Cranberry apple salad is a fresh, colorful winter fruit salad, bursting with bright cranberry, apple, orange and pineapple flavors. This salad is perfect for a holiday brunch or side dish!
Today I'm excited an old, tried-and-true family recipe with you!
I love this cranberry apple salad for breakfast, for a snack, even for dessert at night. It's also a beautiful salad to serve at brunch for a crowd.
We've been making it at the holidays in my family for as long as I can remember.
We always have it at Christmas and it's one of my favorite things to pile on my plate on Christmas morning!
But honestly, I love it so much that I make it year-round. My mom and I both stock up on bags of cranberries around the holidays and stick them straight into the freezer.
That way I have them available for this salad or cranberry cake or any other yummy treats year-round.
Kinda the same way that I keep my pantry always stocked with cans of pumpkin. Seasons be damned!
This fruit salad is just so bright and bursting with big, fresh flavors.
It's the perfect balance of sweetness with a little hit of tart and it's just as gorgeous as it is delicious.
OK, let's get cooking so you can enjoy it too!
Ingredient Notes:
Cranberries: We're using fresh cranberries, not dried cranberries, in this fresh fruit salad. You can get them in the produce section of the grocery store when they are in season and can often find them in the freezer section other times of year. Just be sure to thaw first if they are frozen.
Oranges: Regular naval oranges are great here. My aunt leaves some of the peel on to shred when making this recipe, but I prefer it without. Either way is fine.
Apples: You need TWO different kinds of apples. I prefer green Granny Smith for the tart option and then choose your favorite red, sweet apple, such as Fuji, Gala, Pink Lady or Honey Crisp.
Pineapple: This needs to be canned, crushed pineapple. You'll want a large 20-ounce can (or an equivalent amount).
Nuts: Either walnuts or pecans work great here. You can roughly chop them or use the food processor to give them a little pulse. I love the flavor and texture they add, but if you must omit for a nut allergy, that's fine too.
Sugar: I use ⅓ cup of regular white granulated sugar for this recipe and find it is plenty sweet. It will, however, depend a bit on your apples. Feel free to add more sugar, if needed, to get it to your desired sweetness level.
OK, let's tackle a few tips I wanted to share. I've been making this recipe for decades after all, so I've picked up a few things here and there.
Tips and Tricks:
- Adjust the sugar to your liking. The original family recipe called for 1 cup of sugar, which always felt really aggressive to me. I now use ⅓ cup and it's plenty sweet. Adjust to your tastes.
- Be sure to use a large, sturdy food processor that's in good working order. You'll also need the shredding disc attachment. This recipe requires lots of shredding.
- Leave the peels on the apples! Not only is this easier, but they add really pretty color to the salad.
- Work in batches to process the apples through the slicing blade. You'll be able to do 2-3 at a time with most large food processors before the bowl is full and needs to be emptied.
- You'll need a very large bowl to dump everything in from the food processor and stir it up. Definitely pull down that very big mixing bowl you rarely use cause you're gonna need it here.
OK, hopefully those tips help you have total success in your own kitchen.
Last thing, what to do with any leftovers. Cause this makes A LOT!
Storage Tips:
- Keep the salad covered and store in the refrigerator.
- It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Be sure to give it a good stir before serving because the juices will settle to the bottom.
And if you are looking for other holiday brunch fare, check out my classic sausage and egg casserole, fluffy homemade biscuits, overnight French toast casserole and of course, some mimosas or maybe a poinsettia cocktail.
I hope this fruit salad brings some brightness to your holiday table or just a dreary winter day.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Cranberry Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (12-oz) bag fresh cranberries
- 2 seedless oranges, peeled
- 4 red apples (such as Fuji, Pink Lady, Gala or Honey Crisp, or a mix)
- 2 green Granny Smith apples
- 1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, well drained
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice, from ½ lemon
- ⅓ cup granulated white sugar (see notes)
Instructions
- Rinse and pick over the cranberries for stems and any ruined ones. Run the cranberries through the food processor using the slicing blade. Dump into a very large bowl. Very large.
- Peel and cut oranges into pieces and run through the food processor next, still using the slicing blade. Add to bowl.
- Core and cut up apples (no need to peel), then run them through the food processor, still using the slicing blade. Work in batches. Add the shredded apples to the bowl.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the fruit and mix thoroughly with a spoon to prevent browning.
- Add the crushed pineapple, chopped walnuts and sugar to the bowl. Stir to combine with the fruit and get everything well mixed.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving so the flavors can meld together. Stir well before serving.
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Hahaha, I LOVE my shredding disk attachment for the food processor! I use it almost daily to make cauliflower rice. Now I can't wait to use it to make this lovely salad!! I love the combination of apples and cranberries, but this salad takes that pairing up a notch! The addition of orange and pineapple sounds sensational! This is a perfect addition to holiday brunch or simply to my breakfast! LOVES IT! Cheers, girlfriend!
Kathryn says
Aren't you smart, using it all the time for your cauliflower rice? You will adore this salad, girl - it's one of our holiday favorites. That I make year round... 😉 Hope you have a super fun weekend - happy Halloween! XX
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
What a gorgeous salad and great combination, Kathryn. Wow. I love it, so different! And perfect for the season.
Kathryn says
Thanks so much, Allie! We have this every holiday season and I try to make it at least a few other times of year. It's SO good!!
Quinn Caudill says
This would be a great salad for Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks for sharing with us at #Throwback Thursday. Hope to see you again this week.
Kathryn says
Thanks Quinn! We always have this at the holidays... for breakfast and brunch, for snacking, for dessert. I can't keep my fork out of the bowl!
Carlee says
This sounds amazing! I love the idea of adding the pineapple too. We would love this!
Kathryn says
The pineapple really does add another great flavor. It's very much in the background, but brings a lot of sweetness! Hope you try it, Carlee! Thanks for stopping by!
Fareeha says
Wow, this looks incredibly awesome. I could definitely do with it right now. I cn grab the salad right from the screen and gobble it up. lovely.
Kathryn says
Thanks so much Fareeha! It really is so delicious and so fun and colorful - a great holiday salad!
Janet says
I make something without pineapple, but am definitely going to try that too! I also add walnuts because I like a little crunch and for the holidays, throw in some miniature marshmallows too. I've cut back on sugar a lot too, and often use stevia instead. Great recipe and very versatile. Like you, I enjoy this all year. I notice that cranberry producers are getting smart and reserving some of their bounty to sell throughout the year.
Kathryn Doherty says
Oh the marshmallows sound like a fun addition! And agreed - I love that cranberries are now available throughout the year. (Though I still stash a bag or two in my freezer just in case!) 😊