This creamy vegan grape salad recipe is a refreshing & sweet dish to bring to a picnic or summer potluck. It uses healthy & simple ingredients like grapes, cashews, coconut sugar and pecans. Vegan grape salad is easy to make fruit salad and you don’t need any fancy vegan alternative products.
I love simply snacking on grapes in the summer but this week I wanted to do something more with my grapes. I remembered this creamy grape salad I made as a kid; but we used cream cheese or other dairy products to make it. So I made it my mission to come up with my own healthier vegan version of the classic grape salad I made and loved as a kid.
The traditional grape salad calls for ingredients such as cream cheese, sour cream or yogurt. You can very well follow one of these recipes and use vegan cream cheese or other vegan dairy products. However, I try to limit using processed products (even if they are vegan) and stick to as many whole foods as possible when I am cooking. To make the creamy base of my vegan grape salad I use raw cashews, that’s it just one simple ingredient. It is easy to make a cashew cream, you just soak your cashews then blend them with water. Cashews create a healthy & creamy base without the extra processed ingredients like oils, salts & flavorings a vegan cream cheese does. To sweeten my vegan grape salad up I used organic coconut sugar however you could also use brown sugar.
Vegan grape salad is the perfect recipe to whip up for a summer picnic or bbq. It is easy to make and makes a big batch to share with a party. Or if you are like me you can make this as a healthy treat to pack in your lunch for an afternoon snack. I even shared with my co-worker who gave it a raving review, I think her exact words were “bomb”.
Vegan Grape Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 2 lbs grapes
- 1/2 cup crushed pecans
- 1/4 cup brown sugar optional
Instructions
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Soak cashews in water for an hour
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In a food processor or high speed blender add soaked cashews and fresh 1/2- 3/4 cup of water, blending until smooth & to your desired cream consistency
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Mix in vanilla, sugar and maple syrup.
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Pour mixture in a large bowl & fold in washed grapes & coconut.
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Chill.
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When serving top with crushed pecans & if desired brown sugar
Recipe Notes
Keep stored in airtight container in fridge. Keeps for up to 5 days.
If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment below & tag @emilyhappyhealthy on instagram.
1 comment
I recently picked 1/2 lb of Concord grapes from my ripening vines. That’s not alot of grapes, but it’s the perfect portion for me to make something yummy. I remember making grape salad when I worked in a large corporate cafeteria many years ago and that recipe was made with dairy ingredients. It was tasty, but I am no longer a fan of dairy or of using many processed vegan substitutes when making meals. I was thrilled to discover your recipe made with good whole food ingredients. Thanks so much for bringing back the memories of an old time recipe I once enjoyed, & now that I can continue to enjoy in the future with good conscience.