Overhead image of prepared apple slaw in a bowl with gold utensils and colorful shredded ingredients visible.

This apple slaw is a crisp and refreshing side dish made with coleslaw mix, sweet red apples, crunchy carrots, and a creamy, tangy dressing.

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Prep Time10

Total Time40

Servings

Tossed together in minutes, this Apple Slaw is the unsung hero of side dishes. Think classic coleslaw—but with a twist. Instead of just cabbage and carrots, we bring in tart, juicy apples for a fresh burst of flavor and natural sweetness.

Close-up of colorful apple slaw with julienned apples, shredded cabbage, carrots, and cranberries mixed in a creamy dressing.

Apple Slaw Ingredients

This recipe isn’t just easy to prepare; it’s been carefully crafted with ingredients that complement each other beautifully.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this slaw:

Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise
⅓ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Slaw

6 cups coleslaw mix
2 large red apples
½ cup matchstick carrots
½ cup sliced green onions
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup slivered almonds

Ingredient Substitutions and Additions

Apple Cider Vinegar: You can substitute with lemon juice or lime juice if you’re out of apple cider vinegar. Lemon juice gives a softer tang, while lime juice has a sharper, more pronounced flavor.

Coleslaw Mix: In place of bagged coleslaw mix, you can use a combination of shredded green and purple cabbage to control texture and ratios. Just be sure to shred the cabbage finely for even mixing. The cabbage should be sliced to about ⅛-¼ inch thick for the perfect crunch.

Apples: If you can’t find crisp red apples, pink lady or fuji apples work well as substitutes. They offer a similar sweet flavor and firm texture. Toss the apple slices with a little lemon juice to prevent browning while you prepare the other ingredients.

Optional Add-ins: You can customize your slaw with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds instead of almonds for a nut-free crunch. If you prefer something sweeter, try adding raisins in place of cranberries, or for a different texture, use diced celery for extra crunch.

How To Make Apple Slaw

Step-by-step process shots of making apple slaw in a glass bowl, from ingredients to mixing in creamy dressing.

In a large mixing bowl, add the coleslaw mix, vegetables, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
Pour the dressing over the apple slaw ingredients and toss to evenly coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate before serving.

Serving Suggestions

With bbq ribs: The tangy crunch is perfect for cookouts.
On shrimp tacos: Adds crisp contrast. Finish with a squeeze of lime.
With pulled pork: Creamy, tart slaw balances pork beautifully.
With fried chicken: Stays crisp and cool—an ideal match.
With grilled chicken : Bright and refreshing alongside smoky meats.

Storage Instructions

MAKE AHEAD: You can chop the ingredients and store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to one day before mixing everything together.

STORAGE: It’s best to store this slaw in the fridge and enjoy it within a few days for the best flavor and texture. If the slaw seems dry after being stored, freshen it up with a little extra apple cider vinegar or a spoonful of mayonnaise before serving.

Fork lifting a bite of apple slaw showing crisp apple slices, green onions, cranberries, and creamy slaw mix in the background.

Apple Slaw

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This apple slaw is a crisp and refreshing side dish made with coleslaw mix, sweet red apples, crunchy carrots, and a creamy, tangy dressing.

Prep Time 10

Total Time 40

Servings

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Ingredients

Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise
⅓ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Slaw

6 cups coleslaw mix, from a 16-ounce bag
2 large red apples, cored and cut into julienned strips (approximately 2 cups)
½ cup matchstick carrots
½ cup sliced green onions
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup slivered almonds

Instructions

Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, honey, apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl to make the dressing. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl add the coleslaw mix, julienned red apple, carrots, green onions, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds.
Pour the dressing over the apple slaw ingredients and toss to evenly coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Using your favorite brand of bagged coleslaw mixes can vary by weight and by the amounts of pre-shredded green cabbage, purple cabbage and shredded carrots. You just need to make sure you are using approximately 6-7 cups as this recipe is very forgiving if the weights of the bag vary slightly from brand to brand.
If you prefer to shred the cabbage yourself, you will need a small-medium head to equal the required 6 cups coleslaw mix for this recipe.
Gala apples were used to develop this recipe; however, Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, or Red Delicious apples will also work well.
If you’d rather use store-bought, substitute with about 1 cup of good quality jarred dressing for the homemade version in the recipe.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant
Amy Tandiko Graphic Designer
Ina Chong
Sian Cox Photographer
Angela Sessions Recipe Developer

Apple Slaw