When it comes to potlucks, BBQs, or any gathering that calls for a crowd-pleasing side, salads are my forte—and this grape salad is the ultimate showstopper with readers raving: “Have made this several times now, and it is always a hit with everyone. So easy and delicious.” “A big thumbs up. Easy to make and loved by everyone.” “It was SO good! Thanks for another amazing recipe!!”
I’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. It’s easy to make, irresistibly refreshing, and guaranteed to steal the spotlight at your next get-together!
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!”:
Ingredients for Grape Salad
If you haven’t heard of Grape Salad before, it’s a Midwest staple—and it’s a staple for a reason. 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):
I was a little skeptical the first time I was making Grape Salad but OH MY YUM, it is amazing. 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. The dressing is decadent but light at the same time and the perfect compliment to the sweet, chilled crisp grapes.
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. I used nonfat vanilla yogurt and couldn’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.
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):
- Wash and thoroughly dry grapes. Remove stems. Make sure grapes are completely dry so they don’t water down the dressing and cause the dressing to not cling properly to the grapes.
2. 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.
3. Add cream cheese dressing to grapes and fold in grapes until evenly coated.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, preferable overnight
5. Just before servings, sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans.
Grape Salad Recipe Variations
I find this Grape Salad recipe perfect in it’s simplicity but there are also endless possibilities to customize your Grape Salad. Here are just a few ideas:
faqs
You will want to chill your Grape Salad for at least one hour but chilling overnight is highly preferable. Chilling promotes flavor melding and allows both the grapes and the dressing to chill for far superior taste. 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. There are very few salads, like my Italian Pasta Salad with Tortellini that stay fresh and ALL the ingredients taste better the next day.
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 cups of grapes for this Grape Salad Recipe.
Did you know there are over 10,000 varieties of grapes in the world? 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. Using a variety of grapes will not only make for a colorful, beautiful salad but will add varying textures and sweetness.
LOOKING FOR MORE SUMMER SIDE DISH RECIPES?
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Fruit Salad with Honey Citrus Vinaigrette
BLT Pasta Salad with Creamy Lemon Chive Dressing
Strawberry Avocado Broccoli Salad
Pina Colada Fruit Salad
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Grilled Caramelized Pineapple
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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 don’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 Dean’s)
- toasted walnuts
- slivered almonds
- toasted coconut
- strawberries
- blueberries
- pineapple
- Snickers
- Butterfingers
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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”.) 🙂
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!
Rachel says
Did you mean 10 CUPS of grapes in the first paragraph—not 10 POUNDS?
Jen says
Absolutely, thank you for catching that!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
DMills says
I’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!
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!
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!
Sandy says
Made this as written for party and it was a big hit! Another keeper Jen ❤️
Jen says
Yay! Thank you so much, Sandy, I’m thrilled this was such a hit with everyone! I am so happy this Salad will be a repeat recipe for you!