This tangy apple slaw recipe combines crisp apples, cabbage, and carrots with a creamy poppy seed dressing for the proper straightforward facet dish. It’s prepared in simply 20 minutes and very best for picnics, barbecues, and household dinners year-round!

There’s one thing magical the primary sweet-tart chunk of a wonderfully balanced slaw. The primary time I made this recipe, Alex took one chunk and instantly fell in love, and my youngsters truly requested seconds!
This apple slaw recipe transforms strange cabbage into particular extraordinary by pairing it with sweet-tart apples and a creamy poppy seed dressing that ties every thing collectively. It’s a slaw spin that’s distinctive in taste however easy sufficient that you just’ll wish to hold making all of it season lengthy. It’s the proper fall facet dish, but additionally works for summer time picnics!
Why this apple slaw works
Conventional coleslaw can generally really feel flat or one-dimensional, however including apples brings pure sweetness and layers of taste! The crisp texture additionally provides a satisfying crunch. I personally additionally love a great poppy seed dressingwhich provides much more texture from the seeds.
I’ve examined this recipe numerous instances with totally different apple varieties and dressing mixtures. To me, the key is utilizing the correct sort of apple—you want one thing crisp and tart to pair with the creamy dressing.
5 star reader evaluate
“That is a lot better than conventional coleslaw! It’s an amazing concept to make use of apples with much more taste.” -Sabrina
Selecting the perfect apples for slaw
The apple selection you select could make or break this dish. I at all times attain for agency, crisp apples with a great stability of candy and tart flavors. Listed here are my prime suggestions:
- Pink Woman (my private favourite): These apples have the proper sweet-tart stability and keep crisp even after sitting within the dressing for hours. If me personally, you’ll know my love for Pink Women!
- Honeycrisp: Recognized for his or her crunch issue, these apples add fantastic texture distinction. They’re a bit sweeter than Pink Woman.
- Granny Smith: If you happen to favor a extra tart taste profile, these basic inexperienced apples by no means disappoint.
- Jonagold or Jonathan: These varieties are additionally candy tart and preserve their texture nicely in salads (we frequently get them when choosing apples).
- Fuji: Sweeter than the others, Fujis work if you happen to favor a milder apple taste.
For the tip: No matter selection you select, ensure that the apples are agency to the contact and free from smooth spots. I slice my apples simply earlier than mixing to forestall browning and preserve crispness.


Suggestions for utilizing cabbage vs coleslaw combine
This recipe requires each inexperienced cabbage and pink cabbage. I like so as to add pink cabbage for colour, but it surely’s not crucial for taste.
- Skip the pink cabbage if you happen to favor. It seems to be good color-wise, however swap in inexperienced cabbage if you happen to favor. It may be laborious to make use of up leftovers of two cabbages (although listed below are leftover cabbage recipes).
- To hurry up the recipe, use bagged coleslaw. Purchase a 14 or 16 ounce bag and measure out 6 cups of the combination (to account for the cabbage and carrot portions).


Serving concepts for apple slaw
This apple slaw is the perfect facet dish for any protein or most important. As a result of it options apples it feels acceptable within the fall, but it surely additionally works any time of 12 months! It’s nice in summer time at potlucks and pitch-ins. Listed here are a couple of concepts for serving apple slaw:
Dietary notes
This apple slaw is vegetarian, dairy-free. and gluten-free.
To make it vegan, use vegan mayonnaise or cashew cream instead of the mayo.


Dietary notes
This apple slaw recipe is vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free. For vegan, use vegan mayo or cashew cream.
Apple Slaw
This tangy apple slaw recipe combines crisp apples, cabbage, and carrots with a creamy poppy seed dressing for the proper straightforward facet dish. It’s prepared in simply 20 minutes and very best for picnics, barbecues, and household dinners year-round!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Prepare dinner Time: 0 minutes
- Whole Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Class: Facet
- Methodology: No Prepare dinner
- Delicacies: Facet dish
- Weight loss plan: Vegetarian
- 4 cups shredded inexperienced cabbage
- 1 cup shredded pink cabbage
- 2 tart apples, thinly sliced
- 1 cup carrots, shredded (2 medium carrots)
- 2 inexperienced onions, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher saltdivided
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (or honey)
- ½ cup mayonnaise*
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- Shred the cabbagethinly slice the apples, shred the carrots, and thinly slice the inexperienced onions. Place them in a big bowl, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon kosher saltand stir.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, granulated sugar, mayonnaise, poppy seeds, and ¼ teaspoon salt till easy. Pour the dressing onto the greens and stir to mix. Shops as much as 4 days refrigerated.
A number of extra apple recipes you’ll love
This apple slaw is a enjoyable savory apple recipe that makes a giant assertion on the dinner desk! Listed here are a couple of extra apple recipes we love:

