Caramel Apple Salad with Snickers is a creamy dessert salad made with fresh apples, pineapple, chewy Snickers, and roasted peanuts folded into a vanilla dressing and drizzled with caramel sauce. A little sour cream and the tart pineapple keep it from being overly sweet (I swear!), making it perfect for potlucks and family gatherings.
If you love caramel as much as I do, try my Caramel Apple Dip, Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake, and Caramelitas next.
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❤️Why You'll Love This Snickers Caramel Apple Salad Recipe
- Unique combination of flavors. Yes, it has Snickers bars, apples, and pineapple. And yes, it tastes amazing.
- Not too sweet. I know, hard to believe. But tangy sour cream, tart pineapple, and salty peanuts balance out the sweetness. I promise.
- Always a crowd-pleaser. Even people who say they don't like those "fluff salads" are going to go back for seconds. Because, Snickers.
- Easy recipe for parties. Is it a side dish? A dessert? You decide which table it goes on. Either way, it's going to get devoured.
- Fun to customize. Try different candy bars, fruit, and pudding flavors. Some people make this with fudge stripe cookies!
I like to serve it as a sweet side dish during holidays with roaster oven ham, Southern green bean casserole, and a fresh spinach arugula salad.
For more sweet salad recipes, check out Orange Fluff Salad, Fruit Salad with Cool Whip, and my friend's Coffee Fluff. This Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad is another sweet treat I like to make for special occasions.
🍍Ingredients
- Instant vanilla pudding mix. One 4-serving box of instant pudding. Ignore all of the directions on the package.
- Crushed pineapple in juices. Do not drain the pineapple juice, it helps the pudding mixture come together.
- Sour cream. A little sour cream tones down the sweetness and makes it extra creamy.
- Whipped topping or whipped cream. If you're not into Cool Whip, I suggest taking a look at Truwhip. You can also use real whipped cream.
🍓Variations
- Pudding. Try your favorite flavor like white chocolate, cheesecake, butterscotch, or pistachio pudding.
- Mini marshmallows. Stir miniature marshmallows in with the apples and Snickers.
- Fruit. Swap out some of the apples for fresh bananas, grapes, strawberries, or blueberries.
- Candy bars. Substitute Snickers for Twix, Milky Way, Butterfingers, Baby Ruth, or 100 Grand bars. For something without chocolate, try Payday or Salted Nut Rolls.
- Coconut. Stir in some toasted coconut or sprinkle it on top.
- Nuts. Switch out roasted peanuts for almonds, pecans, or walnuts.
🍎The Best Apples for Snickers Apple Salad
Which apples are best for Snickers salad? Something nice and crunchy. I like to use a combination of sweet and tart. Here are some good options to choose from:
- Sweet apples. Honeycrips, Pink Lady, Fuji, Gala
- Tart apples. Braeburn, Granny Smith, McIntosh, Cortland
🥣How to Make Apple Caramel Salad
Step 1. Make the creamy pudding base. Combine pineapple with the juices and dry pudding mix in a large bowl. Whisk for about 2 minutes. Stir in the sour cream. Set aside to thicken.
Step 2. Chop the Snickers and apples. While the pudding mixture thickens, cut the Snickers into small pieces. Core and chop the apples.
Step 3. Assemble the salad. Fold the Cool Whip into the pudding mixture until completely incorporated. Stir the apples, Snickers, and roasted peanuts into the Cool Whip mixture.
Step 4. Chill, drizzle with caramel, and enjoy! Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to chill properly. If desired, drizzle caramel sauce on top before serving. Taffy apple salad is best enjoyed the same or the next day.
🎁Storage
- Store caramel apple salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing is not recommended. The fruit will release liquid as it thaws and make the salad watery.
☑️Success Tips
- Chop the Snickers and apples after you mix the pudding, to give the mixture time to thicken.
- Do not drain the pineapple. You need the juices to mix with the dry pudding mix.
- Chill the candy bars, if needed. They're easier to cut into clean pieces when they're firm.
❓FAQs
Snickers salad is a classic Midwestern fruit salad with apples and Snickers bars folded into a vanilla pudding-whipped cream base. Other ingredients may include canned pineapple, marshmallows, roasted peanuts, and caramel sauce.
Yes, you can make this salad a few hours up to a day in advance. After a couple days, the apples release liquid, which can change the texture of the salad.
This salad can typically be stored in the refrigerator for about 2 to 3 days. However, the texture of the apples may change slightly over time, so it is best enjoyed within the first day or two for the freshest taste and texture.
Popular choices include tart Granny Smith apples, sweet Gala apples, or sweet-tart Honeycrisp apples. The choice of apple can affect the taste and texture of the salad, so you can choose the variety that suits your preference.
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📖 Recipe
Caramel Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 1 3.4 oz. box instant vanilla pudding 4-serving size
- 20 ounces crushed pineapple, undrained
- ½ cup sour cream
- 8 ounces Cool Whip or Truwhip
- 5 cups chopped apples 4-5 medium apples, Honeycrisp or Granny Smith are great options
- 6 full sized Snicker bars
- 1 cup salted roasted peanuts
- caramel sauce for drizzling
Instructions
- Whisk the pudding mix and can of crushed pineapple with juices in a large mixing bowl for about 2 minutes. Stir in the sour cream. Set aside to thicken.
- Chop the Snickers into bite-sized pieces. Core and chop the apples.
- Fold the Cool Whip into the pudding mixture until completely incorporated. Stir in the apples, Snickers, and roasted peanuts. Cover and chill for at least one hour. If desired, serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce.
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