The Best Grape Salad Recipe!
While I do enjoy winter, I’m totally happy to be moving along into spring and summer. I love all the spring blossoms everywhere (the smell of the lilacs is making me want to live outside lately) and I just can’t get enough of those warm sunny rays. Oh and the baby ducks at the park (er, proper word ducklings but since when was I proper?) Another thing I really love about spring and summer is the abundance of delicious, fresh, cheap produce that comes with it (you know i’ll be buying up blueberries and raspberries by the dozen when they go on sale.) Lately, grapes have finally been a decent price so I bought a bunch of them and used them to make this fruit salad that I absolutely love. I first had a version of this Creamy Grape Fruit Salad many years ago at a party and fell in love at first bite. I mean how could I not? Anything with cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese and I’m sold!
Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe
Red and green grapes Neufchatel cheese Light sour cream Honey White and brown sugar Vanilla Pecans
As usual I used my favorite brand of nuts here – I used Fisher Pecans for this recipe. Fisher is a brand I’ve long trusted and I love knowing they are preservative free! They are one of my go-to snacks and recipe ingredients and this salad just wouldn’t be the same without them.
How to Make Grape Salad
Whip Neufchatel cheese in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add in sour cream, honey, granulated sugar and vanilla and mix well. Add grapes, cream cheese mixture and 3/4 of the pecans to a bowl and toss. Sprinkle over brown sugar and remaining pecans. Keep chilled, serve within a couple of hours.
How I Made it Lighter
The classic version of this salad calls for cream cheese and sour cream but to make it a little lighter I like to use Neufchatel cheese and light sour cream. I also like to decrease the amount of sugar added (some similar recipes call for 4 times the sugar) but I like the sweetness to come from the fruit, no need to have them swimming in sugar for a fruit salad. Let’s save that for cake :).
More Changes I Made to the Original
I also swapped out some of the sugar for honey. And usually it’s listed to use equal parts red and green grapes but I definitely like red better so I use 2/3 to 1/3 (and be sure not to use sour green grapes – I hate when I get a batch of those). And of course I like to add a fair amount of nuts because I love the crunch and flavor they add to this fruit salad.
A Refreshing Summer Salad
Make it for yourself and you’ll see what I mean! All those sweet juicy grapes, along with some crunchy pecans for contrast, all paired with luscious dressing to finish it off. And when served nice and cold it’s amazingly refreshing on a hot summer day. Add it to your menu this weekend, and definitely save the recipe for upcoming get togethers and holidays!
More Fruit Salad Recipes You’ll Love
Rainbow Fruit Salad Winter Fruit Salad Berry Cheesecake Fruit Salad Cinnamon Apple Fruit Salad Melon Fruit Salad
