Broccoli Cranberry Salad with Apples and Maple Dressing

This Cranberry Broccoli Apple Salad puts a fresh spin on Thanksgiving sides. Combining raw broccoli, crispy bacon, and sweet apples creates a crunchy, satisfying dish that balances out heavier holiday foods. The maple dressing adds just enough sweetness to make it feel special while keeping the flavors clean and bright!

This fall cranberry broccoli salad is a celebration of contrasts – crunchy raw broccoli mingles with crispy bacon, while tart cranberries complement sweet apple slices. The maple syrup in both the dressing and the bacon adds a warm, autumnal sweetness that makes this dish particularly fitting for Thanksgiving, though it’s wonderful any time during the fall and winter months!

You’ll find this salad works beautifully alongside traditional Thanksgiving dishes, offering a fresh, crisp counterpoint to the rich, heavy dishes that are normally on the table.

And the combination of colors – deep green broccoli, ruby cranberries, and golden apple slices – creates a gorgeous appearance that’s perfect for the season!

Ingredients Needed

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy cranberry apple salad:

• Bacon: Choose smoked, thick-cut bacon for the best texture and flavor. Maple flavored bacon adds an extra layer of sweetness that complements the dressing.
• Broccoli: You need raw, fresh broccoli for this recipe. Slice it into bite-sized pieces to make the salad easier to enjoy.
• Onion: Use a sweet onion and dice it into small pieces for just a touch of savory, onion flavor in each bite.
• Dried Cranberries: Dried cranberries add a burst of fruity flavor and lovely texture, perfect for Thanksgiving! If desired, you can garnish the salad with fresh cranberries, too!
• Walnuts: For a nice crunch and nutty flavor.
• Apple: I like to cut up a honeycrisp apple into matchsticks for just the right amount of apple in each bite.
• Dressing: To make an easy homemade dressing, combine mayonnaise, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar!

Recipe Additions & Substitutions

This delicious Thanksgiving cranberry broccoli apple salad is super versatile, so you can make the following substitutions or additions:

• Any nut will work! You can replace walnuts with pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, or roasted pepitas for different nutty notes. Candied pecans are awesome, too!
• Swap Honeycrisp apple for Granny Smith for more tartness or Fuji for extra sweetness.
• If you don’t have maple syrup on hand, try using honey instead.
• Use plain Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise for a tangier, protein-rich creamy dressing.
• Substitute red onion for sweet onion if you prefer more bite! Just rinse them under cold water in a fine mesh sieve to cut that sharp bite.
• Include diced celery for additional crunch and freshness!
• Add a small squeeze of Dijon mustard to the dressing for extra savory flavor. Maple and Dijon go so well together.

How to Make the Best Cranberry Broccoli Apple Salad for Thanksgiving

1. Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add bacon, broccoli, onion, dried cranberries, walnuts and sliced applies.
2. Make Dressing: In a small bowl, make the dressing. Add mayonnaise, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. Whisk until well combined.
3. Dress the Salad: Add mayonnaise dressing to broccoli mixture. Toss to combine and coat the ingredients with dressing.
4. Chill & Serve: Cover and chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Tips for Success

• Cut broccoli florets into small, bite-sized pieces for the best eating experience. You want to be able to get a little bit of each ingredient in one bite!
• If you are making this salad ahead of time, toss the apple slices in a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
• Chop all of the ingredients uniformly to make it easy to eat and look absolutely gorgeous on the Thanksgiving table!

Serving Suggestions

Serve this broccoli salad recipe cold after it has had a chance to chill for at least 30 minutes. It pairs beautifully with all of the Thanksgiving classics like air fryer turkey breast, double smoked spiral ham, easy Thanksgiving stuffing, Thanksgiving rice with sweet potatoes, or green bean casserole!

Even though I love to serve this broccoli cranberry salad on Thanksgiving, it is a great autumn salad to serve as a side dish with any cozy fall meal, too. You can try serving it with my creamy pumpkin soup or apple cider braised chicken thighs!

Storage Suggestions

This broccoli apple salad can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The broccoli maintains its crunch, and the flavors actually improve with time.

If preparing ahead, consider adding the walnuts just before serving to maintain their crunch.

Leftover salad will keep well for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, though the apples may soften and oxidize slightly over time. Give it a quick toss before serving to redistribute the dressing.

I hope that you love this Thanksgiving Broccoli Salad! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below.

More Recipes to Try

• Caramel Apple Snickers Salad
• Fluffy Yeast Rolls
• Turkey Cranberry Sliders
• Air Fryer Butternut Squash
• Cranberry Harvest Salad