Grape Salad is an easy classic potluck dessert that tastes like part fruit salad and part cheesecake with a crunch brown sugar pecan topping.
This recipe is a classic throwback American comfort food dessert recipe like Watergate Salad, Ambrosia Salad and Frog’s Eye Salad that I shared earlier this year. A little less healthy (but not too unhealthy!) than your classic Fruit Salad, this is a still a fun family favorite you can serve this summer without heating up your oven!
GRAPE SALAD RECIPEWe love when fun easy recipes come together without a lot of work. This creamy Grape Salad Recipe happens to be a classic one that we didn’t need to re-invent the wheel on. It is part fruit salad, part no bake cheesecake, and part brown sugar pecan topping.
This “salad” is the perfect side dish to your easy spring and summer picnics. It keeps well if added to lunchboxes and it’s the perfect substitute for the dreaded canned fruit cocktail.
This recipe is huge hit with the kids during Easter, sometimes served with chopped candy bars (Snickers or Mars bars), it is one of the easier desserts we serve during the holiday and we get to avoid buying Peeps (although we do love making Homemade Marshmallows).
How to make Grape Salad:
- Wash and dry your red grapes and green grapes well, then cut them in half.
- Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Toss cream cheese mixture with grapes in a large bowl.
- Top with brown sugar and chopped pecans.
The best part about this easy dessert is how quick it is, there is no baking involved so you don’t have to heat up your kitchen, it’s just a few ingredients mixed together and tossed with some grapes. While I love (LOVE!) my New York Cheesecake recipe, you get such fun easy cheesecake flavors from this recipe with almost none of the effort.
And if you want a second no bake easy grape dessert you HAVE to check out my Sour Patch Grapes which are a kid favorite and have been one of the most popular desserts on the site since I posted them. Just look how pretty they are!
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More Easy Side Dishes: I have all your CLASSIC summer favorites. Skip the deli counter.
- Potato Salad – This is your classic potato salad you grew up on.
- Macaroni Salad – Nothing fancy, 15 minutes for the perfect macaroni salad.
- Cole Slaw – Make this a few hours ahead, but it only takes 5 minutes to make!
- Baked Beans – These are AWARD WINNING baked beans – multiple awards.
- Baked Mac and Cheese – The best, cheesiest, most amazing mac and cheese ever.
- Pasta Salad – Quick, easy, perfect pasta salad with either bottled or homemade dressing options!
Tips/Tricks for the Perfect Grape Salad:
- Cut your grapes in half – whole grapes are a choking hazard and also are a bit larger than a comfortable bite.
- Make sure your cream cheese is softened (room temperature is best) or your mixture will have lumps. I sometimes microwave it with a moist paper towel over it on half power to make sure it is not cold.
- Lighten the recipe by using greek yogurt or light cream cheese in place of the sour cream and whole fat cream cheese.
- For a deeper flavor swap honey for the white sugar.
- Refrigerate the grape salad until serving time but add the brown sugar and pecans right before serving.
- Do not freeze this salad, it will not thaw well.
- Do not make this salad the day before serving, the grapes will soften too much.
- For a lighter texture you could also whip together cream cheese and cool whip (homemade recipe) and skip the sugar.
Grape Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 pounds green seedless grapes
- 2 pounds red seedless grapes
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans , chopped
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract until completely smooth.
- Add in the grapes and toss well.
- Garnish with brown sugar and chopped pecans.
love it
Love the flavor combos in this salad, so easy to make and so tasty!
So glad you loved it, Billy!
I like to make it a day ahead in an 8×8 square pan and spread the pecans and brown sugar on top, refrigerate over night or several hours so the topping will meld into the salad. It is very popular in potlucks. It’s one of our Christmas salads.
So glad everyone loves it!
What a delicious, fun summer salad! I am making this for another party this weekend!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the 5 stars.
Totally love this salad. So good.
Thanks, Becky!
This looks perfect for the summer! Can’t wait to try it!
I hope you enjoy it, Julie.
Nom nom!! Why do grapes taste so delicious in salads?! The brown sugar & nuts on top are a delicious bonus!
It’s such a great combo! So glad you loved it, Kristyn.