The photo appears to show a crunchy broccoli-and-Honeycrisp apple salad with dried cranberries, nuts, red onion, and a creamy honey-cider dressing. Several published versions use essentially this combination, with pecans or walnuts and an optional sharp cheddar component.
Recipe at a glance
Servings: 6
Prep: 15–20 minutes
Chill: 30 minutes
Total: about 45–50 minutes
Cooking: None
Style: Creamy, sweet-tangy, crunchy
Best for: Lunch, side dish, potluck, picnic, holiday table
Ingredients
For the salad
Ingredient Amount
Fresh broccoli florets 4 cups, about 300–350 g
Honeycrisp apple 1 large
Dried cranberries ½ cup
Pecans or walnuts ½ cup, chopped
Red onion ¼ cup, finely diced
Sharp cheddar ½ cup, shredded or small cubes, optional
The basic ingredient combination is consistent with several versions of Honeycrisp broccoli salad.
Creamy honey dressing
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Optional: Add 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard for extra tang, or replace part of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt for a lighter dressing.
Detailed method
1. Prepare the broccoli
Wash the broccoli thoroughly and dry it very well.
Cut the florets into small bite-sized pieces. You can also finely chop some of the tender stems rather than throwing them away.
Tip: Dry broccoli is important because excess water can dilute the creamy dressing.
2. Prepare the apple
Core the Honeycrisp apple and cut it into approximately ½-inch pieces.
You do not need to peel it. The red skin adds color and texture.
Toss the diced apple with a small amount of lemon juice if you’re preparing the salad well ahead of serving. This helps reduce browning.
3. Prepare the nuts
Use either:
Pecans — buttery, slightly sweet and especially good with apple.
Walnuts — more earthy and slightly bitter.
For better flavor, toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool completely before adding them.
4. Make the dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together:
½ cup mayonnaise + 2 tbsp apple-cider vinegar + 1 tbsp honey + salt + pepper.
Whisk until smooth.
Taste it.
Too sweet → add a little more vinegar.
Too tangy → add a little honey.
Too thick → add 1–2 teaspoons water or milk.
Want more savory flavor → add Dijon mustard.
5. Assemble
Add to a large bowl:
broccoli
Honeycrisp apple
cranberries
red onion
most of the toasted nuts
cheddar, if using
Pour over the dressing.
Gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
6. Chill
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
This gives the broccoli time to absorb some of the dressing while remaining crunchy. Published versions commonly recommend a 20–30 minute chilling period.
7. Finish
Give the salad another gentle toss immediately before serving.
Scatter the remaining nuts over the top for extra crunch.
Nut information
Which nuts work best?
Pecans:
Sweet, buttery and relatively mild. They complement Honeycrisp apples particularly well.
Walnuts:
Earthier and slightly more bitter. They provide a stronger contrast to the sweet fruit and cranberries.
You can use ½ cup total nuts, or combine ¼ cup pecans + ¼ cup walnuts.
Nut allergy
The original version contains tree nuts if made with pecans or walnuts.
If serving someone with a tree-nut allergy, don’t simply remove the nuts if cross-contact is a concern. Use clean utensils, bowls and preparation surfaces, and check packaged ingredients for allergen/cross-contact information.
Nut-free substitute
Replace the ½ cup nuts with:
½ cup roasted sunflower seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds/pepitas
roasted chickpeas
extra broccoli
crispy bacon, if appropriate
Sunflower or pumpkin seeds give the salad a similar crunchy element without tree nuts.
Important: Seeds aren’t automatically safe for every person with a particular allergy, so follow the individual’s allergy guidance and packaged-food labeling.
Other allergen information
Dairy
Cheddar makes the recipe dairy-containing.
For dairy-free salad, simply omit the cheese or use a suitable dairy-free alternative.
Egg
Traditional mayonnaise generally contains egg.
For an egg-free version, use an egg-free/vegan mayonnaise.
Gluten
The basic salad ingredients are naturally gluten-free, but check labels on mayonnaise, dried cranberries, mustard and other packaged ingredients if preparing it for someone with celiac disease or a significant gluten sensitivity.
Peanuts
Pecans and walnuts are tree nuts, not peanuts. However, packaged ingredients can have cross-contact warnings, so check labels when allergies are involved.
Easy variations
Lighter version
Use:
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
instead of ½ cup mayonnaise.
More savory
Add:
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
a little extra black pepper
½ cup sharp cheddar
More filling
Add approximately:
diced cooked chicken, or
cooked quinoa
Some versions also use bacon for a salty contrast.
More fruit
Try adding:
red grapes, halved
raisins
additional dried cranberries
Vegan
Use vegan mayonnaise, omit the cheddar, and use maple syrup instead of honey.
Recipe Q&A
Q: Can I make this the night before?
Yes, but reserve some of the nuts for serving. The salad can be refrigerated for several hours, while keeping some nuts separate preserves their crunch. Some versions recommend making it several hours ahead or up to a day ahead.
Q: Will the apples turn brown?
They can. Tossing the diced apple with a little lemon juice before adding it helps minimize browning.
Q: Should I cook the broccoli?
No. Raw broccoli gives this salad its characteristic crunch. If you prefer softer broccoli, blanch it briefly, then immediately cool it in ice water and dry it thoroughly.
Q: Can I use regular apples?
Absolutely. Good substitutes include Pink Lady, Gala, Fuji or Granny Smith. Granny Smith will give you a noticeably more tart salad.
Q: Pecans or walnuts?
Both work. Pecans give a sweeter, buttery result; walnuts give a more robust, earthy flavor.
Q: Can I leave out the cheese?
Yes. The cheese is optional and isn’t necessary for the salad to work.
Q: How do I prevent watery salad?
Dry the broccoli thoroughly after washing and don’t add excessively wet ingredients. Also, don’t over-dress it initially—you can always add more dressing.
Q: Can I make it less sweet?
Yes. Start with 2 teaspoons honey instead of 1 tablespoon, then adjust after tasting. You can also reduce the dried cranberries.
Q: Can I make it more tangy?
Increase the apple-cider vinegar by ½–1 tablespoon, or add 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
Q: Is it a complete meal?
It’s an excellent side dish, but by itself it is relatively modest in protein. For a more substantial lunch, add chicken, chickpeas, quinoa, or another protein source.
Q: How should I store leftovers?
Keep covered in the refrigerator and use a clean utensil for serving. For the best texture, keep extra nuts separately and add them just before eating.
My suggested version for the photo
For a salad that most closely matches the colorful, chunky appearance in your image, I’d use:
4 cups broccoli + 1 large Honeycrisp + ½ cup cranberries + ½ cup toasted pecans + ¼ cup red onion + ½ cup sharp cheddar + the creamy honey dressing.
The combination of crisp broccoli + juicy apple + tart cranberries + buttery nuts + creamy sweet-tangy dressing is what gives this salad its characteristic contrast.
Nutrition note: Exact nutrition varies substantially with the mayonnaise, cheese, nut quantity and serving size, so treat recipe-card nutrition estimates as approximate rather than exact.