11K Shares

This apple salad recipe is a treat you will want to have on all your family get-togethers. It’s simple to make, using only a few ingredients, and combines the right amount of sweet and fruitiness with some crunch, and savory flavor.

When I was growing up, my mom used to make this apple salad. It was a family tradition, and any time we saw her slicing apples and celery, we knew we were in for a treat. Today, it’s become part of our Thanksgiving dinner tradition.

Some of the ingredients seem a little off the wall. Do dates, apples, and celery really belong together? LISTEN. Don’t knock it until you try it, because I’m here to tell you that yes, they do.

Can something this simple, really be this good? Yes. I know it sounds crazy when we’re not even really making a proper dressing. This definitely feels very midwest, and maybe it is.

One time when I was about eight years old, I remember my aunt making this apple salad, and using half cool whip for the dressing. My brother really liked this change, but my dad said it was terrible. Looking back, I wonder if he truly didn’t like it, or if he just felt the need to stick up for mom’s way of doing things. In either case, I haven’t bought cool whip in too many years to find out, so we’re going with the original recipe.

Ingredients for Apple Salad

Apples. I like to use red varieties of apples because they make the salad pretty. But also, I think red varieties have better flavors than most yellow or green. In these picutres, I’ve used a variety of Fuji, Cosmic Crisp, and Envy. Fuji apples, and honeycrisp apples are both excellent choices.

Celery. In my opinion, celery is important for a little extra crunch, and to balance out the sweetness of the other ingredients. I like to use stalks from closer to the center of the bunch, since they are more tender, and mild flavored.

Dates. You can buy pre-chopped dates, for for the best flavor, buy whole, medjool dates, and chop them yourself.

Mini Marshmallows. These always get the kids in the crowd excited! My kids would definitely revolt if we left them out. They balance out the crunch of the apples and celery.

Mayonnaise. This is the dressing ingredients. Because of the sweetness of the majority of ingredients, we don’t need to add a sweetener to our dressing, we simply need a dressing that ties it all together, and brings a little bit of a lemony tang. I use homemade mayonnaise using light tasting olive oil with this recipe. This allows me to control the ingredients, and make sure I’m happy with the oil I’m feeding my kids.

Ingredients substitutions and changes

As with any recipe where you’re essentially mixing ingredients and serving, you can make changes to suit your taste. So feel free to adjust to your heart’s content. Just remember that making adjustments means if you don’t like it, that’s not my fault. 😉

Some easy swaps can be:

Raisins instead of dates. I don’t like raisins, but you do you. You can also add some dried cranberries, for a different flavor take.

Miracle whip instead of mayonnaise. Or greek yogurt, for extra tangy, and more protein.

Additions that are easy to make would be slice almonds, walnuts, or pecans to add a bit of a nice crunch and extra flavor.

You can also add some lemon juice to add a little bit more tang to balance out the sweet.

How to make apple salad

Start by slicing the apples off of their cores, then continue to dice them into half inch or smaller pieces.
Then, trim both the leafy end, and root end of your celery stalks, then split lengthwise, and dice into 1/4 inch pieces.
If using whole dates, continue by quartering dates lengthwise, and dicing into 1/4 inch pieces.
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and serve.
This salad can be combines, and stored in the refrigerator for several hours until ready to serve. Re-toss before serving after storing. Keep in mind that the marshmallows will absorb moisture and become soft and fluffy as the salad is stored. If this isn’t your thing, consider waiting to add marshmallows until just before serving.

Other recipes for you

Roasted beet and citrus salad
Apple cider Chicken
Instant Pot apple butter
How to make apple jam
Fried apples recipe