Apple Coleslaw (Quick + Easy Recipe) (2024)

Jump to Recipe

Apple Coleslaw features apples, carrots, cranberries, and cabbage tossed in a peppery-sweet creamy slaw dressing. It’s healthy, full of texture and flavor, and so easy to make!

Apple Coleslaw (Quick + Easy Recipe) (1)

I love making coleslaw, and this light and refreshing fruit-filled apple slaw is a welcome addition to the other great slaw recipes on the blog!

Sweet & peppery, this delicious slaw with apples is crowd-pleasing and a nice change from the usual coleslaw recipes.

Table of Contents show

Why We Love This Recipe 🍎

  • Great flavor and texture: Coleslaw with apples and cranberries combine creamy, crunchy, sweet, tangy, and savory flavors for the ultimate crave-worthy apple slaw.
  • Super versatile: Apple coleslaw can easily be customized to suit your preferences. Change up the cranberries and almonds, or switch up the cabbage and dressing base. We love options!
  • Quick and easy: Apple Slaw is simple to make and requires minimal effort. Once you’ve prepped the produce, it’s easy as can be to put together.
  • Make it ahead: We love that this recipe can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator, making it a convenient option for meal prep or as a side dish for gatherings and events.
Apple Coleslaw (Quick + Easy Recipe) (2)

Ingredients You’ll Need

Made from scratch, this apple coleslaw recipe includes cabbage, apples, dried cranberries, carrots, green onions, and slivered almonds tossed in a deliciously creamy vegan dressing.

Here is everything you’ll need, including variations:

  • Cabbage – Use regular green or Napa cabbage.
  • Carrots – Shred your own, and for convenience use pre-shredded carrots.
  • Apples – Use your favorite apples, sweet or tart – fuji, granny smith, honey crisp, gala, golden delicious, or a combo.
  • Cranberries – We love using organic cranberries, preferably unsweetened. They add a nice pop of color. Raisins make a great substitute when needed – use regular, jumbo, or golden.
  • Almonds – We used slivered almonds here, but you can easily change it up with sunflower seeds, pecans, or walnuts. They all add extra crunch and nutrition!
  • Green onions – Diced red onions can be used in place of green onions.
  • Apple Coleslaw Dressing – The dressing is a creamy, no mayo recipe, but feel free to use vegan mayo or plain non-dairy yogurt instead of the tahini, as noted in the recipe.
Apple Coleslaw (Quick + Easy Recipe) (3)

How To Make Apple Coleslaw

Making apple slaw is super easy, requiring just a few simple steps:

  • Start with the coleslaw dressing by mixing together the tahini, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside to let the flavors combine.
  • Prepare the cabbage by removing the first cabbage leaf, core and finely slice the cabbage, then give it a good rough chop.
  • Wash the apples well, core, and julienne into matchsticks.
  • Assemble coleslaw. In a large mixing bowl, add the cabbage, apples, carrots, cranberries, green onions, and almonds. (If you don’t have a large mixing bowl, a 6 qt. soup or stock pot will do perfectly.) Pour the dressing over the slaw salad and mix well to combine.

Serve as is, or let chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving.

I often make a batch and eat it as a main dish, grazing on it throughout the day. It’s also great for make-ahead lunches and is even better the next day!

Apple Coleslaw (Quick + Easy Recipe) (4)

How To Store Apple Coleslaw

Coleslaw can be safely stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 – 5 days.

Can You Make Apple Slaw Ahead?

You can make coleslaw 3 to 4 days ahead of serving it. For the best presentation, I recommend making it within 24 hours of serving. Otherwise, it tends to become watery and limp. You can always prep the ingredients, keeping the slaw and dressing separate until a few hours before serving. To keep the apples from browning, place them in a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Will the Apples Turn Brown in Coleslaw?

Nope! The apples will not turn brown with the use of apple cider vinegar in the coleslaw dressing, so you can safely make your apple coleslaw a day or two ahead of time. Just keep it stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Apple Coleslaw (Quick + Easy Recipe) (5)

Serving Suggestions

What to serve with apple coleslaw? Here are a few of our favorite pairings from the archives:

  • Healthy Baked Beans
Apple Coleslaw (Quick + Easy Recipe) (6)

More Coleslaw Recipes!

  • Classic Vegan Coleslaw
  • Asian Slaw, zesty with a miso-ginger dressing, and my all-time favorite
  • Spicy Coleslaw, my all-time favorite, with pepperoncini and creamy tahini dressing.

If you try this apple slaw recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

Print

EASY APPLE COLESLAW

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 7 reviews

Crisp, fresh, and delicious, this Apple Coleslaw features a colorful combo of fruits and veggies tossed in a delicious creamy apple cider dressing! Recipe is versatile and can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 – 6 1x
  • Category: Salad, Side
  • Method: mix
  • Cuisine: Vegan, American

Ingredients

Units Scale

  • 1/2 head green cabbage (about 45 cups), shredded
  • 2 carrots (about 1 1/2 cups), julienned or shredded
  • 2 apples (green or red), cored and cut into matchsticks
  • 3/41 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 23 green onions (about 1/2 cup), sliced

Tahini Maple Dressing

  • 1/4 cup tahini (sub with 1/2 cup mayo or plain non-dairy yogurt)
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the tahini, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and pepper. Add 1 -2 tablespoons of water as needed to thin. Set aside to let the flavors mingle.

Assemble coleslaw: In an x-large bowl, add the cabbage, apples, carrots, cranberries, green onions, and almonds. Drizzle the dressing over the top and mix well to coat. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve as is, or store in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.

Coleslaw can be made a day ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Makes about 8 cups

Serves 4 – 8

Notes

To replace the tahini: use 1/2 cup non-dairy plain yogurt or vegan mayo.

The ingredients can easily be changed up for variation:

  • Replace green cabbage for napa or red cabbage, or use a combo.
  • Use your favorite apples – fuji, granny smith, honey crisp, gala, golden delicious, etc.
  • In place of cranberries, raisins would work well.
  • Vary up the almonds, using sunflower seeds, pecans, or walnuts.
  • Use diced red onion in place of green onions.

FOLLOW TSVonFacebook,Instagram,Pinterest,orRSSfor more updates and inspiration!

Apple Coleslaw (Quick + Easy Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

Is apple cider vinegar better than white vinegar for coleslaw? ›

However, there is a best vinegar to use, and it's apple cider vinegar. The reason is threefold: taste, chemical makeup, and health benefits. Though there's no shortage of other types of vinegar, none has this ideal trifecta to best complement your cabbage and its other coleslaw vegetable ingredients.

How do you keep coleslaw from getting runny? ›

Salting the cabbage should be step one of any coleslaw recipe. With the shredded cabbage in a colander, mix in a tablespoon of salt per head of cabbage till it's evenly distributed. The salt will draw out excess water from cabbage while helping preserve the crispiness.

What can I add to store bought coleslaw to make it taste better? ›

<br/><br/>Adding horse radish or onion or celery seeds or bacon bits or some other tasty flavors to make it your own is a really good idea.

How do you reduce the bitterness in coleslaw? ›

For every 2 cups of sliced cabbage, mix it with about a teaspoon of salt. Kenji Lopez- Alt also found it was beneficial to add a teaspoon of sugar too. Both salt and sugar promote osmosis, which draws out any water from the cabbage. And the sugar can balance out some of the bitterness in the cabbage.

What can I add to apple cider vinegar and water to make it taste better? ›

So, why not try mixing ACV into a delicious drink? Mixing a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a cup of water, a squeeze of lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey creates a tasty, sweet drink. You could even add a pinch of cinnamon for extra flavour or add more honey to make it sweeter!

Why do you add honey to apple cider vinegar? ›

The vitamins in honey and vinegar boost the immune system, aid in bone and heart health, assist in memory and cell production, and help blood clot. Honey and vinegar contain antioxidants, which play an important role in reducing harmful oxygen molecules (called free radicals) in the body.

Why does coleslaw go bad so quickly? ›

Like the cabbage, these veggie add-ins can also become breeding grounds for bacteria when left unrefrigerated. Coleslaw dressing often includes vinegar that acidulates the mixture, making it a less hospitable environment for those pesky bacteria. But unfortunately, it's not enough to halt bacterial growth completely.

Why do you put salt on cabbage for coleslaw? ›

Salting the cabbage, carrot, and onion purges excess moisture that would otherwise turn the slaw into a soupy mess. Including sugar (another osmosis-inducing ingredient) balances the flavor. Limiting the purge to five minutes keeps the cabbage crunchy.

Why do you soak cabbage before cooking? ›

Crisp it up: Shredded cabbage stays perky if it's soaked in cold water. This also helps cut the pungent edge. Drain well before combining with other ingredients.

How to doctor up store bought cole slaw? ›

While prepackaged coleslaw is generally made with green cabbage, there are actually 13 other varieties of the vegetable that can boost your side dish. Mix green and red cabbage for a nice, pretty color, or add those with interesting textures like Tuscan cabbage or kale.

Why did KFC stop selling coleslaw? ›

The fast food chain was forced to stop selling its coleslaw tubs when a supply issue meant the slaw would have to be served up without the dressing. “We are currently experiencing a supply issue with our KFC coleslaw dressing,” a KFC spokesperson said. The slaw is made up of cabbage and carrots coated in mayonnaise.

What is the dressing made of in coleslaw? ›

What Is Coleslaw Dressing Made Of? This creamy, mayo-based dressing uses ingredients you likely have on hand: sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, and of course, mayonnaise. The resulting dressing is just the right balance of sweet, tangy, creamy, and peppery!

Why is my coleslaw so bland? ›

Neglecting to add enough spices or seasoning

Perhaps the recipe you followed is just inherently bland. If your dressing is already applied, you only have one choice left to turn your coleslaw around. You've got to add some seasoning or spice. Start by adding salt and pepper to taste.

How to stop homemade coleslaw from going watery? ›

Preventing watery slaw

To prevent this tear-jerking weeping effect, a little salt goes a long way. Place your shredded cabbage into a colander or a large mesh strainer over a large bowl. Sprinkle one teaspoon per pound of cabbage over the shreds and toss to evenly distribute the salt throughout the cabbage.

How to tone down vinegar taste in coleslaw? ›

- Add some sugar or honey to the dish. Sugar and honey can counteract the sourness of vinegar and add some sweetness to the dish. You can start with a small amount and adjust according to your taste.

Is it better to use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar? ›

The main difference between apple cider vinegar and white vinegar lies in their source, composition, benefits, and usage. Apple cider vinegar is often associated with health benefits such as improved digestion and blood sugar regulation, while white vinegar is more commonly linked to cleaning and culinary applications.

What is a substitute for white vinegar in coleslaw? ›

Light-bodied rice vinegar is among the most versatile white wine vinegar substitutes. Also called rice wine vinegar, it's made from white, brown, or black rice that's fermented until the sugars and starches turn into alcohol and then acetic acid.

Can I substitute apple cider vinegar for white vinegar? ›

White vinegar substitute: If you need a different vinegar to substitute for white vinegar, use apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar. You could also swap in lemon or lime juice, depending on your recipe. When you're canning or pickling, there are no comparable substitutes.

How do you tone down the vinegar taste in coleslaw? ›

- Add some sugar or honey to the dish. Sugar and honey can counteract the sourness of vinegar and add some sweetness to the dish. You can start with a small amount and adjust according to your taste.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Melvina Ondricka

Last Updated:

Views: 6170

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (48 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Melvina Ondricka

Birthday: 2000-12-23

Address: Suite 382 139 Shaniqua Locks, Paulaborough, UT 90498

Phone: +636383657021

Job: Dynamic Government Specialist

Hobby: Kite flying, Watching movies, Knitting, Model building, Reading, Wood carving, Paintball

Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.