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My easy broccoli cranberry salad recipe combines crunchy broccoli, dried cranberries, sweet carrots, apples and candied pecans in the most delicious creamy dressing. Perfect for any gathering or as a simple side dish anytime!
This easy recipe for broccoli cranberry salad combines the freshness of a veggie salad with a hint of fall flavor. So, while this colorful salad would be amazing part of your Thanksgiving or Christmas celebration, it really is perfect for summer potlucks and all year long.
Why you’ll love this broccoli salad recipe with Craisins
It’s crunchy, creamy and a little bit sweet with just a hint of warming spice.
Super easy to make. I don’t blanch the broccoli, so just chop, mix and eat!
No added sugar or sweeteners. You get plenty of sweetness from the fruits and veggies!
What You Need
Here are the basic ingredients you’ll need to make broccoli salad with cranberries. Full amounts are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Fresh broccoli — frozen broccoli really doesn’t do well here.
- Shredded carrots
- Apples — I love honey crisp or cosmic crisp or gala apples here
- Dried cranberries — Craisins or any brand
- Candied pecans — You can make homemade candied pecans or buy some from the store, like I did this time. These add a ton of flavor, but you can use regular if you want.
- Mayonnaise and sour cream — for the dressing. Miracle Whip will give it a completely different flavor
- Apple cider vinegar — helps prevent the apples from turning brown and adds a nice zip of flavor
- Spices — cinnamon, salt and pepper. The cinnamon is not strong. It just adds a little bit of warmth.
How to Make Broccoli Cranberry Salad
First, chop the broccoli and pecans into bite-sized pieces, and dice the apples. Measure the dressing ingredients into a large bowl, and mix well. Add everything to the bowl, and toss until the salad is well coated with dressing. Cover, and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Quick Tips
Make sure you cut the florets into small pieces with most of the stems removed.
To make this easy salad even easier, look for pre-chopped veggies in the store.
Give the salad time to chill in the fridge before serving. This is a great make ahead salad as the flavors deepen the longer it sits. Leftovers keep well in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Variations
I love how simple this salad is, but you can jazz it up with chopped red onion, cheddar cheese cubes, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds or crispy bacon.
You can swap lemon juice or red wine vinegar for the cider vinegar and Greek yogurt for the mayo.
More Recipes with Raw Broccoli
The Best Broccoli Cranberry Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw broccoli florets about 2 medium heads
- 2 medium honey crisp apples rinsed and diced
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup chopped candied pecans
Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- pinch sea salt to taste
- pinch ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the dressing ingredients until well blended
- Add the chopped broccoli, diced apples, carrots, cranberries and pecans
- Stir until well coated with the dressing
- Cover and refrigerate salad until ready to serve
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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