This Creamy Grape Salad is a sweet and sour combination of fresh red and green grapes and crunchy pecans covered in delicious cream cheese dressing. Sprinkle with a little brown sugar and enjoy this sweet fruit salad as a side dish or as a dessert.
Creamy Grape Salad Recipe with Cream Cheese
If you’re new to the wonderful world of creamy fruit “salads”, welcome! I’m relatively new here myself, as I was raised eating salads with lettuce or some other type of leafy green. Sometimes my parents got adventurous and made chicken salad, egg salad, or bean salad, but a creamy grape salad? Not once.
A Midwestern staple – the birthplace of both my parents – this makes zero sense. Sheltered from so much of my Midwest heritage, it wasn’t until a small family reunion in Iowa several years ago that I learned about this other, much sweeter, type of salad.
What is Grape Salad
Grape salads are less of a “salad” and more of a sweet side dish or special dessert. Made with grapes and a delicious combination of cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract, it’s basically a cheesecake fruit salad without the graham cracker crust.
Best served chilled, it’s especially delicious served on a hot summer day.
So easy to make, it’s a delicious addition to all of your family get-togethers and summer potlucks.
Ingredients
- Grapes
- Sour cream
- Cream cheese
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Pecans
- Vanilla extract
Feel free to customize how much sugar is added to the cream cheese dressing or how much brown sugar is sprinkled over the top.
Personalize with seasonal fruits like blueberries, mangoes, or strawberries, add a little shredded coconut, or sprinkle with all your favorite nuts or seeds. For an extra sweet treat, crush up and sprinkle your favorite candy bar over the top, like Butterfingers or Snickers, heath bar, toffee bits, and caramel!
How to Make Grape Salad
- Prepare the cream cheese dressing: Use an electric mixer to mix together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. If the cream cheese is not thoroughly softened before mixing, the cream cheese dressing will turn out lumpy.
- Thoroughly wash and dry the grapes – I like to soak my grapes in a large bowl of cold water with 1-2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar for 5 minutes then drain and rinse with fresh water.
- Combine: Add the grapes to the prepared cream cheese mixture and gently toss to coat. Transfer to a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Serve: Just before serving, sprinkle with brown sugar and chopped pecans. Serve and enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may use any color grape (red grapes, green grapes, purple grapes, etc), just be sure that they are all seedless and labeled, “seedless green grapes” or “red seedless grapes”.
While I don’t recommend substituting anything for the cream cheese, you can swap Greek yogurt or cool whip for the sour cream.
Before even trying to mix your cream cheese with the other ingredients, it needs to be brought to room temperature. The easiest way to do this is to remove it from the refrigerator an hour or so before you plan to use it. If you need it right away, you can also zap it in the microwave. Simply remove the cream cheese from the box and foil packaging and place it on a microwave-safe plate or bowl. Microwave at 10-second intervals until the cream cheese is softened and easy to spread.
Yes. You can make this grape salad recipe the night before, however, I’ve found that it’s best to make 1-2 hours before serving. Always cover and keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Yes. I especially recommend slicing your grapes in half if you plan to serve this to small children.
How Long Will Grape Salad Last in the Refrigerator
For best results, enjoy this salad within 2 days. Nuts and seeds will turn stale when refrigerated, so wait to add those until just before serving. I do not recommend freezing this east grape salad with cream cheese.
Have you tried making this Grape Salad Recipe with Cream Cheese?
Tell me about it in the comments below! I always love to hear your thoughts. And tag me #theforkedspoon on Instagram if you’ve made any of my recipes, I always love to see what you’re cooking in the kitchen.
Grape Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese - softened
- ¾ cup sour cream - or plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 pounds seedless grapes - see notes
- 4 tablespoon brown sugar - for topping
- ½ cup pecans - chopped, for topping
Instructions
- Add the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to beat the mixture until smooth and creamy.
- Thoroughly wash and dry your grapes. Add the grapes to the prepared cream cheese mixture and gently toss to coat.
- Transfer to a large serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or until ready to serve.
- Remove from the refrigerator and sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans. Serve and enjoy.
Jessica’s Notes
- I used a combination of red and green grapes. This recipe is great with a mixture of each or just one type.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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