The BEST Creamy Grape Salad with a Crunchy Pecan Topping

Y’all, this grape salad is NOT like an old-fashioned ambrosia salad. It’s so much better and not only does it taste fresh and amazing, it’s super easy to make too! Try my creamy grape salad recipe and you’ll agree – it’s the perfect summer dish and a definite crowd-pleaser!

Grape Salad

Are you looking for the perfect sweet side dish for a family gathering? Forget the simple fruit trays and surprise your guests with grape salad!

My delicious grape salad recipe is like the grown-up, more mature cousin of ambrosia salad. And honestly, it tastes so much better too!

The first time I made it I knew I had a winner.

Why You’ll Love My Grape Salad

This creamy Grape Salad is the perfect fruit salad!

It’s a touch sweet, loaded with juicy grapes, and the crunchy pecans give it a lovely topping. It’s the perfect dish for potlucks, gatherings, or whenever you’re craving a fresh and fabulous salad on a hot summer day.

Y’all, this easy grape salad recipe is so good! I love how fresh tasting it is, and the creamy dressing has just the right amount of sweetness.

This easy salad never fails to impress!

And when I tell people how easy it is, they always want the recipe. Plus, it gets gobbled up by adults and kids, and my family is always requesting this salad.

I also love that I can make it ahead of time. I’ll buy fresh grapes and then the next day make the salad.

It will keep in the fridge for a few days, and it tastes better once the flavors have had a chance to combine, so be sure to make it at least a few hours ahead of time.

Grape Salad Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this easy recipe. You can find the specifics on the recipe card below.

• Seedless green grapes
• Seedless purple grapes
• Softened cream cheese – (I prefer full-fat cream cheese, but you can also use low fat cream cheese.)
• Sour cream – Full fat or low fat
• Sugar – White sugar, granulated
• Vanilla extract – Pure or artificial vanilla extract is fine.
• Brown sugar – Optional; for the topping
• Pecans – Optional; for the topping. Toasted and chopped!

How To Make Grape Salad

Wash the seedless grapes and pat them dry with a paper towel. Make sure to remove all the stems.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with a hand mixer or electric mixer. You can also use the paddle attachment of your stand mixer.

Gently fold the crisp grapes into the cream cheese mixture. Stir gently until the grapes are all coated.

Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Before serving, sprinkle the top of the grape salad with brown sugar and chopped toasted pecans to give it a nice crunchy topping.

Recipe Tips

• Make sure the grapes are seedless!
• Different-sized grapes are fine – don’t worry if the red/purple grapes are larger or smaller than the green ones.
• Ensure your cream cheese is very soft before trying to cream it with the sour cream, or it won’t be smooth. Take it out of the fridge at least an hour before creaming it.
• Give the salad a good stir before serving, and don’t forget the sugary, nutty topping!
• Cut the grapes in half if there will be little ones eating it, to reduce any choking hazard.
• If there are lumps in your dressing, leave it on the counter for 20 minutes to warm up a bit and try mixing it again.
• Make sure your grapes are really dry before adding the cream cheese dressing and it’ll coat them nicely.

Variations

• Swap the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt for a tangier flavor.
• Like it sweeter? Use Cool Whip in place of the sour cream; the salad will be lighter, fluffier, and a bit sweeter.
• You can use all purple or fresh red grapes instead of half and half or all green grapes. It’s just prettier with the two colors of grapes, but they aren’t essential. Just make sure they are whole grapes for the best presentation.
• Consider adding in some chopped up candy bars like Snickers or Heath bars.
• Add additional fruit or berries to the salad, such as strawberries.
• What a little less sugar? You can crush up some graham crackers for the toping instead of using brown sugar. You could also use coconut sugar instead.
• Scrape some fresh vanilla bean and add that in place of or addition to the vanilla extract.
• Use toasted walnuts in place of pecans.

Serving Suggestions

This amazing creamy grape salad is fresh, tangy, sweet, and plenty juicy. I love it on picnics and sharing it at cookouts with other tasty salads, but it’s also great at home with dishes like Crockpot BBQ pork chops, skillet steaks, and alongside chicken burgers.

Storage

This easy Grape Salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Give it a good stir before serving the leftovers. This Grape Salad recipe will not freeze.

More Delicious Salad Recipes

• Snickers Apple Salad
• Mexican Street Corn Salad
• Regina’s Grandmother’s Fruit Salad
• Red White and Blue Fruit Salad

Print Pin

Grape Salad

This creamy Grape Salad is the perfect fruit salad! It’s a touch sweet, plenty juicy, and the pecans give it a lovely crunch. Great for potlucks, gatherings, or whenever you’re craving a fresh and fabulous salad.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds seedless green grapes
• 2 pounds seedless purple grapes
• 8 oz package cream cheese room temperature
• 8 oz container sour cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans optional

Instructions

• Wash the grapes and dry them with paper towels.
• In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Beat well using an electric mixer.
• Gently fold together the cream cheese/sour cream mixture and the grapes until the grapes are thoroughly coated.
• Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Just before serving, sprinkle with the brown sugar and chopped pecans, if using.
• This will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.