Cranberry-Apple Coleslaw
Cranberry-Apple Coleslaw is my new favorite coleslaw. Not only is this a pretty coleslaw, but the flavors are really delicious! It’s loaded with apples, onion, grapes, and dried cranberries, plus a few other surprises. The flavors all work together, and it’s such a tasty twist on a classic. Perfect on game day, for potlucks, or gatherings of any kind, this coleslaw is a must-try!
This Cranberry-Apple Coleslaw has it all going on! It’s fruity, tangy, crunchy, and fabulous, and the dressing has just the right balance of tang and sweetness. The secret to this coleslaw is to dress it just before serving. Get it all prepped ahead of time, then just dress, toss, and serve!
I use bags of shredded coleslaw mix to really cut down on the prep time. You can shred your own, but these handy pre-shredded bags make this recipe a cinch to make.
This salad makes enough to serve about 10 generous portions. You can divide the recipe in half or just dress what you need and save the rest for a meal the next day.
Speaking of meals, this easy coleslaw recipe can become an entree salad – just add some grilled chicken or shrimp, and you’ll be all set!
Why I love this recipe
- Cranberry-Apple Coleslaw is a delicious and different twist on classic coleslaw!
- Everyone loves this recipe – it’s fabulous around the holidays, for summer BBQs, or anytime you’re craving a fresh and fabulous salad.
- It makes enough to serve a small crowd, which makes it a great pick for entertaining.
Gather these ingredients
- Coleslaw mix – You’ll need 2 14-ounce bags of the 3-color mix. Look for finely shredded.
- Red apples – Diced.
- Red onion – Diced.
- Red grapes – Halved.
- Canned mandarin oranges – 1 small can, drained.
- Dried cranberries
- Toasted pecans – Chopped. I use Trader Joe’s candied pecans; yum!
- Fresh basil – Finely chopped.
<h3>For the dressing:
- Mayonnaise – I use low-fat, but any kind will work.
- Plain yogurt – Or sour cream.
- Balsamic vinegar
- Maple syrup – Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Ground ginger – Dried ground ginger.
- Lemon – The juice from ½ a fresh lemon.
How to make Cranberry-Apple Coleslaw
- Combine the coleslaw shreds, diced apples, diced red onion, halved red grapes, drained mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and fresh basil in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- Combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt and pepper, and dried ginger powder in a small bowl and mix until combined.
- Add the juice from half a lemon and mix well.
- Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the coleslaw and toss gently until combined.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips & substitutions
- I use bagged coleslaw shreds for this recipe. You can shred your own, but the bags make it so much easier!
- I like apples that aren’t too sweet, and that have a good crunch in this coleslaw recipe. Honeycrisp and Gala are great choices. Leave the peel on! Just core and dice.
- If your grapes are smaller, don’t halve them. Just pop them into the mix whole.
- Make the dressing up to 2-3 days in advance, then just toss with the cabbage and coleslaw and serve. It’s that easy!
- Grab an epic salad bowl (ours are out of stock but we hope to have them back in soon – be watching here).
Serving suggestions
Cranberry-Apple Coleslaw is a great side salad. I love serving it with anything off the grill, like these pork tenderloins. It also pairs perfectly with marinated chicken and shrimp tacos. It’s so versatile!
Storage
If your coleslaw has the dressing on it, it’ll keep in the fridge for about a day in advance. You can keep any undressed coleslaw in the fridge for 2-3 days. I’d cut the applet at the last minute to keep it from browning if you don’t plan on serving the leftovers right away.
Check out these awesome coleslaw recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Cranberry Apple Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 2 14 oz. bag 3-color coleslaw mix, we used finely shredded
- 2 large red apples, diced into small pieces
- ½ cup diced red onion, from about ½ of a medium onion
- 1 cup red grapes, halved
- 1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
- ¾ c. dried cranberries
- ¾ c. chopped toasted pecans, we like Trader Joe’s candied pecans
- Fresh basil, finely chopped
Dressing:
- ½ c. low fat mayo
- ⅓ c. plain yogurt or sour cream
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 4 Tbsp. maple syrup
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp. dried, ground ginger
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ lemon, squeezed (juice)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the coleslaw mix. Next add the apples, red onion, red grapes, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and fresh chopped basil.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayo, yogurt, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt, ginger, and black pepper. Mix until combined. Squeeze a half of lemon (juice) into the dressing and mix well.
- Pour dressing over the coleslaw ingredients and gently mix until combined.
- Serve!
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
