This easy-to-make, flavorful, and healthy Shredded Carrot Salad — packed with cranberries, apples, and toasted walnuts — is loved by both kids and adults!

Shredded Carrot Salad is one of those meals that every person needs to know how to make. This incredibly tasty, simple, and vitamin-loaded treat makes a great addition to anyone's diet. Below, I'll show you how to prepare it, as well as give you a few tips and tricks that go into making it right.
Let's start with some tips.
ABOUT CARROTS
First, you'll want to use really good carrots (duh!). Unfortunately, not all carrots are created equally - some taste sweet and fresh, some are lacking flavor, and some are downright bitter. I usually purchase Organic Carrots from the local Walmart. They only cost about a dollar more, and they always taste great. Just look around your grocery store; you may find that organic carrots are not that expensive.
ABOUT APPLES
Second, don't skip the apples. Besides their well-known health benefits, apples add a wonderful flavor and a nice crunch to the salad. I find that Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Gala apples work best in this recipe.
As far as the rest of the ingredients, you can customize them to your liking. Today, I am trying it with cranberries and toasted walnuts.
SHREDDED CARROT SALAD DRESSING
This salad is made with CLASSIC SLAW DRESSING:
- ½ cup of mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp. of lemon juice
- ½ tbsp. of sugar
- ¼ tsp. of salt
Just place all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
HOW TO MAKE SHREDDED CARROT SALAD
Once you have the dressing ready, prep the rest of the ingredients:
- 4 cups of shredded carrots
- 1 large apple, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup of dried cranberries (or raisins)
- ¼ cup of chopped toasted walnuts
1. Place the salad ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing on top. Mix everything together.
Yes, you are all done!
SHREDDED CARROT SALAD FAQ:
- How to shred the carrots. Use a food processor with a special attachment, or a regular grater, to shred the carrots. You may julienne the carrots as well, although I prefer the shredded texture.
- Substitutions. Feel free to substitute cranberries with raisins, or even diced pineapple. You may also substitute walnuts with toasted almonds, pecans, or skip the nuts altogether.
- Storing Shredded Carrot Salad. Unfortunately, this salad doesn't stay well in the refrigerator. I recommend making just enough so that you won't have any leftovers.
Enjoy your yummy Shredded Carrot Salad with Cranberries, friends!
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Shredded Carrot Salad Video Tutorial
Shredded Carrot Salad with Cranberries
Ingredients
The Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- ½ tbsp. sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt
The Salad
- 4 cups shredded carrots
- 1 large apple, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)
- ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts
Instructions
- Just place all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
- Place the salad ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing on top. Mix everything together.
John OTT says
Terrific recipe. Thanks. Followed exactly with one change. Used pineapple chunks instead of apple. Delicious.
Tania Sheff says
Yay! I am glad you enjoyed it!
Renee Dahlstrom says
Love this just used light mayo instead thank you
Tania Sheff says
Thank you, Renee!
Liz says
Will this work with vanilla yogurt or would you use Greek? I don’t love Greek but maybe to thin regular yogurt. Also instead of sugar can you use stevia? I need low sugar and lower fat. Thanks!
Tania Sheff says
Hi Liz! I have only tried this salad with the mayo dressing. I am not sure how the yogurt will work here. Let me know if you try it. Thanks!