozen (I usually mix it well after I’ve frozen it to make it consistent and not lumpy.) I haven’t tried to freeze this, so I cannot say for sure it can. Sorry about that! – Meggan
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 … 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! – 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 table… I’ve never seen this grape salad dish before and I’ve lived in Minnesota my whole life?
Maybe it’s 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 it’s a Minnesota classic and equally scandalous (no wait – MORE scandalous, because snicker bars covered in Cool Whip…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. 🙂
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. That’s 4 ounces of grapes (plus the cream cheese/sugar/nut topping). I’d 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!
I’m 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! It’s so good and just the easiest thing around. 🙂
Oh I’m having a serious flash back. My grandma made something like this too, but it’s been forever since I’ve had it. Thanks, Meggan!
I have never seen or heard of anything like this before! I must have been living under a rock, lol! It sounds fantastic! I’ve just gotta give it a try 😉
Meggan, what an interesting salad/dessert (!!)
I think we’ll call it salad and then we can eat as much of it as we like! 🙂
Ok. Grape salad is honestly one of my favorite summer side dishes, and I have never made it! Totally adding this to the old pinterest queue. Thanks for sharing girlfriend!
It looks fantastic Meggan! I’m always looking for new salad ideas 🙂
Aww Meggan, thank you for sharing this brilliant grape salad and, what is more, for making it easy! 🙂
Lazy Penguins
I’ve been thinking of grape salad lately! A girl I used to work with made a great one, but I did not remember the recipe! So glad you posted it Meggan, pinned to try it!
Grandma’s know how to do it right, my grandma used to break out the posh dishes too. I like to think it was just for us, but I think it was just an excuse to use the nice dishes. I love a fruit dessert, so I think this would be a great dessert for me.
What a great fruit salad for the spring and summer!! your grandmother knew what’s up by serving this. . I’d say nothing beats a dessert/salad combo! and I could throw in all sorts of berries and bananas too, right? I love this!
What a lovely salad from your grandmother! Salad or dessert, it looks fantastic. And I bet it makes for a wonderful breakfast too!