If you live in the Midwest, chances are you've had grape salad at least once. It's a tangy combination of grapes, apples, and glazed pecans covered with a sweet sauce. It can be made in advance and goes well with any number of main dishes. Here's how to make grape salad, including our Test Kitchen's secret to the creamiest texture.

Grape Salad Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this creamy grape salad recipe.

• Cream Cheese: Let your cream cheese soften before adding it to the sauce mixture. If it's too cold, it won't completely mix.
• Sour Cream: A cup of sour cream adds the perfect tang to balance the sweetness of the sugar and grapes in this fruit salad.
• Sugar: Using brown sugar gives the dish a light almost caramel-like taste.
• Flavorings: Vanilla and cinnamon add flavor to the grape salad recipe.
• Grapes: For color and flavor, our Test Kitchen likes to use both red and green grapes.
• Apples: A chopped apple adds texture to the finished salad. You can choose a sweet apple, like a Honeycrisp, or a tart apple, like a Granny Smith, for this recipe.
• Pecans: Our taste testers preferred the salad with homemade glazed pecans. You can also use toasted pecans if you'd prefer.

How to Make Grape Salad

Making this grape salad with cream cheese is quite easy. Here's a quick look at how to assemble it.

1. Make the Sauce: Blend the cream cheese, sour cream, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon into a thick sauce.
2. Add the Fruit: Add the grapes and chopped apple to the sauce mixture.
3. Finish: Top the finished grape salad with toasted pecans and serve.
   

How to Store Grape Salad

Transfer salad, without pecans, to an airtight container and chill for up to 3 days. Top with pecans just before serving.