Recipe for Grape Salad

When it comes to potlucks, BBQs, or any gathering that calls for a crowd-pleasing side, salads are my forteโ€”and this grape salad is the ultimate showstopper with readers raving: โ€œHave made this several times now, and it is always a hit with everyone. So easy and delicious.โ€ โ€œA big thumbs up. Easy to make and loved by everyone.โ€ ย โ€œIt was SO good! Thanks for another amazing recipe!!โ€

Iโ€™ve dialed this party pleaser into the ideal mix of juicy, crisp grapes, luscious creaminess (with VANILLA YOGURT instead of sour cream), and a sweet crunch that keeps everyone coming back for more. Itโ€™s easy to make, irresistibly refreshing, and guaranteed to steal the spotlight at your next get-together!

up close of best grape salad with brown sugar and pecans


 

Easy Grape Salad

With years of experience creating party-perfect recipes that disappear fast, I know you’ll LOVE this grape salad-just read the reviews! Here’s why it’s “always a big hit!”:

  • Creamy Meets Refreshing: Juicy, plump grapes are coated in a luscious cream cheese and vanilla yogurt dressing, which is the perfect balance of fruity freshness and dessert-like indulgenceโ€”ideal for hot days and heavy meals.
  • Crowd-Pleasing Texture: A sprinkle of brown sugar and crunchy pecans on top adds a satisfying contrast that elevates it to the next level.
  • Minimal Chopping: When did you last make a salad without chopping?!ย  You do have to chop the nuts, but thatโ€™s it!
  • Five-Minute Prep: It’s the last-minute, 5-minute answer to “What should I bring to?”
  • Stays Fresh: Unlike most salads, this grape salad doesn’t wilt! The grapes NEVER get soggy, just better with time!
  • Make Ahead Friendly: Prep it hours (or even a day) in advance so itโ€™s chilled, melded, and ready to serve stress-free.
  • Versatile For Any Occasion: Whether you’re headed to a potluck, BBQ, baby shower, or holiday party, this dish fits right in and gets rave reviews.
top shot of creamy grape salad in a metal bowl with chopped toasted pecans
ingredient icon

Ingredients for Grape Salad

If you havenโ€™t heard of Grape Salad before, itโ€™s a Midwest stapleโ€”and itโ€™s a staple for a reason.ย There are many variations, but I love mine the most, which uses vanilla yogurt instead of sour cream. Here’s what you’ll need (full measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):

  • Grapes (red and/or green)
  • Cream cheese
  • Vanilla yogurt
  • Granulated sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Pecans

I was a little skeptical the first time I was making Grape Salad but OH MY YUM, it is amazing.ย  The cream cheese, vanilla yogurt, and sugar whip together to create a cheesecake-like dressing that is sweet, rich and creamy with a slight tang.ย  The dressing is decadent but light at the same time and the perfect compliment to the sweet, chilled crisp grapes.ย 

up close of green and red grapes for Grape Salad- ingredients for grape salad
up close of best grape salad with brown sugar and pecans

Grape Salad with Yogurt Dressing

In my Grape Salad research, I was surprised to discover that all the popular recipes used sour cream instead of vanilla yogurt. However, when you look at the ingredient list, sour cream + sugar + vanilla extract = sour cream that tastes like vanilla yogurt. It just made sense to me to swap out the sour cream and vanilla extract for vanilla yogurt and use less sugar.

The results were as sensational as I expected because vanilla yogurt alone is one of the planet’s most delicious, silky, sweet foods.ย  I used nonfat vanilla yogurt and couldnโ€™t tell the difference in the thick, silky creaminess of the dressing.

Using vanilla yogurt also makes me feel slightly less guilty about devouring this Grape Salad at any hour of the day and in any quantity because I can inhale a huge bowl in one sitting. And I have, will, and want to right now.

showing how to make grape salad by beat cream cheese, sour cream and sugar until smooth in a glass bowl

How to Make Grape Salad with Cream Cheese

Let’s take a closer look at how to make this recipe with step-by-step photos (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

  1. Wash and thoroughly dry grapes. Remove stems. Make sure grapes are completely dry so they donโ€™t water down the dressing and cause the dressing to not cling properly to the grapes.

2.ย  Beat cream cheese, vanilla yogurt, granulated sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. To soften cream cheese, place block (WITHOUT foil) on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for about 15 seconds.

Showing how to make grape salad by adding cream cheese, yogurt and sugar to a glass bowl

3.  Add cream cheese dressing to grapes and fold in grapes until evenly coated.

pouring cream cheese dressing over grapes showing how to make grape salad
mixing grapes with cream cheese yogurt dressing showing how to make easy grape salad

4.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, preferable overnight

5.  Just before servings, sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans.

creamy grape salad in a silver bowl with brown sugar and pecans with cream cheese dressing

Grape Salad Recipe Variations

I find this Grape Salad recipe perfect in itโ€™s simplicity but there are also endless possibilities to customize your Grape Salad.  Here are just a few ideas:

  • Grape Salad with shredded cheddar (like Paula Deanโ€™s)
  • Use toasted walnuts
  • Use slivered almonds
  • Add toasted coconut
  • Add strawberries
  • Add apples
  • Add blueberries
  • Add pineapple
  • Add chopped Snickers
  • Add crushed Butterfingers

faqs

How long do you CHILL GRAPE SALAD?

You will want to chill your Grape Salad for at least one hour but chilling overnight is highly preferable.ย  Chilling promotes flavor melding and allows both the grapes and the dressing to chill for far superior taste. ย The grapes stay fresh and crisp and just get cooler AKA better the longer the salad chills.

I love that you can make this Grape Salad ahead of time for the perfect stress free potluck or dinner side AND that it actually tastes better the longer it chills.ย  ย There are very few salads, like my Italian Pasta Salad with Tortellini that stay fresh and ALL the ingredients taste better the next day.

HOW MANY CUPS ARE IN A POUND OF GRAPES?

For this Grape Salad recipe, we use 4 pounds of grapes.ย  1 pound of seedless grapes contains about 2.5 cups of grapes so you will need want 10 cups of grapes for this Grape Salad Recipe.

What Grapes are best for Grape Salad?

Did you know there are over 10,000 varieties of grapes in the world?ย  So while you can make an all red grape salad or all green grape salad, I prefer to use at least 2 of the grape varieties in the world and use half red grapes and half green grapes.

Feel free, however, to use whatever SEEDLESS grapes you find at your grocery store from white grapes to tiny champagne grapes to witch fingers grapes.ย  Using a variety of grapes will not only make for a colorful, beautiful salad but will add varying textures and sweetness.

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ยฉCarlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com

up close of best grape salad with silver tongs
creamy grape salad in a silver bowl with brown sugar and pecans with cream cheese dressing

Grape Salad Recipe

Grape Salad is the EASIEST โ€œsaladโ€ you will ever make with only 5 minutes of prep!ย  Its an intoxicating blend of juicy, fresh grapes enveloped in lusciously creamy yogurt dressing sprinkled with brown sugar and pecans that is wonderfully easy and positively addicting.ย ย Itโ€™s simple, sweet and creamy, cool and refreshing and so good I was eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner because the cravings would.not.stop.ย  It keeps fabulously well, make ahead friendly and can be served as a side dish or dessert for all your summer potlucks.ย 
Servings: 12 -16 servings
Total Time: 6 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes

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Ingredients

  • 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt nonfat is fine
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 pounds green grapes rinsed and patted dry stems removed
  • 2 pounds red grapes rinsed and patted dry stems removed
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Dry the grapes very well, then set aside.
  • Beat cream cheese, vanilla yogurt, granulated sugar, and lemon juice until smooth.
  • Fold in grapes until evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, best if overnight.
  • Just before serving, sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans.
  • Salad keeps beautifully for 5 days.

Notes

  • You will need 10 cups of grapes for this recipe.
  • You can use any of combo of seedless grapes from all red or all green to half red and half green or a mixture of other varieties of SEEDLESS grapes.
  • Dry your grapes thoroughly so they donโ€™t water down the dressing
  • You can customize how much sugar you use in this recipe to suit your own taste and the sweetness of your grapes.
  • I used non fat vanilla yogurt and full-fat cream cheese. If you want to use less fat cream cheese, just be aware your dressing might be runnier.

You can customize your Grape Salad with any of the following ad-ins:

  • shredded cheddar (like Paula Deanโ€™s)
  • toasted walnuts
  • slivered almonds
  • toasted coconut
  • strawberries
  • blueberries
  • pineapple
  • Snickers
  • Butterfingers

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Reader Interactions

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28 Comments

  1. Kat Baker says

    This looks so good and refreshing, I cannot wait to try it! (Just a heads up, I think there might be a boo-boo at the top of the article about the amount of grapes needed. It says,”For this Grape Salad recipe, we use 4 pounds of grapes. 1 pound of seedless grapes contains about 2.5 cups of grapes so you will need want 10 POUNDS of grapes for this Grape Salad Recipe”.) ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Jen says

      I think you will LOVE it! Thanks for the heads up – that’s what I get for rushing to post before leaving the country! Thanks, all fixed!

  2. Rachel says

    Did you mean 10 CUPS of grapes in the first paragraphโ€”not 10 POUNDS?

    • Jen says

      Absolutely, thank you for catching that!

  3. Trisha says

    Wow. I have never heard of grape salad. Sounds amazing! I love fruit salads but this sounds way easier without all of then fruit chopping. Thanks for posting!

    • Jen says

      You are so welcome Trisha, I am SO excited for you to make this – it is SO good and SO easy!

  4. Joyce says

    Am I missing the amounts for the ingredients other than the grapes? How much yogurt, sugar, etc.

    • Jen says

      Yes, the entire recipe ingredients and instructions are listed in the recipe.

  5. Aline says

    Have made this several times now and it is always a hit with everyone. So easy and delicious.

    • Jen says

      Thank you for taking the time to comment Aline, I’m so pleased to hear it’s a repeat fav!

  6. Pat says

    Best Creamy Grape Salad gets a big thumbs up. Easy to make and loved by everyone. I was making it so often that I tried changing it a little and used coconut yogurt in place of the vanilla and loved it even more.

    • Jen says

      Thanks so much for the glowing review Pat, I love to hear it’s a repeat favorite! Your use of coconut yogurt sounds fabulous!

  7. Nancy says

    This sounds fabulous, cannot wait to make it. Plan to take to a Fourth of July party with red and green seedless grapes and the additions of Blue Berries – for a patriotic look of red, white & blue!

    • Jen says

      I love your patriotic spin on this salad – yum!

  8. Melissa says

    Just made this for the 4th! It was a huge hit!! Instead of adding the nuts I added homemade granola!! It was SO good! Thanks for another amazing recipe!!

    • Jen says

      I’m so pleased this was a huge hit and I love the addition of granola – yum!

  9. Mability says

    We have a New Year celebration each year with lots of asian foods. The food we make is quite salty and/or hot. This grape salad was a perfect side and/or desert for us. This is so easy to make and didn’t get soggy. Had a little left over the next day and it was still fresh.

    You’re right the key is to make sure the grapes are dry before mixing. I also didn’t need the brown sugar because the grapes are so sweet and large right now.

    I love your salads!

    • Jen says

      What a great idea to bring to an Asian themed night – the salad literally goes with everything! I’m so pleased it was a hit! Happy 2023!

  10. Mary says

    I always adds a diced apple to it. Give a little crunch to it. Never thought of using vanilla yogurt, good idea.

    • Jen says

      Thanks, Mary! Your addition of a diced apple to add some crunch sounds delicious!

  11. DMills says

    Iโ€™m going to try this recipe soon! I used to work at a SNF that made this and it was delicious!

    • Jen says

      Hi Destiny! I’m excited to hear how you like it!

  12. Lindsey says

    This salad is so simple and so good! (Two things I love!) I could tell my husband was a bit skeptical when I sent it with him to his conference potluck, but he called in between meetings just to tell me he loved it, that it was a huge hit, and that there were no leftovers to bring home. Thanks for another keeper! We love your recipes!

    • Jen says

      Yay! Thank you so much for your fantastic review, Lindsey! I am thrilled this is a keeper and that it was such a hit with everyone!

  13. Cindy B says

    I LOOOOOVE SEASONAL FRUIT SALADS AND CAME TO A SKIDDING HALT WHEN I CAME ACROSS YOUR GRAPE SALAD WITH GREEK YOGURT DRESSING. IT REMINDED ME VERY MUCH OF ANOTHER FRUIT BASED SALAD THAT I MAKE OFTEN AS IT’S NOT ONLY A FAVORITE OF MINE, BUT OF MY FRIENDS, AS WELL. I JUST CHECKED MY SAVED RECIPE LOG TO SEE WHERE I’D FOUND IT & LO AND BEHOLD, IT’S YOURS!!! KEY LIME YOGURT FRUIT SALAD! IT’S THE BOMB! ;o) (Sorry, I just realized I was “yelling” at you with CAP letters. lol

    • Jen says

      YAY! I’m so happy that you’ve found such a favorite recipe here!

  14. Sandy says

    Made this as written for party and it was a big hit! Another keeper Jen โค๏ธ

    • Jen says

      Yay! Thank you so much, Sandy, Iโ€™m thrilled this was such a hit with everyone! I am so happy this Salad will be a repeat recipe for you!