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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!
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.
I think the reason it’s shown up in so many places for so many years 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.
Now, I have to share a little “funny” with you. As much as I love and rave about this slaw, I’ve never made it. I think somehow or another, the whole notion of making for myself just escaped me.
What You Need To Make Cranberry Pecan Slaw
- Bagged Slaw Mix
- Dried Cranberries
- Pecans
- Apple
- Green Onions
- Mayonnaise
- Sour Cream
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Honey
- Salt and Pepper
How To Make This Recipe
To a “bagged” slaw mix, I added dried cranberries, an apple, chopped pecans, and green onions. Now, how easy was that?
Next, all that was needed was to make a creamy dressing with just the right mix of flavors. My inspiration for the dressing came from my Broccoli Apple Salad recipe. I mixed up sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, and honey then sprinkled in some salt and pepper. I poured that heavenly dressing over my slaw mixture gave it a good toss then went in for a taste test.
What To Serve With Cranberry Pecan Slaw
This recipe is perfect to serve as a salad or a side dish. Here’s some of my favorite main dishes to serve with it:
- Crock Pot Chicken Thighs
- Marinated Pork Tenderloin
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Smoked Pulled Pork
- Easy Marinated London Broil
More Slaw Recipes You’ll Love!
Last but not least…
I love hearing from you, so please leave a rating and a comment if you don’t mind. And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and tag me with a photo.
Cranberry Pecan Slaw
Ingredients
- 2 11 oz bagged cole slaw mix
- 1 large Gala or Honeycrisp apple – chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped pecan
- 4 green onions – sliced
Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup sour cream (yogurt can be substituted)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 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 3/4 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.
Pam
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
Donya
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!
june haney
Made this today….It is wonderful!!. We all love it. My grand daughter said “this is yummy”
Donya
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
Kim LADD
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.
Carolyn
How much pepper? It’s not listed in the ingredients but in the directions.
Donya
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
Kay
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.
Donya
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
Amy
Do you need to put anything on the chopped apple to keep the pieces from turning brown? Can’t wait to try this salad!
Donya
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
Shirley
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.
Lindsay Cotter
Love how easy this is to make! Such a delicious side!
Toni | Boulder Locavore
Looks like a new favorite side dish in my house!
Linda
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.
Pat Eaton
Hi , can I make this a few hours ahead including dressing it and just stir and add pecans when serving ?
Donya
Pat, you sure can. The slaw actually gets better if it sits in the dressing for a bit.
Enjoy!
~Donya
Linda
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.
Donya
Linda, this made my day! I am so glad you like the recipe. I’m doing a happy dance right now!!
XO,
~Donya
Pat
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
Donya
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
Mary Ellen
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…
Donya
Carrots would be great Mary Ellen. I know you’ll love this salad. Thanks for stopping by!
Have a great day,
~Donya
Kriss
Maybe pears.
Bev
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!!!
Carol
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 !
Pramus
Made this for a family gathering and one guest stated it was the “best he ever ate in his whole life!!” What a compliment!
DEBORAH RICHARDS
This was a big hit at our church pot luck. I am planning to make this a lot this summer 2020.
Rita L Fleming
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.
stacey
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!
Deb Jensen
So delicious! I was searching dressed up coleslaw and this was just what I was looking for!!!
Thanks so much!
Jane
Just made this for our Fathers Day celebration! Beautiful presentation and wonderful crunchy taste! It will be a hit by all!
Muriel Anne Berryman
My husband absolutely loved this salad. Enough that he wants me to remake it at least once every 2 weeks. Thanks for the inspiration
Donya
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
Amanda Waters
We have made this three times in the last week since I found this recipe! It’s amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Donya
You are so welcome, Amanda.
Thank you for your kind words.
Have a great weekend.
~Donya
Nancy Crawford
Best Coleslaw Recipe ever!!
Donya
WOW! Thank you Nancy. You have made my day.
Have a wonderful weekend,
~Donya
Elaine
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!
Donya
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
Jyll
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. 🙂
Donya
You are so kind, Jyll! Thank you and I hope you like the recipe. Let me know.
Have a wonderful day,
~Donya
Susan
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.
Rita
Where can I find the nutritional info on the slaw?
Donya
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
DeeDee
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.
Donya
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
Kathie Peffer
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!
Donya
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
Donna
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!
Donya
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
christy jordan
This looks amazing! Just sent the link to my mother ❤️
Donya
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
Mary
This looks like a fun spin on coleslaw.
Donya
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
Susie
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!
Donya
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
Kristen
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!!
Donya
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
Sandy
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.
Donya
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