Nutty Apple Salad
Gluten Free Living – 2025
I love a great, fruit salad recipe and this Nutty Apple Salad recipe fits the bill! It’s loaded with red and green seedless grapes, fresh apples, marshmallows, celery and mixed nuts. A tasty whipped dressing blends it all together. It’s light, refreshing, and marvelous for summer holiday fun.
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Last August, I made a meal for some neighbors.The husband had been in and out of the hospital frequently all summer. I offered to take them a meal and asked them what they liked to eat. Janelle told me that Rodger liked “hamburgers.” So hamburgers it was! John grilled hamburgers, and I made up sides including Partytime Beans, this fruit salad, Homemade Bread and Peanut Butter Brownie Cups for dessert. Then I decided to whip up a batch of Luscious Lemon Muffins for breakfast. They raved and raved over that simple meal. Rodger has since passed on to glory, but I was glad I could lighten their load during that very difficult time.
The original recipe for this salad actually calls for peanut butter in the dressing, but I omitted it. Truthfully, I was a little too chicken to try something that “out there” for the first time on a neighbor. But if you enjoy risk taking, add it back in. The directions are on the recipe card. Regardless, the combination of fruit, a mixture of nuts and a creamy dressing is really tasty and delicious and great for backyard barbecues or when grilling out with friends.
Nutty Apple Salad is a light and refreshing fruit salad that’s terrific for potlucks and holiday dinners.
It’s chocked full of red and green seedless grapes, apples, marshmallows, celery and mixed nuts. The combination of flavors is terrific.
Nutty Apple Salad is great for company dinners.
I made it for neighbors who wanted hamburgers! I also added some Partytime Beans.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients, plus red seedless grapes.
Before starting recipe, chill evaporated milk in mixing bowl for about one hour.
Chop apples and swish in a bowl with lemon juice.
Drain apples on paper towels.
In a large mixing bowl, combine apples, celery, red and green grape halves and marshmallows. Set aside.
Beat the cold milk about 5 minutes with an electric mixer until it thickens.
Add sugar and vanilla and beat again.
Add mayonnaise and if desired, peanut butter (see note below).
Pour mixture over fruit in bowl.
Stir to combine.
Add mixed nuts. (If the mixture has to sit awhile before you’re ready to serve, it’s better to refrigerate first and stir the nuts in just before serving).
Refrigerate until ready to serve; sprinkle mixed nuts on top just before serving. (I added mixed nuts in the salad as well as on top).
Serve in parfait dishes or wine glasses if desired!
This is a fantastic salad to serve for family reunions, backyard barbecues or when grilling out with friends.
I served Nutty Apple Salad with hamburgers and Partytime Beans.
The combination of different types of nuts and fruits make this fruit salad something special.
Here’s the recipe.
NUTTY APPLE SALAD
(Recipe adapted from Taste of Home, Annual Recipes, 1991, pg. 31)
Nutty Apple Salad
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 small mixing bowl
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 small bowl
- 1 electric mixer
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 large serving bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups Honey Crisp apples or Gala apples, cored, and diced (UNPEELED)
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice or more if needed
- 2 cups celery diced
- 1 cup red seedless grapes halved lengthwise
- 1 cup green seedless grapes halved lengthwise
- 1 cup marshmallows
- 1/3 cup evaporated milk cold
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp. peanut butter optional (I omitted this ingredient)
- 1/2 cup mixed nuts plus more for decorating the top of the salad, if desired
Instructions
- Before starting recipe, chill evaporated milk and a medium mixing bowl for about one hour.
- Chop apples and swish in a bowl with lemon juice.
- Drain on paper towels.
- In a large bowl, combine apples, celery, grapes and marshmallows.
- In chilled mixing bowl, beat cold evaporated milk about 5-8 minutes until mixture is thick like pudding.
- Add sugar and vanilla; then beat in mayonnaise.
- (Add peanut butter, if desired).
- Pour dressing over top of apple mixture.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Stir in nuts just before serving.
- Decorate with more mixed nuts on top, if desired.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
Top Nutty Apple Salad with maraschino cherries, if desired.
Nutty Apple Salad is terrific for almost any kind of meal–whether elegant dinners or family style. I served it with hamburgers and Partytime Beans.
The original recipe calls for adding peanut butter to the salad dressing. This is probably a great addition, but since it was the first time I made the recipe, I left it off.
Nutty Apple Salad is gluten free as long as your mayonnaise and marshmallows are gluten free.
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Spinach Apple Raisin Salad with Glazed Walnuts
