Treat your dinner guests or potluck friends and family to an easy Taffy Apple Salad recipe. Made with apples, pineapple, whipped cream, peanuts & more.
Potlucks are all about the varieties of salads. From our favorite Broccoli Salad recipe to the all-American Potato Salad. What’s your favorite?
Table of Contents
Why Taffy Apple Salad is Best
You’ll find this classic recipe in all kinds of old church cookbooks. It has been proudly served at many picnics and potlucks over the years – and it’s always a favorite!
Our recipe is the classic version you may remember, with sugar, egg, apple cider vinegar, etc. Some new versions are made with pudding mix, but we LOVE the old fashioned apple salad.
And if you’ve never had a dessert salad, this is the one to try!
- This cool, creamy salad makes a sweet dessert dish, especially on a warm day!
- Only 10 minutes to prep, then it chills in the fridge.
- The apple and pineapple add big fruit flavor.
- Salted peanuts are folded in for a crunchy, salty bite.
While we love our pistachio salad, you’ve got to try our Snickers Salad recipe next!
Ingredient Notes
- Pasteurized Egg – This helps with the texture of the salad, but you can omit it if you prefer. If you choose to omit the egg, there’s no need to heat the sugar mixture.
- Cool Whip – Use thawed Cool Whip from a tub or substitute Homemade Whipped Cream. Our homemade cool whip works fantastic in this recipe too.
- Apples – We love using a combination of red and green apples in this salad, but use whichever variety you love. And no need to peel them!
- Pineapple – A 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple (drained) works great for this recipe and gets well incorporated. You could also use a can of pineapple chunks if you’d like a chunkier texture.
- Salted Peanuts – These add great crunch and flavor, just be sure to wait and add them when you’re ready to serve.
Easy Instructions
Make the egg mixture. Whisk the sugar, egg, vinegar and flour together in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat and whisk constantly until thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Fold in fruit and Cool Whip. Fold the apples and pineapple into the cooled sugar mixture and stir to combine. Then fold in the Cool Whip and chill the mixture for at least 1 hour.
Add the peanuts and serve. When ready to serve, mix in the peanuts. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Whisk the egg mixture well until it’s thickened in the saucepan. This will take about 5-10 minutes.
- Be sure to let the egg mixture cool completely before you add the fruit and Cool Whip.
- For extra creaminess, you can add a package of vanilla or butterscotch pudding mix to the cooled sugar mixture to make a creamier salad, like this Watergate Salad recipe.
- Cover and refrigerate the fruit and Cool Whip mixture for at least 1 hour so everything gets well chilled.
- Wait until serving to add the peanuts so they stay nice and crunchy.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this salad can be made in the morning and eaten that evening. It is best served the same day, as it can get watery and the apples may brown. Be sure to wait to add the peanuts right before serving.
Yes, if you need this recipe to be nut-free, you can omit the peanuts.
No, it’s optional. The egg adds to the texture of the salad, but you can leave it out. In that case, you don’t need to heat the sugar mixture, just proceed with adding the fruit and Cool Whip.
Store the salad, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. However, it’s best the day that it’s made and with the peanuts added just before serving.
More Easy Potluck Recipes
- Avocado Salsa
- Apple Pie
- Ambrosia Salad
- Grasshopper Poke Cake
- Dorito Taco Salad
- Banana Pudding Recipe
Taffy Apple Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg optional
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 4 cups apples diced
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple drained
- 8 ounce Cool Whip thawed
- 1 ½ cup salted peanuts
Instructions
- In large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, vinegar and flour.
- In a small saucepan, heat egg mixture over medium heat and whisk it constantly until thickens. This will take 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
- Fold in chopped apples and drained pineapple. Stir together.
- Fold in Cool Whip and refrigerate one hour or until ready to serve.
- Right before serving add peanuts (and candy bars if desired). Enjoy!
Notes
- The egg adds to the texture of the salad, but you can leave it out. In that case, you don't need to heat the sugar mixture, just proceed with adding the fruit and Cool Whip.
- Whisk the egg mixture well until it’s thickened in the saucepan. This will take about 5-10 minutes.
- Be sure to let the egg mixture cool completely before you add the fruit and Cool Whip.
- For extra creaminess, you can add a package of vanilla or butterscotch pudding mix to the cooled sugar mixture to make a creamier salad, like this Watergate Salad recipe.
- Cover and refrigerate the fruit and Cool Whip mixture for at least 1 hour so everything gets well chilled.
- Wait until serving to add the peanuts so they stay nice and crunchy.
- Storage– keep taffy apple salad refrigerated and use within 2-3 days for best falvor and texture.
I’ve been making this for years. I add Kraft caramels bits to it. Life changing with the caramel bits!
I used to eat this when I lived in Illinois from the local Jewel Osco … so I found a great recipe … I forgot to save it so here I am looking for another one .. do you not add pineapple juice to the flour vinegar mixture? Just wondering ? Love love this and adding candy bars sound good and interesting!!😋
I made this for what would’ve been my mom’s 75th birthday celebration. She loved taffy apple salad, so in honor of her I woke up early this morning (6am) to make it. My siblings and I are celebrating with her favorite foods 😇
My Mom made this at holidays and now I do. I do not know why one would need to pasteurize the egg as you will be cooking it enough before adding to salad. Pasteurizing an egg only takes about 3 mins at about 140 degrees.
We serve it with dinner but in all honestly most of us eat it more as a dessert
Our family loves this creamy fruit salad!!! It always disappears in a hurry!
My family loves this salad! It tastes fantastic!