Name: Apple Cole Slaw
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 4½ cups thinly sliced red apples, (cut into bite-sized pieces); 3 cups finely shredded green cabbage; 1 cup sour cream; 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar; 1 tablespoon poppy seeds; ¾ teaspoon salt; ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Apple Cole Slaw

This Apple Cole Slaw is made with plenty of red apples.

apple cole slaw in a bowl and apples in another bowl. wooden spoon on the side. set on a floral napkin

The best way to describe this delicious, alternative cole slaw recipe is that it’s a crunchy and sweet salad with a slightly sweet and creamy dressing. Plenty of chopped apples are combined with shredded cabbage. In fact, there are more apples than cabbage in this salad!

Dressing ingredients include sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper and poppy seeds. It’s such a simple salad to make, and it’s perfect for a weekend barbecue. I love the pop of color that the red apples give the salad too!

overhead shot of apple cole slaw in a serving bowl and on a green salad plate. red apples on the side. set on a floral tablecloth

What kind of apples would work well in this Apple Cole Slaw recipe?

The recipe calls for Red Delicious Apples. Those are the kind of apples that would work best in this recipe. If you don’t have Red Delicious Apples on hand, there are some equally good substitutions. Honeycrisp, Gala and Fuji apples would be good used in this salad too.

overhead shot of apple cole slaw in a bowl with red apples in another bowl. wooden spoon on the side. set on a floral patterned napkin

I’ve been making this salad (cole slaw) for many years. It’s one that I’ve brought to potlucks and parties, and it’s one that I’ve served at barbecues too. Everyone seems to love having cole slaw as a choice on a buffet table. This variety is always a big hit. The crunch and sweetness of the apples is so good!

overhead close up of apple cole slaw in a bowl

Suggested additions to this Apple Cole Slaw:

This cole slaw is terrific on its own, but if you’re interested in changing things up… try adding some drained pineapple tidbits and chopped walnuts.

serving of apple cole slaw on a green plate. cole slaw bowl in background as well as red apples

Is this cole slaw a make-ahead recipe?

Yes! I believe this cole slaw will taste best if made in the morning and enjoyed later in the day. Leftovers can be enjoyed the next day. I wouldn’t suggest making it a day ahead. It’s hard to say how well the apples will keep in the salad overnight. They should be fine, but that’s not for certain.

More cole slaw recipes you might enjoy:

5 from 7 votes

Apple Cole Slaw

By RecipeGirl.com

A sweet and crunchy addition to cole slaw.

Prep: 15

Total: 15

Servings: 8 servings

Save Pin Print

Ingredients

SLAW:

▢ 4½ cups thinly sliced red apples, cut into bite-sized pieces
▢ 3 cups finely shredded green cabbage

DRESSING:

▢ 1 cup sour cream
▢ 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
▢ 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
▢ 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
▢ ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place the apples and cabbage in a large bowl or plastic portable container with a lid. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until combined well. Add to the slaw in the larger bowl and toss well to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 112kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 247mg, Potassium: 174mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 245IU, Vitamin C: 15.3mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.