Crunchy Cranberry Apple Coleslaw Perfect for Fall

Name: Cranberry Apple Coleslaw with Brussels & Cabbage
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup mayonnaise; 1/4 cup greek yogurt (plain); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoon maple syrup; 1 teaspoon dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoons sea salt; 1/4 teaspoons black pepper; 1/8 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon poppy seeds; 1/2 head green cabbage; 12 ounces fresh Brussels sprouts; 1 whole carrot; 1/2 red onion; 1 large apple (or two small); 1/3 cup dried cranberries; 1/3 cup chopped pecans; 1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This crisp & crunchy Cranberry Apple Coleslaw is made with shredded cabbage, Brussels sprouts, matchstick apples, pecans & pumpkin seeds, and lightly tossed in a Greek-yogurt poppyseed dressing. The best part? It is ready in 15 minutes and stays crunchy for days!

Pair this with savory mains like my smoked cider chicken, savory bison stew, and my Moroccan sheet pan chicken for big flavor using real ingredients.

White bowl of cranberry apple coleslaw topped with apple slices for garnish.

Recipe at a Glance: Cranberry Apple Coleslaw

⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
🍽️ Servings: 10
👍 Difficulty: Easy
😋 What Makes It Great: Fresh, crisp, naturally sweet, and packed with fiber-rich veggies, healthy fats, and a bright maple vinaigrette - no refined sugar needed.
🛒 Key Ingredients: Green cabbage, apples, red onion, Brussels sprouts, carrots, pumpkin seeds, and pecans for crunch.
🍎 Good to Know: Stays crunchy for hours, works beautifully with pork or chicken (try it with my Smoked Boneless Pork Roast), and perfect for make-ahead meals or gatherings.

SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON

Add me as a Trusted Source on Google

There's something about this Cranberry Apple Coleslaw that just makes a meal feel wholesome. It's crisp and tangy with just the right touch of sweetness - the kind of side dish that brightens up everything on the table.

I created this cranberry apple coleslaw after a new friend gave me a bounty of apples from his orchard. I wanted a way to bring these crunchy, delicious apples to the table without baking yet another dessert.

This simple, colorful, apple slaw is loaded with nourishing ingredients - crunchy cabbage & Brussels sprouts, sweet apples, chewy dried cranberries (craisins), & crunchy pecans and pumpkin seeds all tossed in a creamy, yet light & tangy dressing.

Why You’ll Love this Apple Coleslaw

Easy, no-cook side dish is make-ahead friendly & perfect for the holidays
Crunchy + sweet + tart + creamy + light
Great way to use seasonal produce like apples, cranberries, Brussels sprouts, & cabbage
A lighter, more refreshing alternative to heavier slaws
Good source of nutrients such as fiber, antioxidants, & vitamin C, just like my Healthy Tater Tot Casserole
Versatile: pairs well with nearly any meal or side, such as my bison & veggie chili, my healthy sweet potato casserole, and my fall fruit salad

Key Ingredients

Array of ingredients for the apple coleslaw on a gray wooden backdrop.

Here are the highlighted ingredients of this delicious apple coleslaw – see the recipe card for a complete list of ingredients.

Green Cabbage – A classic coleslaw ingredient, also seasonally appropriate for fall. Green cabbage is a bit lighter in texture and milder in flavor than red cabbage, but red cabbage can be used if desired.

Brussels Sprouts – Shredded brussels sprouts make a delicious salad base! They are hearty and can stay fresh and crisp when dressed for a long time, which is perfect for a coleslaw.

Apple – Honeycrisp is my favorite, but you can use whatever kind you like. Some of the best apples for salads are honeycrisp, sweet tango, and pink lady due to their firm, crisp structure.

Greek Yogurt – A light, creamy dressing base that is high in nutrition and low in calories.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) – Apple Cider Vinegar gives the dressing a sweet, tangy bite.

Poppy Seeds – The dressing is a twist between a classic coleslaw dressing and a poppyseed dressing. Poppy seeds add a delicious crunch!

Dried cranberries, pecans & sunflower seeds add fall-themed texture & flavor to the slaw.

Swaps & Substitutions

If you don’t have maple syrup on hand, you can use honey.
If the bite of red onion is too strong, use green onions instead.
White wine vinegar can be used in place of apple cider vinegar if needed.
If you don't feel like a poppy seed-style dressing, you could also use my Balsamic Citrus Vinaigrette - it brings a bright, tangy twist to any salad.

How to Make Cranberry Apple Coleslaw

Assembling this autumn apple coleslaw couldn’t be easier!

Whisking the dressing in glass bowl over a wooden cutting board.

1. Prepare the Dressing.
Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Set aside.

Slicing green cabbage and shredding Brussels sprouts with a rotary grater over wooden cutting board.

2. Slice & Shred the Base Veggies.
Thinly slice or shred the green cabbage and the Brussels sprouts. Place these shredded veggies in a large bowl.

Rotary grater shredding carrot into white bowl on top of wooden cutting board.

3. Grate the Carrot.
Shred the carrot using a box grater or matchstick with a mandoline. Add to the bowl of cabbage and Brussels.

Slicing apple pieces into matchsticks on wooden cutting board.

4. Slice Apple & Onion.
Thinly slice the red onion and add to the bowl of veggies. Chop the apple into matchstick-sized pieces. You can do this with a mandoline or by making long, thin slices of the whole apple, then thinly slice those slices into matchsticks. Add to the bowl of veggies.

Tongs tossing dressing into the coleslaw in a white mixing bowl.

5. Toss with Dressing.
Pour the dressing over the apple coleslaw ingredients and toss to completely coat. This salad can be made up to four hours ahead of time if needed.

Topping bowl of coleslaw with pecans, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries.

6. Add Toppings.
Top with the cranberries, pecans and pumpkin seeds and lightly toss before serving.

Recipe Shortcuts for Quicker Prep

Whether you are short on time, don’t want to mess up the kitchen, or don’t have great prepping tools, here are some easy swaps to make to save on prep time for this cranberry apple coleslaw:

🌟Buy a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix and a bag of pre-shredded Brussels sprouts. Most major grocery stores will carry these in their produce sections.

🌟Use store-bought carrot matchsticks. Many large groceries also stock sliced onions in the produce department.

🌟While the dressing recipe for this cranberry apple coleslaw is healthy and has top-notch flavor, you may opt for a jar of poppyseed dressing from the store to make it simpler.

Serving bowl of thanksgiving coleslaw with apples on gray wooden backdrop.

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Meal Pairings

This cranberry cabbage & apple coleslaw is perfect alongside grilled meats, slow cooker bison pot roasts or bison shank recipes, or smoked beer can chicken or smoked ribeye roasts.

I also love serving it at Thanksgiving next to my smoked spatchcock turkey or my smoked pineapple ham as a fresh contrast to all the heavy dishes.

Serving Tips

This is a great make ahead dish! You can make this apple slaw earlier in the day before serving.
- For best presentation, wait to add the toppings until right before serving so they don’t get soft.
This slaw is naturally gluten-free, full of fiber and antioxidants, and tastes even better the next day!
- The texture of this dish is best a few hours after mixing, and will continue to stay delicious for 2 to 3 days! Cabbage and Brussels withstand dressing better than other salad bases.
This makes a nicely dressed coleslaw– the perfect amount of dressing for those that don’t like their coleslaw “soupy”.
- If a wetter coleslaw is desired, cut the Brussels sprouts back to 8 ounces instead of 12 ounces. But remember that the veggies will release moisture to the coleslaw as it sits, so you do not want it too wet.
Store this crisp apple slaw in the refrigerator in an air tight container. For best taste and texture, eat within 2-3 days.

Apple Slaw FAQs

What are the best apples for slaw?

For apple coleslaw, you will want to choose a firm, crisp apple variety that can retain its crunch for a length of time without degrading. Honeycrisp, Sweet Tango, and Granny Smith are popular salad varieties.

Some types of apples, like Cosmic Crunch and Envy, are both crisp and slower to oxidize, meaning they will not turn brown as fast when cut (though once combined with the dressing, any apple variety should be slow to brown). These are all great choices for the salad.

How do you keep apple slaw from getting soggy?

There are two things to keep in mind when assembling an apple coleslaw that will stay crisp:

1) Use vegetables that are at peak freshness. Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and onion should all be crisp when fresh. This will give them a longer lifespan once assembled in the slaw, too.

2) The vegetables will release moisture into the dressing as they sit. Because of that, you do not want to overdress the coleslaw from the start. Remember that you can always add more dressing later if needed, but it is hard to subtract it if you use too much. Dress the coleslaw lightly to start. Over the next few hours into the next day, you will notice that it settles in to a wetter style coleslaw, but it will keep much more of it’s crunch than it would have if you overdressed it.

How do you keep apples from browning in coleslaw?

To keep the apples from oxidizing (browning) in the cranberry apple coleslaw, toss the slaw in the dressing as soon as possible. The acid in the dressing will protect the cut apples from oxidation.

However, you can also choose an apple variety that is more resistant to browning, such as Cosmic Crisp, Envy, Cortland, or Pink Lady. That, combined with promptly covering them in the dressing, will keep your apples fresh!

Other Fresh & Delicious Salad Recipes

f you love the sweet & tangy brightness of this cranberry apple slaw, you might also want to try my cozy Whole Wheat Apple Cake with Easy Caramel Sauce - the perfect fall-dessert pairing!

If you make this cranberry apple coleslaw, please come back and leave a rating and review! I love to hear from every one who tries my recipes, and I reply to each comment. Leaving a rating helps me out so much!