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Home » Recipes » Salad Recipes

Creamy Grape Salad

Published: Aug 10, 2022 · Modified: Jul 24, 2023 by Jan Nunes

A bowl of salad topped with pecans and brown sugar with text overlay.

Creamy Grape Salad is sweet and refreshing. This creamy salad with sweetened cream cheese and sour cream is always a hit at potlucks, celebrations, and casual gatherings.

Grape salad topped with brown sugar and pecans in a large white bowl.
Jump to Recipe

This Creamy Grape Salad is a perfect sweet treat for any occasion. Since all of the ingredients are available year-round, you can make it during the holiday season and during the summer.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • My Top Tips
  • Substitutions & Variations
  • Equipment
  • Make-Ahead & Storage
  • More Creamy Fruit Salads
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Over the years I have seen variations of this recipe in many community cookbooks and there is a reason it pops up so often. Everything about this dish is really good.

Basically, it is an ambrosia recipe. But instead of being made with several fruits, it is made only with grapes. This makes it super simple to shop for the ingredients and to make it.

I found that the best recipe was to use two kinds of seedless grapes, green and red. This gives variety to each bite since green grapes are typically more tart than red grapes.

Then there is the topping of simply dark brown sugar and chopped pecans. Please don't omit it!

If you have ever had strawberries with sour cream and brown sugar, you know how good that combination is and this is just as amazing.

The brown sugar brings caramel notes to the salad and the pecans that bring crunch are a perfect match in flavor with the brown sugar.

Ingredients

Ingredients, clockwise from top: cream cheese, sour cream, white sugar, clear vanilla extract, chopped pecans, green grapes, dark brown sugar, and red grapes.

Here's what you need:

  • Cream Cheese - Cream cheese is what makes this dressing creamy. Any full-fat brand is delicious.
  • Sour Cream - A good flavored full-bodied sour cream brings a tang to the dressing and lightens the texture of the cream cheese.
  • White Granulated Sugar - You will need a small amount of white granulated sugar to sweeten the dressing. The amount you will need depends on how sweet the grapes are. In general, I think ⅓ of a cup is just the right amount, but that really is my opinion and you can adjust the amount according to your own taste.
  • Clear Vanilla Extract - A clear vanilla extract will keep the dressing snowy white. Although clear vanilla is imitation vanilla, it is very flavorful.
  • Green Grapes - Buy green grapes that are firm and free of defects.
  • Red Grapes - Just like the green grapes, the red grapes should also be firm and free of defects.
  • Dark Brown Sugar - Dark brown sugar has deep caramel and molasses flavors that really make this salad extra delicious.
  • Chopped Pecans - I love a bit of crunch in a fruit salad and pecans are a natural pairing with dark brown sugar.

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

Instructions

Cream cheese, sour cream, white sugar, and clear vanilla extract in a bowl.
Beating the dressing in a large bowl with a hand mixer.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, white granulated sugar, and vanilla until well blended.

The green and red grapes are added to the dressing.
The dressing and the grapes are folded together.

Add the red and green grapes and gently fold to coat.

The grapes are completely covered with the creamy whit dressing.

Put the grape salad in a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate until serving.

A large bowl of salad, a small bowl of salad, and some red grapes.

Sprinkle the salad with the brown sugar and chopped pecans just before serving.

My Top Tips

After washing and destemming the grapes, let them drain on towels and pat them dry.

Substitutions & Variations

Substitute Any Vanilla Extract or Paste. If you don't have clear vanilla extract you can use any vanilla extract or vanilla paste you have on hand.

Vanilla paste is very concentrated. So, if you choose to use vanilla paste, blend ½ teaspoon into the dressing, taste, and then add more to taste as needed.

Use all One Color of Grapes. You can use all green grapes or all red grapes. I like the variation of color in my salad. Also, red grapes tend to be sweeter than green grapes which makes the flavor more interesting.

Equipment

An electric hand mixer blends the dressing quickly. But you can also use a wire whisk if you cream the cream cheese first and then add other dressing ingredients, one by one, and beating well after each addition.

Make-Ahead & Storage

You can make this salad a few hours ahead of time and it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in a covered container.

A bowl of salad topped with pecans and brown sugar with text overlay.

More Creamy Fruit Salads

  • Ambrosia Salad
  • 5 Cup Fruit Salad
  • Mandarin Orange Fluff

📖 Recipe

A small bowl of salad topped with pecans and brown sugar.

Creamy Grape Salad

5 from 1 vote
Encharted Cook | Jan Nunes
Creamy Grape Salad is sweet and refreshing. This creamy salad with sweetened cream cheese and sour cream is always a hit at potlucks and celebrations.
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Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Dessert, Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 16 Servings
Calories 195 kcal

Ingredients
 

For the Salad:

  • 8 Ounces Cream Cheese, 1 Large Package at Room Temperature
  • 1 Cup Sour Cream
  • ⅓ Cup White Granulated Sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons Clear Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Pounds Seedless Red Grapes, Washed and Stems Removed
  • 2 Pounds Seedless Green Grapes, Washed and Stems Removed

For the Topping:

  • 3 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons Chopped Pecans

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, white granulated sugar, and clear vanilla extract until well blended.
    8 Ounces Cream Cheese, 1 Cup Sour Cream, 2 Teaspoons Clear Vanilla Extract, ⅓ Cup White Granulated Sugar
  • Add the red and green seedless grapes and gently fold to coat.
    2 Pounds Seedless Red Grapes, 2 Pounds Seedless Green Grapes
  • Put the grape salad in a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate until serving.
  • Sprinkle the salad with the brown sugar and chopped pecans just before serving.
    3 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar, 3 Tablespoons Chopped Pecans

Encharted Cook Notes

My Top Tips
After washing and destemming the grapes, let them drain on towels and pat them dry.
Substitutions & Variations
Substitute Any Vanilla Extract or Paste. If you don't have clear vanilla extract you can use any vanilla extract or vanilla paste you have on hand.
Use all One Color of Grapes. You can use all green grapes or all red grapes. I like the variation of color in my salad. Also, red grapes tend to be sweeter than green grapes which makes the flavor more interesting.
Equipment
An electric hand mixer blends the dressing quickly. But you can also use a wire whisk if you cream the cream cheese first and then add other dressing ingredients, one by one, and beating well after each addition.
Make-Ahead & Storage
You can make this salad a few hours ahead of time and it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in a covered container.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 356IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.

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Jan Nunes, owner and content creator at Encharted Cook.

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I'm Jan and I love to cook for friends and family. Over the years I have learned that many recipes are related and if you learn to make one delicious dish and you can make many more. So come join me as I chart recipes and ingredients and share my favorite dishes.

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