Creamy Grape Salad

My Creamy Grape Salad is a study in contrasts – sweet and creamy, crispy and soft, nutty and fruity all in one recipe. It’s a delightful side dish for a summer cookout or to take to a potluck dinner.

If you haven’t heard of southern grape salad before, do I have a treat waiting for you! This unusual combination of cream cheese, sour cream, brown sugar, and toasted pecans with fresh grapes will excite your taste buds with its sweet-tart-crispy-crunchy combination.

I enjoy the mixture of textures as much as the variety of flavors in this salad. The crisp red and green grapes pair perfectly with the crunchy toasted pecans and the smooth cream cheese mixture.

Grape salad with cream cheese is a favorite for family get-togethers, lunch with friends, or to take to new neighbors on the block.

Why We Love This Recipe

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• No Cooking Required
• Quick and Easy
• Kid-Friendly
• Make-Ahead

About the Ingredients

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• Grapes (I often use a mixture of green and red grapes for this southern grape salad. Choose any seedless grapes that are fresh and crisp.)
• Cream Cheese (The most important thing to remember in making this recipe is to have the cream cheese at room temperature.)
• Toasted Pecans (Substitute walnuts if you prefer. Nuts are easy to toast in a skillet over medium-low heat or in the oven at 350 for a few minutes.)

How to Make Southern Grape Salad

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There are a couple of quick items of prep work you’ll need to do before you start making the recipe.

• First, take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator so it can come to room temperature (it’ll take about 30 minutes).
• Second, toast the pecans. You can toast pecans quickly in a dry skillet over medium heat (just stir them frequently for about 5 minutes or until you smell a roasted nut aroma, or put them in the oven in a shallow pan at 350 for about 5 minutes). Let the nuts cool to room temperature.

STEP 1. Remove the grapes from their vines. Wash thoroughly with cold water. Allow the grapes to dry completely before proceeding with the recipe. 

TIP: Spread the grapes out on a layer of paper towel to speed up the drying time.

STEP 2. Add the cream cheese and sour cream to a medium bowl. Use an electric mixer on medium-low speed (or a wooden spoon or spatula) to mix until thoroughly combined and no lumps remain.

STEP 3. Add the sugar and vanilla to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until well incorporated.

STEP 4. Add the dry grapes to the cream cheese mixture. Fold until the grapes are completely coated.

TIP: If the grapes are wet, the cream cheese mixture won’t adhere.

STEP 5. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour and up to three hours.

STEP 6. When ready to serve, garnish with chopped, toasted pecans and brown sugar.

Options

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• Substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
• If serving children, consider cutting the grapes in half before mixing them into the recipe.
• Pecans can be expensive in some areas. Walnuts are a good substitute.
• Toffee Bits are a fun addition in place of the brown sugar topping.

Recipe Tips

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• Be sure to use seedless grapes.
• The salad may be served immediately, but a couple of hours of chilling time improves the flavors.
• The grapes must be completely dry for the creamy dressing to adhere to them.
• Using full-fat sour cream and cream cheese will result in the best consistency.

Storage

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This easy grape salad is best prepared and enjoyed the same day. Leftovers can be stored for a short time in an airtight container in the refrigerator but the cream cheese mixture begins to thin out and become watery after a day.

How to Make Ahead

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You can make your grape salad up to three hours ahead and let it chill until you’re ready to serve.

How to Prep Ahead

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To prepare the salad more than a few hours in advance, I’d advise washing and drying the grapes and making the cream cheese and sour cream mixture. Store these in separate containers and combine them an hour or two ahead of serving time.

Recipe