Apple Snicker Salad – A Sweet Midwestern “Salad” Or Dessert

This Apple Snicker salad is an easy-to-make, no-bake sweet dessert that is a popular Midwestern “salad” that can be served along the main dish or as a decadent sweet treat.

If you are from the Midwest, then salads have a bit of a different connotation when it comes to the holidays and potlucks. According to us, almost anything can be placed in a casserole dish and be called a salad!

Truth be told, this recipe is basically a dessert thanks to its sweet, indulgent ingredients. (I mean, it has Snickers in it after all.) However, we still consider it a salad at our house and serve it along with your main dish. Because, why not?

It’s definitely not something we serve every day. Apple Snicker Salad is usually brought along to potlucks, family gatherings, and the holidays, not intending to replace the “actual desserts” at the table, like pies and cookies. (Besides, the addition of apples helps to make it healthy and more salad-like, right?)

There are a few different variations of this salad, but this one turns out nice and creamy every time. Whatever you call it and whether you serve it as a salad or dessert, this Apple Snicker Salad definitely deserves a place at your next gathering!

How To Make Apple Snicker Salad

*Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the full recipe, including exact measurements and amounts. You can also print out the instructions. I go into a bit more detail about the recipe here first, just in case you need it.

Ingredients  

• Tart Apples – Choose an apple variety with a bit of bite to it that won’t get soft. Our favorite variety to use is Granny Smith apples. The tart apples provide a great contrast between the sweet Snickers bars and the sauce. It also helps to give this salad a flavor profile similar to a caramel apple.
• Brown Sugar – The brown sugar helps to add a caramel-like flavor to the sauce as well as add extra sweetness.
• Cream Cheese – Most Apple Snicker Salads use a pudding mix. This one uses cream cheese to make the sauce extra thick and creamy.
• Vanilla – A splash of vanilla adds extra depth of flavor. Use real vanilla or a homemade version.
• Cool Whip – The Cool Whip helps to add a light and fluffy texture to the sauce.
• Snickers Bars – You can use any size of Snickers bars for the recipe. If you are making this right after Halloween, it’s a great way to use up all those extra Snickers bars your kids picked up during trick or treating!

Instructions For Apple Snicker Salad

First up, you need to soften the cream cheese before mixing. You can do this in a couple of different ways. One is to set the cream cheese out on the countertop about an hour before mixing. Another is placing the cream cheese, still sealed in the foil wrapper, in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes. Lastly, there’s always your microwave.

Without softening, you will have a hard time getting the cream cheese and Cool Whip nice and smooth. Use a hand or stand mixer if needed to help speed up the mixing process. (Product Link: Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Electric Hand Mixer)

Once that is nice and smooth, add in the vanilla and packed brown sugar. Mix well until incorporated. You can do this part without a mixer, but using one ensures that the sauce is nice and smooth.

Next, it’s time to chop up the Snickers bars into bite-sized pieces. You can use whatever sized Snickers bars you have on hand. Aim for around two cups chopped. Gently fold them into the sauce.

Adding The Apples

Right before serving, peel, core, and cut up the apples into bite-sized pieces. (If you want to do this process ahead of time, see below for ways to prevent them from browning.) Gently fold the apple pieces into the rest of the salad mixture.

Some people like to drizzle a bit of caramel sauce over the top before serving, but this is totally optional. (I’d definitely serve it as a dessert as opposed to a salad if you go this route!)

If you mix the apples into the sauce too long before serving, they can make the mixture a bit runny. It’s no issue if this happens; Just give the salad a good stir before serving. Store any leftovers in an enclosed container in your refrigerator.

Preventing Apples From Browning

There are several different ways to prevent apples from browning before adding them to the salad. This can come in handy if you want to prepare all the ingredients a few hours before serving.

The best method to prevent your apples from browning is to create a saltwater brine. Add a pinch of salt to a bowl of water and soak the chopped apple pieces for 5 minutes. Since you are only using a pinch of salt, the apples won’t have a salty flavor. Drain and rinse the apples when time is up.

After the salt water, the next best method to prevent browning is honey. Honey is actually a natural preservative. Stir in 1 tablespoon of honey for every cup of room temperature water. Allow the apples to soak for five minutes, then rinse. There might be a slight added sweetness to the apples, but it works well in this recipe.

Lastly, the next suggestion I have is to use plain old water. This works best for apples that you are going to use within a few hours. Simply peel and cut up the apples and keep them in submerged water in an enclosed container until you are ready to toss them into the salad. Drain the water well before adding the apples to the salad mix.

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
– Chelsea

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