Carrot Raisin Salad
This healthy, crunchy, flavorful Carrot Raisin Salad is perfect as a side dish any time of year. Crunchy carrots, pineapple, sweet raisins, and tart apples come together with a creamy, super-yummy dressing! If you’re looking for a colorful side dish, this is the salad for you.
Carrot and Raisin Salad is a refreshing, slightly sweet, and crunchy side dish that has been around for generations. I remember it from childhood family dinners. It’s a perfect balance of textures and flavors that never goes out of style.
This recipe is perfect for potlucks, barbecues, or just as a side to your favorite meal. For more quick and easy salad recipes, try my pear salad with canned pears, spinach salad with cranberries, and my summer corn salad with jalapenos.
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💗 Why You’ll Love This Carrot Apple Salad
- Quick & Easy: It comes together in minutes with minimal prep. Shred the carrots by hand or use a food processor to speed things up.
- Sweet & Tangy: Fresh fruit, carrots, and creamy dressing balance the flavors perfectly.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: The flavors meld together beautifully after chilling. Make it a day in advance for meal prep or entertaining guests.
- Versatile & Crowd-Pleasing: This salad works well as a side dish, snack, or light dessert. This carrot apple salad is perfect for any occasion.
🥘 Ingredients and Substitutions
The ingredients are simple but deliver fantastic flavor. The recipe card below has the complete list of ingredients and amounts.
- Carrots: Carrots are easy to find year-round in your local grocery store. You might even see them at your local farmers market during the summer months. Pre-grated or matchstick carrots will not work for this recipe. It will change the taste and texture of this carrot salad.
- Pineapple: Adds a juicy, tangy sweetness. You’ll need crushed pineapple for this recipe. I have used tidbits, and they worked fine, but crushed pineapple is better. You can use fresh pineapple, but you’ll need to run it through your food processor first.
- Raisins: Naturally sweet and chewy, raisins complement the other ingredients while adding a little extra texture. You can also use craisins or dried cranberries in this carrot salad with raisins. If you don’t like them, leave them out.
- Apple: My favorite is a Granny Smith, but use your favorite variety! A sweet apple like Honeycrisp or Fuji will enhance the natural sugars, while a tart apple like Granny Smith adds a zesty contrast to this shredded carrot salad.
- Sugar: Mix the sugar with the mayonnaise to balance the tanginess and enhance the fruit’s natural sweetness.
- Mayonnaise: The creamy base ties everything together and gives this simple carrot salad its signature texture. I use regular mayonnaise, but low-fat would work.
📖 Recipe Variations
Several variations of this carrot salad with raisins and pineapple are amazing. If you’re looking for a little something different, give one of these a try.
- Add some Crunch: Throw in a handful of chopped walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds.
- Tropical Twist: Add shredded coconut or diced mangoes for an extra tropical flavor.
- Extra Sweetness: For a sweeter salad, add a drizzle of honey.
For another cool, refreshing salad using crushed pineapple, try my delicious Watergate Salad with Pistachio Pudding. It only has five ingredients and comes together in minutes.
🔪 How to Make This Recipe
This carrot raisin salad recipe is simple and only requires a few easy steps. See the recipe card below for step-by-step instructions.
Step 1: Prepare the Carrots. Peel and grate the carrots.
Step 2: Toss Ingredients. Toss your grated carrots, diced apple, crushed pineapple, and raisins into a medium bowl and stir to mix everything evenly.
Step 3: Make the Dressing. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and sugar until smooth. This creamy dressing gives this carrot and raisin salad its signature flavor.
Step 4: Combine All Ingredients. Pour the dressing over your carrot mixture and toss everything together until well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours. Serve it chilled, and enjoy!
💭 Recipe Tips
- Grate Fresh Carrots. Hand-grated carrots are more tender and the best choice. Matchstick carrots will have a different texture.
- Make this Recipe in Advance. Make it ahead and refrigerate until you are ready to eat. It gets better the longer it sits in the refrigerator.
- Store in the Fridge. This salad lasts about 3 days in the fridge. It tends to get a little watery after a few days.
🍽 How To Serve Carrot and Apple Salad
- As a Side Dish: Serve alongside breaded oven baked chicken tenders, hamburger steaks with brown gravy, a simple pan-fried catfish recipe, or sausage bites in bbq sauce.
- For a Light Lunch: Enjoy it alone or pair it with a sandwich for a refreshing meal.
- Potluck Dish: This is a great make-ahead salad recipe that travels well.
- Holidays, Picnics, or Cookouts: This cool, refreshing salad pairs well with almost anything on the menu.
If you’re looking for another delicious way to serve carrots, give these brown sugar Candied Carrots a try. They’re warm, buttery, tender, and coated in a sweet glaze—making them a wonderful side dish for holidays or Sunday dinner.
❔ Recipe FAQs
You can use pineapple tidbits for this salad. The crushed pineapple is my favorite, but the tidbits will add more texture.
There is no need to soak the raisins before adding them to the salad.
Store all leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. It tends to get a little watery after a few days.
More Salad Recipes
If you tried this Carrot Raisin Salad recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments. Thanks for visiting!
📋 Recipe
Carrot Raisin Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups carrots grated
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple drained
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 apple your choice, diced small
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- Prepare the Carrots. Peel and grate the carrots.
- Toss Ingredients. Toss your grated carrots, diced apple, crushed pineapple, and raisins into a medium bowl and stir to mix everything evenly.
- Make the Dressing: Mix together mayonnaise and sugar. Pour over carrot mixture. Toss it to coat it evenly.
- Chill: Refrigerate for several hours. Enjoy!
Notes
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- Grate the Carrots: Hand-grated carrots are more tender and the best choice. Matchstick carrots will have a different texture.
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- Make in Advance: Make it in advance and refrigerate it until you are ready to eat. It gets better the longer it sits in the refrigerator.
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- Refrigerate: This salad will last for about 3 days in the fridge. It tends to get a little watery after a few days.
- Pineapple: You’ll need crushed pineapple for this recipe. I have used tidbits, and they worked fine, but crushed pineapple is better. You can use fresh pineapple, but you’ll need to run it through your food processor first.
This is a light, cool, and refreshing salad perfect for any time of the year! Delish!
Such a simple recipe but totally delicious and great for feeding a crowd too.
Carrot and apples with mayo….what a delicious treat. Perfect for the sunny weather in India.