This Holiday Honeycrisp Salad is the perfect mix of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors for your holiday table. Featuring crisp Honeycrisp apples, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and crumbled blue cheese, all tossed with a homemade apple cider vinaigrette, this salad adds a refreshing, colorful touch to any festive meal. It’s simple, elegant, and ready in minutes — the kind of recipe that makes healthy eating feel indulgent.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You’ll love this Honeycrisp Apple Salad because it’s fresh, vibrant, and beautifully balanced. The sweetness of the apples and honey contrasts perfectly with the tangy vinaigrette and creamy blue cheese. It’s a crowd-pleasing salad that pairs with any holiday dish — from roasted turkey to baked ham — and looks stunning on the table. Plus, it’s quick to prepare, easy to customize, and ideal for both everyday meals and special occasions.

Holiday Honeycrisp Salad

When the holidays roll around, rich comfort foods take center stage — but every great feast needs a burst of freshness to balance it out. Enter the Holiday Honeycrisp Salad, a crisp, colorful side dish that celebrates the best flavors of the season. With sweet-tart apples, candied pecans, dried cranberries, and a light apple cider vinaigrette, this salad is festive enough for Thanksgiving or Christmas but simple enough to enjoy year-round.

The beauty of this salad lies in its harmony of textures and flavors. Honeycrisp apples are naturally juicy and sweet, providing crunch and freshness in every bite. The pecans add a buttery richness (especially when toasted or candied), while the blue cheese lends creamy depth that ties everything together. A handful of dried cranberries or cherries adds a jewel-toned pop of color and a tangy counterpoint to the sweetness.

The dressing couldn’t be easier — a quick whisk of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, lemon juice, and a splash of apple cider creates a bright vinaigrette that enhances the salad’s natural sweetness without overpowering it. It’s light, balanced, and the perfect complement to fall and winter produce.

This apple pecan salad has become a favorite on holiday tables because it’s both refreshing and substantial. It cuts through heavier dishes like mashed potatoes and stuffing, making the entire meal feel more balanced. And because it’s so simple to assemble, you can toss it together right before serving, saving time for everything else on your holiday checklist.

Ingredient flexibility is another reason this recipe shines. If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, try goat cheese or feta instead. Prefer walnuts over pecans? Go for it. You can even make it vegan by omitting the cheese and swapping maple syrup for honey. It’s the kind of salad that welcomes personalization while still feeling polished and special.

Visually, this salad is a showstopper. The contrast of green salad mix, red cranberries, golden pecans, and white-blue cheese crumbles makes it look festive and vibrant. It’s proof that simple ingredients, when thoughtfully combined, can create something truly beautiful.

From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve dinners, or even Sunday brunch, this Holiday Honeycrisp Salad fits seamlessly on any menu. It’s light, refreshing, and effortlessly elegant — the kind of side dish people talk about long after the meal is over.

Even better, the components can be prepped in advance, so assembly takes just minutes. Slice the apples, toast the pecans, whisk the vinaigrette — and you’re done. Quick, healthy, and undeniably delicious, this salad proves that the holidays don’t have to be all about heavy food to feel satisfying.

Whether you’re serving it alongside a roast or bringing it to a potluck, this Honeycrisp apple salad delivers freshness, flavor, and festive cheer with every bite.

Servings & Time

Servings: 6–8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (or light vegetable oil)

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice or apple cider

• 2 to 3 tablespoons honey (to taste)

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Salad:

• 3 medium Honeycrisp apples (about 1 pound), thinly sliced

• Juice of 1/2 lemon (to prevent browning)

• 12 ounces mixed salad greens (spring mix, spinach, arugula, or baby romaine)

• 1 cup pecan halves, toasted or candied

• 3/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries

• 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese (or feta/goat cheese as alternative)

Instructions

1. Prepare the vinaigrette:
   In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, apple juice, honey, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper until smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity as desired.

2. Slice the apples:
   Thinly slice the Honeycrisp apples and toss them with lemon juice to prevent browning. Set aside.

3. Assemble the salad:
   In a large salad bowl, combine salad greens, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and crumbled blue cheese. Add the sliced apples on top.

4. Dress the salad:
   Drizzle with apple cider vinaigrette just before serving. Toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.

5. Serve immediately:
   Serve the salad fresh for the best texture and color.

Tips

• Make Ahead: Prepare the vinaigrette up to 3 days in advance and store in the fridge. Slice the apples and toss the salad just before serving.

• Substitutions: Swap blue cheese for goat cheese or feta. Use walnuts or almonds instead of pecans.

• Add Protein: Top with grilled chicken or roasted turkey for a full meal.

• Vegan Option: Omit cheese and replace honey with maple syrup.

• Presentation Tip: Arrange the apple slices on top for a beautiful, layered look before tossing.