Apple Slaw Recipe - Cooking Classy - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published April 15, 2023. Updated September 20, 2023

Apple Slaw – An upgraded coleslaw that’s crunchy, fresh and delicious. Made with cabbage, apples, cranberries and almonds and it’s all coated in sweet and tangy dressing. It’s the perfect side for BBQ’s, parties or picnics!

Apple Slaw Recipe

Who doesn’t love coleslaw? It’s crunchy, it’s creamy, it has just enough sweetness, and it goes with just about anything. It’s always quick to be polished off.

Here you get the perfect blend of textures and flavors with the mix-in additions of apples, cranberries, almonds and optional cheese. And it’s covered in a more wholesome, lighter Greek yogurt dressing (versus a classic coleslaw dressing that has as much as a cup of mayonnaise in it).

This apple slaw recipe has a pleasant mild flavor to it, but if you’d like a more pronounced flavor you can add in a tablespoon of dijon mustard to the dressing.

And if you want to skip a step and go with a shortcut, you can use a coleslaw mix in place of the shredded cabbage and carrots. Also just chop the apples instead of getting paticular and cutting into matchsticks to save time.

I think it’s time for pulled pork or pulled chicken sandwiches this week for dinner, don’t you? And then of course this homemade coleslaw to go with it!

Watch the Video!

Apple Slaw Recipe Ingredients and Substitutes

• Greek Yogurt: I recommend using fa*ge, other brands may will be too thin.
• Mayonnaise: Full fat mayo is best here.
• Honey: You can try another sweetener like granulated sugar.
• Apple cider vinegar: In a pinch rice vinegar or red wine vinegar will work as well.
• Salt and black pepper
• Green cabbage: If preferred you can use a pre-cut coleslaw mix in place of cabbage and carrots.
• Matchstick carrots: 1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots
• Gala apples: Another sweet, crisp apple will work fine here.
• Green onions
• Sliced almonds: Slivered almonds will work as well, if using those increase to 1 cup.
• Dried cranberries: Another dried fruit like raisins, dried blueberries, or chopped dried apricots would be tasty as well.
• Optional cheese: blue cheese, feta or sharp cheddar are delicious in this.

How to Make Apple Slaw

1. Make dressing: In a mixing bowl whisk together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, honey and apple cider vinegar until smooth, while seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Toss slaw ingredients: In a large bowl toss together cabbage, carrots, apples, green onions, almonds and cranberries.
3. Combine slaw and dressing: Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately for best results.

How long does it keep?

• This slaw is best served within a few hours of preparing.
• Store it in the fridge until ready to serve.

What to Serve with Apple Coleslaw

This apple cabbage slaw pairs well with most meats, which is why I love bringing it to summer potlucks and BBQ’s. A few of my favorite foods to pair with this easy coleslaw are:

• Burgers
• Grilled chicken or fish
• Roast meats
• Pulled pork
• Salmon
• Serve it a sandwich filler with deli meat

Tips for the Best Apple Coleslaw

• Use sweet apples for a nice balance of flavor but be sureto use unsweetened Greek yogurt in this recipe.
• Look for pretty red apples for a nice pop of color.
• Wait to slice the apples until you are ready to add to the coleslaw so they don’t brown.
• Shred the cabbage fairly thin when slicing so it’s not overly crunchy.

More Coleslaw Recipes You’ll Love:

• Strawberry Kale Coleslaw
• 4-Ingredient Coleslaw Recipe
• Thai Slaw with Peanut Dressing

More Easy Side Dishes to Try:

• Asian Ramen Chicken Chopped Salad
• Potato Salad (The Best!)
• Mexican Macaroni Salad
• Three Bean Salad
• Cheddar Bacon Ranch Potato Salad