Creamy Grape Salad Recipe - made with soft cream cheese, chopped pecans, and a touch of brown sugar. It is the kind of recipe that stays in a family for generations to come. This recipe for grape salad is quick to make and easy to take to picnics, family gatherings, and church events, too.
A Grape Salad with Cream Cheese goes well with any delicious spring or summer dish and is even better as an easy dessert. Add it to the table alongside Easy Chicken Pot Pie and some delicious Skillet Cornbread for an easy weeknight meal!
Why you’ll love this Recipe!
- Simple Recipe: Measure and mix are almost all you have to do for this delicious and refreshing grape salad recipe.
- Irresistibly Fresh: When Spring rolls around, I am ready for fresh fruits and crisp salads! Creamy Grape Salad is the best of both!
- Make it a Meal: Get creative with this recipe and add some sliced grilled chicken or shrimp over the top for a complete dish.
Grape Cream Cheese Salad is not only yummy, but it is visually pleasing too. For this recipe, you can choose a combination of red and green grapes, or change it up to fit the theme of your gathering.
For the 4th of July, Memorial Day, or Labor Day I might even try red grapes with blueberries to add more all-American red-white-and-blue to the table. Since grape salad with brown sugar is so simple to make, you can take the time to be a little creative with this one!
Ingredients
Just looking at these ingredients makes my heart ready for family meals and fresh goodness! I like to serve it as both a side dish and as a dessert. But you can choose how your family likes to indulge in a creamy fresh fruit salad!
How to make Creamy Grape Salad Recipe
✱ Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact ingredients and instructions!
Step 1 | Mixing the Cream Cheese Mixture
In a large mixing bowl, add cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat the ingredients together with a mixer until smooth and fluffy.
Step 2 | Add the Grapes
Wash and pat dry the grapes so the creamy mixture does not get watered down. Stir in the cream cheese mixture and then fold in half of the pecans for that nutty addition. Now you can cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it for at least an hour.
Step 3 | Garnish and Serve
When you are ready to serve the easy grape salad recipe, top the salad with the brown sugar, the rest of the pecans, and a few grapes.
Now, sit back and watch that bowl of grape salad with cream cheese, sour cream, pecans, and brown sugar disappear in a hurry!
Tips
- Toast the Pecans: Bake pecans for 5 to 8 minutes at 350°F for an extra nutty good flavor. Cool before adding them to the grape salad.
- Pat Dry: Don't forget to dry the grapes well after you rinse them so you do not have a runny salad.
- Fold in: When you fold in any ingredients, you mix until just combined using a spatula and a gentle motion. That way you do not break the fruits.
- Individual Servings: Serve in individual dishes for a beautiful presentation. Then you can garnish each one!
- If serving to young kids or toddlers, cut grapes in half or fourths.
Frequently Asked Questions
Good news! This recipe is gluten-free with one adjustment. As long as you use a gf vanilla, this recipe is safe!
It sure can! In fact, it needs to chill for at least an hour. So go ahead and make this a day ahead and garnish when ready to serve.
You bet. You can substitute the sour cream with greek yogurt! Greek yogurt is a tad healthier and is loaded with protein, too.
The answer is YES! It can be either a yummy start to your meal or a delicious fresh dessert to round out any meal.
Variations and Substitutions:
Not only is this fruit salad recipe easy and fresh, but it stores well too. Here are the suggestions I have for storing your grape salad until you are ready to dig in.
Storage
When storing this fresh and creamy fruit salad, keep it refrigerated until time to serve. (Or in the cooler!) Store it covered tightly with plastic wrap or in an air-tight container. Just keep the pecans and brown sugar for the garnish in a separate container until you are ready to serve.
*Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this recipe as it will get runny and might separate on thawing. Keep this one fresh!
What to serve with this Easy Grape Salad Recipe
The sky is the limit here since this grape salad with cream cheese can be served as a side dish or a dessert. It would make a great addition to your Easter meal with Coke and Jelly Ham or at your next summer grill out. Try it when you make Easy Italian Chicken Sausage Sandwiches or Panko Crusted Oven Fried Chicken Drumsticks.
More Fruit Salad Recipes
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Creamy Grape Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened (room temperature)
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 pounds red seedless grapes, rinsed and patted dry
- 2 pounds green seedless grapes, rinsed and patted dry
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup chopped pecans, divided, for extra flavor used toasted pecans
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat together, with an electric hand mixer or using the paddle attachment on the stand mixer, until it is combined together and fluffy.
- Add red and green grapes and mix until they are fully coated. Fold in half of the pecans. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Just before serving top with brown sugar, remaining pecans, and a few grapes for garnish.
✱ Nikki's Tips
Toasted Pecans
For extra added flavor toast the pecans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread pecan halves out in a single layer. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally and keeping a close eye on the nuts. Remove from the oven, let cool, and then chop for the salad.- Pat Dry: Don't forget to dry the grapes well after you rinse them so you do not have a runny salad.
- Fold in: When you fold in any ingredients, you mix until just combined using a spatula and a gentle motion. That way you do not break the fruits.
- Individual Servings: Serve in individual dishes for a beautiful presentation. Then you can garnish each one!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Farah says
Wow! This looks AMAZING. I bet the grapes taste amazing with sour cream and cream cheese, thanks for this recipe!
ieva says
We made it for the first time yesterday, and took it to a potluck dinner! Very nice indeed! I shared your recipe with 5 friends! 🙂
Kris says
This was so unique and refreshing! Will make again.
MacKenzie says
This reminded me of a salad my grandmother used to make. I made this yesterday for family dinner and it tasted the exact same.
Gina Abernathy says
Grape salad is always a hit with my family. I like to make it for get togethers because it seems to be a favorite for dessert. Everyone loves this recipe.