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Take your coleslaw to a whole new level with sweet, tangy cranberries and crunchy pecans. Mix in an apple and some savory green onions, then toss them all in a creamy dressing for a dish that will be a favorite at any gathering!
Serve this sweet and savory side dish with Crock Pot Beef Roast and Roasted Baby Potatoes for a weeknight meal that’s also excellent for entertaining.
For years, I’ve loved this crunchy slaw. I’ve eaten it at church gatherings, covered dish suppers, picnics, and cookouts. I’ve also seen it on many restaurant menus.
Not only that, but I think the reason it’s shown up in so many places all these years is that it’s just so stinking good! It’s fruity, sweet, tart, and crunchy. It’s one dish that has just the right amount of each of those important elements for a burst of flavor in every bite.
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What You Need To Make The Best Cranberry Pecan Slaw
- Bagged Slaw Mix
- Dried Cranberries
- Pecans
- Apple
- Green Onions
- Mayonnaise
- Sour Cream
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Honey
- Salt and Pepper
Scroll Down For Measurements
How To Make This Recipe
- Add slaw mix, apple, cranberries, pecans and onions to a large bowl. Toss to mix all ingredients. Set aside
- Add mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk together until smooth. Pour ¾ of the dressing over the slaw and toss until mixed well. Add remaining dressing if desired. **Additional dressing can be saved in a sealed container to add to slaw at a later time or before serving.
- Serve immediately. The slaw can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Toss then, add saved dressing if needed.
Tips And Tricks For Making Cranberry Pecan Slaw
Apple Selection: Opt for large apples that are both tart and sweet for a balanced flavor profile.
Consistent Chopping: Ensure all ingredients, especially apples and cranberries, are chopped uniformly for an even distribution of flavors and textures.
Add a Sprinkle: For an additional layer of taste and texture, sprinkle in some almonds or walnuts. This not only boosts the nutty flavor but also complements the crunchy texture of the slaw.
Storing Leftovers: To keep the slaw’s crunchy texture, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 1-2 days for the best flavor and freshness.
Toss Before Serving: If you’ve stored the slaw for a while, give it a good toss before serving to redistribute the dressing and flavors.
Balancing Sweetness: If you find the slaw a tad too sweet, consider adding a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to cut through the sweetness and bring balance.
Easy Homemade Cole Slaw Recipes You’ll Love
- Fresh Pineapple Slaw
- Best Creamy Cole Slaw
- Blue Cheese Slaw
- Brussels Sprouts Slaw
- BBQ Red Slaw for Pulled Pork
What To Serve With Cranberry Pecan Slaw
This recipe is perfect to serve as a salad or a side dish. Here are some of my favorite main dishes to serve with it:
- Crock Pot Chicken Thighs
- Marinated Pork Tenderloin
- Roast Beef And Cheese Sliders
- Air Fryer Sausage And Potatoes
- Easy Marinated London Broil
Ingredients
- 2 11-ounce bagged cole slaw mix
- 1 large chopped Gala or Honeycrisp apple
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 4 sliced green onions
Dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup sour cream (yogurt can be substituted)
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add slaw mix, apple, cranberries, pecans and onions to a large bowl. Toss to mix all ingredients. Set aside
- In a small bowl, add mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk together until smooth. Pour ¾ of dressing over slaw and toss until mixed well. Add remaining dressing if desired. **Additional dressing can be saved in a sealed container to add to slaw at a later time or before serving.
- Serve immediately. Slaw can be stored, covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Toss slightly and add saved dressing if needed.
Video
Notes
- Storing Leftovers: To keep the slaw’s crunchy texture, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 1-2 days for best flavor and freshness.
- Toss Before Serving: If you’ve stored the slaw for a while, give it a good toss before serving to redistribute the dressing and flavors.
Nutrition
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It was a hit. Great flavor and a little different from the norm. My only question is how much is considered a serving? It says 8 servings but there is an awful lot of coleslaw.
I just chopped up some cabbage and reduced the dressing ingredients to 1/3 of the stated amounts. We loved it! That said, I did not include the onions, which I believe would ruin it. But I will make it again soon!
This coleslaw recipe is so easy and so delicious!! I made it for my daughters special birthday dinner and everyone loved it. Now a family favorite! The best coleslaw!!
Two bags of slaw mix?
Fabuuuuulous!!! Made it for Christmas…then proceeded to loooose it. Thank goodness I had time to check my saved recipes on line today because Easter is a week away!!!
Loved this, very tasty. But does anyone have bowl big enough for this whole recipe? Made two one half batches. Will make this again and again, just need a bigger bowl LOL
Awesome and thanks for the terrific rating! You’ve made my day.
~Donya
This makes a great side dish! Love the flavors!
Thanks, Cindy! I appreciate the outstanding rating as well.
~Donya
I made this recipe and it was delicious!!!! I tried it out on my sons family and my mom and dad.They loved it as well. They requested it for Thanksgiving
Thanks so much for sharing!
~Donya
My husband hates coleslaw. I made this salad for a lunch with friends and he tried it and loved it. Am making it again today because guess what? HE ASKED ME TO.
Hey there Jenni!
Wow! What a wonderful compliment, I am so happy to hear that this recipe made your husband a coleslaw fan, that warms my heart to hear! Thank you so much for your incredibly kind words and your fantastic rating, I really appreciate your support! Please let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’m always happy to help where I can! Have a Happy Holiday Season!
~Donya
Incredible!
Hey there Christie!
Thank you so much for your kind words, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, it’s definitely a Thanksgiving classic for good reason!
~Donya
This is the best cole slaw ever. I will probably never make regular Cole slaw again. And I usually make Cole slaw once or twice a year. I’ve already made this twice and am making it again for a get together Sunday and again for a get together next week. Seriously….. so good. Thank u.
Hey there Sandy!
Oh my goodness, you’ve made my day! I am absolutely thrilled to hear that you’ve been enjoying this recipe, this is one of my favorite coleslaw recipes too, you can never go wrong with the cranberry-pecan duo. Thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate your support!
~Donya
Hi!! This sounds delicious!!
Any suggestions on what to substitute for the apple? I’m allergic to most tree fruits like apples, pear, apricots etc.
Thank you!!
Hey there Kristen!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that is a great question! There are a couple different options for substituting the apples in this recipe, you could either leave them out all together, or you could replace them with something like fresh cranberries or tangerine slices. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out if you give the recipe a try, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
I’ve made this coleslaw twice now. It’s amazing! My BIL devoured it the first time I made it. The second time I made it I accompanied it with fish tacos! Again, it was amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hey there Susie!
Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words, I am so happy to hear that you’ve been enjoying this recipe! Pairing this slaw with fish tacos was a great idea, I’ve never done that but it sounds totally delicious. If you liked this slaw recipe, you should check out my Brussels Sprouts Slaw recipe, it’s just as easy to make and it has some fantastic bright, fresh flavors. Thank you so much for your support, if you ever have any questions about a recipe please don’t hesitate to reach out!
~Donya
This looks like a fun spin on coleslaw.
Hey there Mary!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, it’s a great twist on a classic coleslaw! I really hope you’ll give the recipe a try, let me know how it turns out!
~Donya
This looks amazing! Just sent the link to my mother ❤️
Hey there Christy!
Thank you so much for this phenomenal rating, and for sharing my recipe, I really appreciate your support! If you or your mother have any questions please feel free to reach out! I hope you enjoy this recipe, Happy Holidays!
Best,
~Donya
Thanks Donya. Canadian Thanksgiving has passed, but I’m thinking this would be great for Christmas – quick and easy to put together. I will be making this and your ambrosia – but only if I can find little white marshmallows. The only way to eat the coloured ones is in peanut butter slice – where the peanut butter hides their flavour. LOL
Thanks for the work you do , to provide easy, tasty recipes. My favourite recipe site! I hate scrambling for exotic ingredients!
Hey there Donna!
Wow! Thank you so much for this fantastic rating and your sweet words, you’re too kind! I think that these dishes would be fantastic additions to a Christmas dinner, if you liked these you should try my Scalloped Potato recipe, the creamy, rich potatoes compliment the Cranberry Pecan Slaw very well. Thank you for all your support, it truly warms my heart reading comments like this, I appreciate your kindness. If you ever have any questions about a recipe don’t hesitate to ask!
~Donya
I made this but did not have the apple so I did add one of the smallest cans of drained pineapple tidbits, and 1/2 tsp. of poppy seed. It turned out wonderful! Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe!
Hey Kathie!
Thank you so much for your rating! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, it sounds like you really made this recipe your own in the best way. Thank you for your support!
~Donya
I am going to be honest I was prepared to not like this.. but all these tastes in my mouth together won me over.. super yummy.. Makes alot too.
Hey DeeDee!
My goodness this cracked me up, I am thrilled to hear you liked it! It is definitely an interesting flavor combination but there is just something about it that really works. Thank you so much for your rating, very glad to hear the recipe was a hit!
~Donya
Where can I find the nutritional info on the slaw?
Hey Rita,
Thank you for your interest in the recipe, it sure is a favorite in my house so I hope you like it! I don’t provide nutritional information for my recipes but if you click the link below, you can just copy and paste the recipe and it will give you all the nutritional facts. I hope this helps!
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
~Donya
Wow! This was so good! My neighbor brought over a huge head of cabbage from their garden so I decided to give this recipe a try and I’m so glad I did! I will definitely be making this again! And yes, I shared with my neighbors.
Haven’t made the recipe yet – but from the reviews, and recipe ingredients, it seems like an awesome addition to my GF Thanksgiving menu this year. 🙂
You are so kind, Jyll! Thank you and I hope you like the recipe. Let me know.
Have a wonderful day,
~Donya
Donya, I can’t wait to try this recipe. It may make it to my Thanksgiving table this year! I found you via Pinterest, btw. I would like to make a suggestion. At the end of your recipes, it would be nice if you would put your blog name/address there so that when folks copy the recipe to their own file (that’s me!), they will always know the source of the recipe. I’m going to explore your blog now – looks very interesting!
Thanks for the idea! When a recipe is printed out, it has the website name on it but I’ll see what I can do about someone saving it.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
~Dpnya
Best Coleslaw Recipe ever!!
WOW! Thank you Nancy. You have made my day.
Have a wonderful weekend,
~Donya
We have made this three times in the last week since I found this recipe! It’s amazing! Thank you for sharing!
You are so welcome, Amanda.
Thank you for your kind words.
Have a great weekend.
~Donya
My husband absolutely loved this salad. Enough that he wants me to remake it at least once every 2 weeks. Thanks for the inspiration
Thank you so much, Muriel!
Sounds like you’ve got a great hubby, wink wink. Thank you so much for the great rating.
Have a great day,
~Donya
Just made this for our Fathers Day celebration! Beautiful presentation and wonderful crunchy taste! It will be a hit by all!
So delicious! I was searching dressed up coleslaw and this was just what I was looking for!!!
Thanks so much!
This slaw is delicious. I am not usually a fan of overly sweet slaw, but this is the perfect balance of sweet and crunch. My husband loved it to. Thank you for the recipe!
This really is as good as I would have hoped for. I did substitute broccoli slaw for the cole slaw and it was a great hit with our guests. Didn’t deviate from the recipe other than that. I will definitely make this again for gatherings and dinner.
This was a big hit at our church pot luck. I am planning to make this a lot this summer 2020.
Made this for a family gathering and one guest stated it was the “best he ever ate in his whole life!!” What a compliment!
This cole slaw is delish !, I already make a tasty slaw , but adding the cranberries , pecans and apple … , really bumped it up a notch
Thanks for this easy recipe ! Can’t wait to serve it to guests or take to pot lucks !
Made this salad today using walnuts in place of pecans and adding some poppy seeds. It turned put FANTASTIC! It will have a showplace spot on our Thanksgiving table. Thank you!!!
Maybe pears.
What would be a good substitute for the apple or should I just leave it out. (I’m allergic). I thought about adding chopped carrot…
Carrots would be great Mary Ellen. I know you’ll love this salad. Thanks for stopping by!
Have a great day,
~Donya
Thank you , I made this and such a hit. We ate the leftovers for two days and it really did get better. I candied the pecans with maple syrup, very yummy.
I will definitely be making this a lot this summer
Sounds like a great sweet twist on the recipe. I am so glad you liked it, Pat! Thank you so much for sharing.
XO,
~Donya
Hi , can I make this a few hours ahead including dressing it and just stir and add pecans when serving ?
Pat, you sure can. The slaw actually gets better if it sits in the dressing for a bit.
Enjoy!
~Donya
I make a big batch of it and we eat it for three days with no problems with the pecans being mushy. The is the absolute BEST slaw you will EVER EVER eat! I make it about every week it is so good.
Linda, this made my day! I am so glad you like the recipe. I’m doing a happy dance right now!!
XO,
~Donya
This cranberry pecan slaw is ABSOLUTELY THE BEST recipe I’ve ever made. Just flat out incredible. I make it at least once/week and hubby and I eat and eat and eat on it till we are just as fat as ticks. Every person I’ve let have a bite of it goes straight and buys the ingredients and makes it themselves. And. They rant and rave over it like I do! Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this recipe.
Looks like a new favorite side dish in my house!
Love how easy this is to make! Such a delicious side!
Do you need to put anything on the chopped apple to keep the pieces from turning brown? Can’t wait to try this salad!
Hey Amy. You don’t need to do a thing to the apples. Just make the salad per the recipe. I hope you love it! Please let me know.
Have a great day,
XO ~ Donya
As it happens, I was testing coleslaw recipes when I happened upon yours without searching. I had all the ingredients, so I made it for dinner. I have also begun making my menu for Thanksgiving and this slaw is now on the menu. Thanks so much for sharing.
I too was inspired by the pictures. I used avocado oil mayo (Chosen Foods) and plain unsweetened non-dairy yogurt (Kite Hill) and you’d never know I’d substituted anything. It was delicious. Will become my go-to salad to have with BBQ! Thanks for posting.
How much pepper? It’s not listed in the ingredients but in the directions.
Hey there Carolyn!
Thank you for bringing this to my attention, that’s a good question! I generally just salt and pepper this dish to taste, so it comes out to be about 1/4-1/2 of a teaspoon of pepper, but you can use however much you like depending on your preferences. I hope this helps, let me know how it turns out if you end up trying this recipe. Thank you for your support, I hope you have a great day!
~Donya
This looks delicious. I was wondering if you put any thing on the apples to keep them from turning brown if you have leftover. Can’t wait to make this.
Hey there Kay!
That’s a great question! I don’t normally put anything on my slaw to store it, but if you want to sprinkle a little lemon juice over the apples before throwing them into the slaw then that will ensure they don’t brown, plus it’ll give a nice fresh burst of flavor! Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, if you have any other questions please feel free to reach out again. Happy Holidays!
~Donya
Made this today….It is wonderful!!. We all love it. My grand daughter said “this is yummy”
Thank you so much for sharing, June! You’ve made my day and I’m tickled your grand daughter like it.
Have a wonderful 2019!
CO,
~Donya
Wow, this recipe and the pictures of this slaw actually make me want to go to the grocery first thing in the morning. Thank you for coming up with this recipe, you just made my life easier with the holidays rushing at me and a huge family that gets together for all of them. Actually, we get together for any reason….um, ground hog day, do-nut day(don’t ask, just roll with it), any little thing brings us together. thank goodness. Merry Christmas to you and yours, Pam
Pam you have made my day! Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope y’all enjoy the cranberry slaw. Merry Christmas to you and everyone in your family!
XO,
~Donya
PS – send me pics when you make your slaw!