Apple Dessert Salad Recipe

Fall is officially here! If you love crisp apples in cool weather like we do, you'll love this recipe. This amazing apple dessert salad was developed by recipe developer Stephanie Rapone, and it's sure to be a hit all season long. "I love that it can be a dessert, a side dish, or an awesome after school snack," Rapone says of this dish. "It's just so versatile and easy!" Multi-purpose dishes full of yummy goodies? We are here for it. And best of all, there's no cook time!

We love being able to incorporate fruit and nutrient-dense ingredient into desserts, and this salad is loaded with them. From apples to grapes to walnuts, there are enough healthy ingredients to balance out the more decadent ones, like cream cheese, whipped topping, and brown sugar. Together, all of these flavors create a truly rich dessert, though as Rapone stated, it can easily double as a snack or possibly even a side dish. So, without further ado, let's get started on this creamy, dreamy recipe.

To get started on this recipe, you'll first want to make sure that you have the right ingredients. While many ingredients may already be sitting in your pantry or fridge, you may have to make a quick run to the grocery store or farmer's market to pick up the rest. Start out with some medium-sized apples (we recommend honeycrisp, fuji, or pink lady for the best taste). Additionally, you'll need some seedless grapes, cream cheese, and frozen whipped topping, which will have to come to room temperature before you use it. Finally, you'll need some vanilla bean paste, brown sugar, and some chopped walnuts for some crunch.

Take your cream cheese and whipped topping out of the freezer and allow it to come to room temperature. Now, turn your attention the star of the salad: the apples. Wash the apples and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Then, place them into a large mixing bowl. "I like to cut the apples in quarters through the middle. Then, slice on an angle to remove the core," Rapone explains. "I then cut each quarter in half length-wise, and then turn and cut into quarters." This will yield even-sized pieces.

Of course, any types of apples can be used for this recipe, but Rapone suggests fuji, honeycrisp, or pink ladies. "These types of apples are great because they have good balance between sweet and tangy (granny smith is too tangy for this recipe), and they have great crunch that really holds up," Rapone explains.

Now, take and wash your grapes thoroughly. Halve them and add them to the bowl with the apples. The grapes give a textured bite to the salad, as well as delicious, refreshing flavor. "The most challenging part is just cutting the fruit," Rapone notes. "I find halving grapes to be super annoying and tedious, but it's worth it, because then the dressing tends to cling to them better." Also, apples and grapes are a match made in heaven, so it only makes sense that they'd go in a salad together!

Add the cream cheese and vanilla bean paste to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat them together using a hand mixer or some good elbow grease, until the mix is smooth. Once those ingredients are combined, add the thawed whipped topping and beat until everything is well-blended. This sweet combination of ingredients will add some much appreciated creaminess to the dish — which happens to pair wonderfully alongside fresh fruit. Finally, in a separate bowl, combine the walnuts and brown sugar.

To assemble the salad, first add the cream cheese dressing to the apples and grapes. With a spoon, toss them together until the apples and grapes are coated. Lastly, sprinkle the brown sugar and walnuts over the top of the salad and serve cool. "This is great for a holiday or big meal because you can make it in advance," Rapone notes. Storage is super easy for this recipe — simply keep it in the fridge for up to a week. "One thing that is great about this recipe is that the cream cheese has enough acid in it to keep the fruit from browning or getting mushy," Rapone explains. You have a crisp, fall salad that doubles as a dessert — it doesn't get much better than that!