Classic Waldorf Salad with Apples, Grapes and Toasted Walnuts

Waldorf salad is the classic fruit side we still put on the holiday table without changing a thing. It’s mostly apple, celery and walnut, it takes 15 minutes, and it feeds 6.

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Two habits make it work. Lemon goes on the apples the second the knife is done, and the walnuts go in at the very end. Brown apples and soft nuts are how this salad usually goes wrong, and both are easy to avoid.

The dressing is a mix of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt with a spoonful of honey. It’s creamy enough to feel like the old-fashioned version, with a little tang so the bowl tastes lighter.

What goes into this Waldorf salad

• 3 crisp red apples, cored and chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups red grapes, halved
• 3 celery ribs, sliced
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp salt

Why these ingredients

• Mayonnaise plus Greek yogurt: the 1/2 cup mayonnaise gives the dressing body, and the 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt adds a little tang.
• Honey: just 1 tbsp, enough to round out the yogurt. The fruit does the rest of the sweetening.
• Apple skins on: red skins add color and crunch, and you skip a step.
• Sliced celery: 3 ribs cut in slices give a clean, juicy crunch against the creamy dressing.

Two things that keep it crisp

Treat the apples the way a pastry cook treats sliced fruit for a tart: acid goes on immediately, before anything else happens. The 1 tbsp of lemon juice keeps the apples pale and fresh while you deal with the rest.

Then there’s the timing of the walnuts. Toasted walnuts are crisp and pleasantly bitter, but once they sit in a creamy dressing they go soft. Folding them in just before serving keeps every bite crunchy.

How to make Waldorf salad

Have a large bowl ready before you start cutting. You need that one for the salad and a small bowl for the dressing.

• Apples first. Core and chop the 3 red apples, then toss them with the lemon juice right away so they don’t brown.
• Make the dressing. In the small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, honey and salt until smooth.
• Build the bowl. Add the apples, halved grapes and sliced celery to the large bowl.
• Dress it. Fold in the dressing gently so the grapes stay whole and the apples don’t bruise.
• Finish with walnuts. Stir in the toasted, chopped walnuts just before serving.

Use a big spatula and a few slow turns from the bottom of the bowl. That coats everything without smashing the grapes and turning the dressing pink.

Tips for toasting and tweaking

Toasting the walnuts

Toasting the walnuts is the only cooking here, and you can use whatever is free: a dry skillet on the stove, a sheet pan in the oven or the air fryer basket. Spread the nuts in one layer, stay close, and pull them as soon as they smell toasty and darken slightly.

The air fryer is the fastest, and walnuts go from toasted to burnt quickly in it, so shake the basket often. Let them cool fully before chopping. Warm walnuts make a cold dressing slick.

Small ways to make it yours

Any crisp red apple works, so pick the variety you like eating out of hand. If you want the dressing a touch tangier, lean a little more on the yogurt side of the mix. Cut the celery slices thin if you have guests who find it stringy.

What to serve it with

A cold, crunchy side does best next to something warm and savory. On our table it shows up with:

• Roast turkey or roast chicken at the holidays
• Baked ham, where the apple and grape play well with the salty meat
• Grilled pork chops on a weeknight
• Roasted green beans or garlicky sautéed spinach

It travels well to a potluck if you pack the walnuts separately and stir them in when you arrive.

Keeping leftovers crunchy

Make-ahead: whisk the dressing and toast the walnuts ahead of time. Chop the apples and assemble the salad closer to serving, and keep the walnuts in their own container until the last minute.

Fridge: store leftovers in an airtight container and eat them within a day or two. The apples slowly release juice, so the dressing thins, and the walnuts soften if they were already mixed in. A quick stir brings it back.

Freezing: skip it. Mayonnaise and yogurt split when frozen, and thawed apples, grapes and celery go limp. It’s served cold, so there’s nothing to reheat.

Building a holiday spread? Our winter Christmas salad with honey mustard dressing sits nicely next to this one, the creamy dill cucumber salad adds a cool, tangy option, and for a sweeter apple bowl there’s the Butterfinger apple salad . Got extra apples? Bake a salted caramel apple crisp for dessert.

Waldorf salad questions

Why did my Waldorf salad turn watery?

Usually it sat too long after dressing. Apples and celery release water as they sit in salt and dressing. Dress it closer to serving time and stir leftovers before you scoop.

Can I make it the night before?

Make the dressing and toast the walnuts the night before. Chop the apples and fold everything together the day you serve it, walnuts last.

Should I peel the apples?

No. The red skins give the salad its color and extra crunch.

Is Waldorf salad low-carb?

Not in this classic form. Apples, grapes and honey all bring sugar, so if you count carbs, enter the ingredients into your own tracking app and divide by 6.

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Written and edited by The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team

The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team writes and edits the recipes on Foodie Yummy: classic American potluck salads, holiday sides and easy comfort food, with a few low-carb options. Every recipe lists exact quantities, numbered steps and a printable recipe card, plus notes on swaps, storage and make-ahead timing. Spot a problem with a recipe? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it. About us