Cranberry and Walnut Salad
This cranberry walnut salad is my fall staple. Every time I make it, people rave. Crisp apples, tart cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and a sprinkle of feta tossed in apple cider vinaigrette. It’s simple, fresh, and always a hit.
Jump to:
You know those recipes that just stick around forever? This is one of mine.
My mom clipped this salad recipe from a magazine years ago, and it’s still showing up at family dinners. It’s simple, it’s basic, but somehow it tastes amazing with just about anything you serve it with.
We’ve made this salad more times than I can count by swapping out apples or nuts depending on the season, but that mix of sweet, tart, crunchy, and creamy always stays.
It’s my weeknight salad fix in the fall, tossed together next to our roast chicken or something more hearty like our crustless pot pie. But it’s also the one I make when friends come over, because it looks fancier than it is.
Why You’ll Love This Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad
- Quick & easy. Comes together in about 15 minutes, so it’s perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute guests.
- Flavor + crunch. Juicy apples, tart cranberries, nutty walnuts, and a little salty feta. You’ll get that sweet-tart, crunchy-creamy balance in every bite.
- Always a hit. The vibrant colors make it pretty enough for holidays, but simple enough to keep on repeat all season.
Ingredients for Walnut Cranberry Salad
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Best apples to use: Honeycrisp or Granny Smith hold their crunch and balance the sweet-tart flavors.
- Toast the walnuts: A quick 5 minutes in the oven or skillet makes them extra nutty and flavorful.
- Feta swap: Goat cheese or blue cheese work if you want something creamier or bolder.
- Dried cranberries tip: Use unsweetened if you like tart, sweetened if you prefer mellow.
- Greens: Arugula adds peppery bite, spring mix keeps it light, spinach makes it hearty.
Little Trick I Love: Toss your apples in a splash of lemon juice if you’re prepping ahead.
How to Make Apple Walnut Cranberry Salad
The recipe card below has all the details you need.
Step 1: Whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Put the lettuce in a large bowl and gently toss it with some of the dressing.
Step 3: Add in the apples, walnuts, cranberries, and feta cheese.
Step 4: Give everything a good toss. Drizzle in more dressing if desired. Taste for salt and pepper before serving.
Apple Walnut Feta Salad Variations
- Apples: Replace the apple with a ripe pear for a different but equally delicious option. For even more flavor roast the pears like in our roasted pear salad.
- Nuts: Swap out the walnuts with toasted pecans or almonds for a different crunch.
- Veggies: Add some thinly sliced red onions or bell peppers for an extra vegetable punch.
Make It A Meal: Want to make it dinner? Toss in grilled chicken tenders or roasted chickpeas for easy extra protein.
Walnut Cranberry Apple Salad Tips
- Keep apples from browning. Toss cut apples with a splash of lemon juice or orange juice if you’re prepping ahead.
- Dress lightly. This salad is best when lightly coated with dressing. Start with less, then add more if needed.
- Assemble just before serving. Keep the dressing separate until the last minute so the greens stay fresh and crisp.
Cranberry and Walnut Salad Recipe FAQs
Toss them in lemon juice or even orange juice. Just a quick splash and they’ll stay fresh looking.
Yep! Skip the feta or use a vegan version. For nut-free, try roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
Honeycrisp if you want sweet and juicy. Granny Smith if you like tart and crisp. Or mix them for the best of both worlds.
More Fall Recipes to Try
If you make this recipe, please leave a ⭐️ STAR rating and COMMENT letting us know how you liked the recipe.
Walnut Cranberry Apple Salad
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Easy and flavorful fall salad with apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries. It’s a must try recipe that comes together in minutes with the most delicious maple cider vinaigrette!
Ingredients
- 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, cored + cut into matchsticks
- ⅓ cup chopped toasted walnuts
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese, plus more to taste
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Dressing
- Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Salad
- In a large bowl, toss lettuce with some of the dressing. Add apples, walnuts, cranberries, and feta. Drizzle more dressing, if desired, and toss to coat. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Leftovers: Store in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Just know the salad will soften as it sits. If you’re planning for leftovers, keep the dressing separate and toss it in right before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 7.3 g
- Sodium: 101.3 mg
- Fat: 15.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.3 g
- Protein: 3.2 g
- Cholesterol: 7.4 mg
Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
I served this wonderful Fall salad yesterday at a church luncheon. IT WAS A HIT. AND have shared it with others today.. thank you for the option to expand or multiply a recipe. We only cooked for 50 yesterday, usually we have a larger group. so was a nice feature on your recipe.. to make shopping easier..
Oh wow! That’s so great and thank you for sharing the recipe with others.
Anyone have trouble with apples browning?
You can squeeze a little lemon juice over the apples to prevent browning.
Ah, didn’t see the rating opportunity when posting my earlier comment, but you’ll see from my review that it’s def. 5 stars!
Thank you! I so appreciate that.
Made this to accompany dinner last night and my husband loved it!
I subbed in Kerrygold white cheddar for the feta (I’ll have to try the original version with feta on my own, husband loves cheddar), and pecans for walnuts (I don’t ever have walnuts on hand since finding out my mother-in-law is allergic).
I thought that the dressing was absolutely perfect per the recipe. Refreshing, and the acidity of the cider vinegar and dijon cuts through and balances the sweetness of the maple syrup.
Thank you, will use this recipe many times more in the future!!
Yum! White cheddar sounds so delicious. I need to try that next time. Thank you for feedback. So glad you enjoyed the salad.
I haven’t tried it yet; but I know it’s going to be delicious! I use to order a apple crunch salad at Albertsons in SanDiego until they discontinued it!???? what a sad day that was! This recipe looks just like the salad I use to buy! I’ll update you on the final results! ????
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it.
Delicious salad! Easy and quick to prepare. The vinaigrette is on the sweet side. I might half the amount of maple syrup and see how that tastes. The salad itself can certainly handle substitutions/additions such as: sunflower seeds, blue cheese, other greens, dried cherries, etc. If you like balsamic vinegar, I highly recommend the Apple Walnut Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette found on this site. Both salads and dressings are very similar. My husband and I actually made single serving portions of both for a “taste” test. We thought the balsamic dressing brought more overall flavor (and not as sweet) to the salad.
Thank for feedback!
Awesome salad, perfect combination! Had dried cherries on hand instead of cranberries. Wow, what a great salad! Dressing is wonderful. Only used 1 Tablespoon of the maple syrup, since I am watching my sugar intake, and it was still absolutely perfect. Thanks so much! Lisa, from South Carolina
Thanks so much Lisa! So glad you enjoyed it.
This salad is so good just made it 🙂 and the dressing is so yummy ???? Thanks for recipe
That’s awesome! Glad you loved it 🙂