You can make this Easy Grape Salad with Cream Cheese in 15 minutes! It features seedless grapes mixed in a creamy, vanilla dressing and topped with brown sugar and walnuts. This dessert salad is delicious!
Have you ever gone to a party and found yourself so addicted to one of the dishes on the buffet that you had to consider how often you could go back for more?
That was me, with this grape salad with cream cheese. I worried everyone would think I was a cafone, which is what we Italians call someone with poor manners.
But we're talking about crisp, juicy grapes nestled in a creamy, sweet vanilla dressing and topped with brown sugar and walnuts.
Come on!
You need to make this grape dessert salad! It'll be ready in 15 minutes. And, it happens to be gluten-free!
And if you love fruit salad, don't miss these Italian Strawberries with Sugar and Lemon!
Recipe ingredients
Grapes: I always make this with both red and green seedless grapes, but you could use just one color, if you prefer. A red and green grape salad is festive for the holidays.
Walnuts: I love using walnuts here, but you can use pecans instead. If anyone has a nut allergy, pretzels would be delicious too!
I did try toasting the walnuts in a pan on the stove but found they work better here uncooked. And it's one less step!
Cream Cheese: Use regular or low fat.
Sour Cream: You can use full-fat or low-fat sour cream. Plain, 2% Greek yogurt isn't bad as a substitute, but it does have an extra tang. For parties, I'd use sour cream.
Brown Sugar: This makes the nut topping so delicious! You can use golden monk fruit sweetener instead, if needed.
Granulated Sugar: Plain white sugar works best for the creamy fruit salad dressing, for flavor and color. You should be able to substitute white monk fruit sweetener if needed.
How to make grape salad with cream cheese
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
- Beat the sour cream and cream cheese with vanilla and sugar until smooth. A hand mixer (affiliate link) works great.
- Stir the creamy dressing into the grapes.
- Toss chopped walnuts with brown sugar and salt.
- Sprinkle the nut topping onto the grape salad.
How to serve it
Serve this Easy Grape Salad with Cream Cheese chilled, and sprinkle on the topping at the last minute, so it doesn't become soggy. You can stir it in, if you prefer.
For casual gatherings, use dessert bowls (affiliate link). For a fancier presentation (think New Year's Eve or cocktail parties), serve the creamy grape salad in stemmed glasses (even plastic ones) or stemmed dessert bowls (affiliate link).
If you're bringing this creamy fruit salad to a potluck, place it in a big bowl and add some of the nut topping just before it's time to eat. Leave some extra topping in a small bowl on the side with a fork so people can add more to their servings.
Recipe tips
- Since grapes are a choking hazard, plan to cut them in half for children ages five and under. If you're cutting all of the grapes in half for the salad, the leftovers will be a bit runny.
- The topping amount in this recipe is perfect if you're scooping out even portions for servings in individual bowls or stemmed glasses. Consider making extra topping if you'll be leaving the grape dessert salad on the buffet table for people to serve themselves.
- To make extra nut topping, use a ratio of two parts chopped walnuts to one part brown sugar. Add salt to taste.
Frequently asked questions
Store this grape salad in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Keep in mind, the grapes will soften after a few days. Store the walnut topping separately, at room temperature in an airtight container.
I don't recommend freezing this grape salad, because it will become runny when thawed.
More fruit recipes
- Fresh Blueberry Salsa
- Cream-Cheese Stuffed Dates
- Sweet Banana Pizza with White Chocolate
- Strawberry-Grape Smoothie Without Yogurt
- Awesome Gluten-Free Pear Crisp
Enjoy!
If you try this Easy Grape Salad with Cream Cheese recipe, be sure to leave a comment and a rating!
Easy Grape Salad with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
Fruit Salad
- 2 pounds + 2 ounces red seedless grapes
- 2 pounds + 2 ounces green seedless grapes
- 8 ounces cream cheese (low fat is fine)
- 8 ounces sour cream (low fat is fine)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 5 ounces chopped walnuts (½ cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 pinch salt (4 sprinkles of table salt)
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the grapes and rinse the grapes in cold water. Set the grapes in a drainer in the sink.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla until smooth. Blot the grapes dry with paper towels (you don't want to make the dressing watery.) Stir the grapes into the dressing until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For the topping, chop a heaping ⅔ cup of shelled walnuts. Measure out 5 ounces of the chopped nuts and add them to a small bowl. Add the brown sugar and salt, and toss with a fork.
- To serve, spoon the grape salad into small dessert bowls or stemmed glasses. Use a fork to sprinkle on some topping for each serving. (Or, leave the grape salad in a large bowl with some topping sprinkled on, and have extra topping in a small bowl on the side for people to sprinkle on.) Eat with dessert forks, since the grapes can be large.
- Store leftover grape salad in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Store the nut topping separately in a covered container at room temperature.
Notes
- Since grapes are a choking hazard, plan on cutting them in half for any children 5 and under.
- The topping amount is perfect if you are scooping out even portions in stemmed glasses or individual bowls. Consider making extra topping if you will be leaving it on the buffet table for people to serve themselves. Use a ratio of 2 parts chopped walnuts to one part brown sugar. Add salt to taste.
- Plain 2% Greek yogurt is not bad in place of the sour cream, but it does have an extra tang. Use sour cream for parties.
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Adapted from Taste of Home August/September 2006, p.41. Originally published on December 11, 2014 and updated now with new photos and additional information. Photos by Kanyi Muraguri for Cooking with Mamma C.)
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext says
This grape salad looks amazing! Love simple and easy desserts around the holidays! Perfect!
Mamma C says
Me too, Jess. I figured we could all use an easy one. 🙂
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
oh I've had this before!!! love dessert salads like this!! easy and great for entertaining and dinner parties!! so lovely!!
Mamma C says
Thanks, Alice! We've found that the leftovers are great for breakfast too. 🙂
Annie @ ciaochowbambina says
Mmmm...this sounds so good. I cannot resist a new holiday recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Mamma C says
I love that this one requires so little effort and is a crowd pleaser.