Classic Grape Salad

Fresh bursts of sweet grapes coated with rich cream cheese and creamy sour cream create a classic Amish Grape Salad recipe.

Easy Grape Salad Recipe

A combination of red and green grapes are beautiful coated in a creamy dressing. This old-fashioned Amish Grape Salad is so sweet and refreshing it always tastes good!

Plump and juicy fruit juice blends so nicely with the creamy dressing to make an easy grape salad that is delicious!

Like our Amish style Cottage Cheese Salad with Pineapple, the recipes are often served as a side dish, but are certainly sweet enough to be a dessert.

I love sharing this with a crowd as you just see people smile while putting a scoop on their plate. I was honored to share this creamy grape salad at a bridal shower recently. You could just hear the ladies reminiscing about how much they enjoy this vintage recipe and how long it’s been since eating it.

Just like our Red Jello Salad and Candy Land Dessert, food is connected to so many memories of people and good times in our past.

Why This Recipe Works:

• There are so many options, grape salad is easy to customize to fit your preference.
• If you like a crunchy, nutty flavor then sprinkle on a topping right before serving.
• This is a familiar favorite that is popular at picnics, church potlucks, family reunions and bridal showers.
• Since it is perishable with a shorter shelf life, this is a classic homemade recipe that can’t really be store bought.

What Is Grape Salad?

Grape salad is an old fashioned recipe that uses red, green or a combination of grapes and coats them with a rich and creamy, dairy based mixture.

There are several versions that use some combination of cream cheese, sour cream, whipping cream, Cool Whip, Mayonnaise with granulated sugar, powdered sugar and brown sugar.

Some variations have a nut and brown sugar topping. Chopped walnuts or pecans are most popular. Several grape salads don’t have a topping.

Items like mini marshmallows or crushed pineapple can be stirred in, but that is not a traditional recipe.

One reader shares they love tossing grapes in vanilla yogurt and topping with crushed Heath Bars!

Ingredients Needed

• Grapes – we like a combination of evenly sized red and green grapes, but you can use a single variety if you prefer
• Cream cheese – adds a rich flavor that is so memorable
• Sour cream – makes the dressing so creamy
• Granulated sugar – sweetens the homemade dressing and makes it more dessert like
• Light brown sugar – sprinkle on top of the salad as desired
• Chopped walnuts – I like the nutty, crunchy dynamic the nuts add to this salad

How To Make Grape Salad

Rinse and drain all grapes. Gently disconnect grapes from the stems.

Allow fruit to air dry and return to refrigerator to chill.

The dressing will stick better to dry grapes, but it is important to wash produce, so don’t skip that step.

In a small mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar together.

Add sour cream and stir well.

Pour dressing on to grapes in a large mixing bowl. Gently fold grapes into the dressing.

I like to use half of the dressing to start. This enables me to get a better balance of grapes to creamy dressing.

The color of grapes should be visible, but there should be a nice coating of dressing on every side of each grape. Add a little more dressing as needed.

I have found that pouring all of the dressing on all of the grapes doesn’t always create the best ratio of ingredients. Rather adding a little at a time helps me make the best grape salad!

Pour into serving container, cover and chill.

Chilling the serving container will extend the amount of time that the grapes stay cool while being served.

Mix together brown sugar and chopped walnuts and store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Sprinkle the brown sugar topping evenly on top just before serving.

A Big Batch For A Crowd

Grape salad fits in great as a side dish or dessert at a party. Serve in a large decorative bowl or aluminum foil pans for easy clean up.

If servers are available it’s great to pour the grape salad into smaller, clear plastic cups.

4 pounds of large grapes easily serve 30 – 40 people because not everyone takes a scoop of salad.

How Long Does Grape Salad Last?

Grape salad is best served and stored chilled with topping sprinkled on within and hour of eating it.

This fruit salad gets runny as it warms up, so keep chilled.

Can Grape Salad Be Made Ahead?

Grapes can be removed from the stems, washed and air dried ahead of time. Cover and chill for 2 – 3 days.

The dressing can be mixed up a day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in a separate container from the grapes.

The topping can also be mixed up and stored in an airtight bag or container until an hour before serving.

A Large Serving Dish vs. Individual Cups

Individual cups can make going through line much easier, but they are tricky to fill as the dressing sticks and runs down the side.

Serving cups need to be made on sight as they are also difficult to store in a regular refrigerator or transport to a party.

A large serving dish that can sit in the refrigerator works best for us as people can choose how many grapes they want and the presentation is better.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Keep the salad chilled once it’s mixed together – it gets a little runny as it warms up.
• Sprinkle topping on as close to serving time as possible.
• Chill serving container and transport in a cooler to keep as cool as possible until time to use.
• A medium serving spoon works better than a large spoon as it is less likely to fall out of a dish that sits up off of the counter.
• We prefer using red and green grapes for more eye appeal, find evenly sized grapes of different colors for best results.

More Old-Fashioned Recipes

Pistachio Pudding Cake reminds you of a Sunday afternoon dinner at grandma’s house or a fun summer picnic.

Cucumber Salad with Mayo & Sour Cream is another old-fashioned favorite that’s made with simple ingredients.

Banana Coffee Cake is a fun combination of flavors from my friend.