Taffy Apple Salad combines chopped apples, crushed pineapple, and peanuts in a cloud of creamy Cool Whip. It’s an easy, vintage recipe that tastes like a caramel apple in salad form.
“Love this recipe! The taste and texture of the crushed pineapple in the cool whip is like little bits of caramel. This is a delicious sweet & salty combo.” -Ashley
“Salad” is a bit of a misnomer here. This recipe doesn’t contain any salad greens, but you won’t be sorry about it!
Taffy Apple Salad is a sweet salad, made with apples, peanuts, pineapple, and Cool Whip. It’s sweet and salty, and really fun to eat. You can serve it as a side dish (that’s what I do!) or dessert. I love bringing it to potlucks.
If you love sweet salads like this one, here are a few more of my favorites.
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Ingredients
- I like to use tart Granny Smith apples, which complement the other sweeter ingredients nicely.
- You need crushed pineapple for this recipe. It disperses throughout the salad and you can get a bit of pineapple in every bite!
- The peanuts can be skin-on or skin-off—it doesn’t matter. Just make sure that they are salted peanuts. The sweet and salty combination makes this salad irresistible.
- Cool Whip or a store brand of whipped topping make it nice and fluffy! You can substitute whipped cream (see the Notes section in the recipe card for how to do that).
- Taffy Apple Salad does contain a raw egg. You can use a pasteurized egg if you prefer. Some grocery stores carry them, or you can follow this tutorial on how to pasteurize an egg at home.
How to Make Taffy Apple Salad
- Press all the liquid out of the crushed pineapple. I use a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl for this. Keep the liquid!
- Chop the apples and toss with the reserved pineapple juice. Then, blot dry with a clean kitchen towel. Removing the moisture helps the salad stay together and not get watery.
- Whisk together the vinegar, egg, and flour until smooth. Then, whisk in the sugar.
- Fold in the drained pineapple, most of the nuts (reserve a few for the top), whipped topping, and apples. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the remaining nuts.
The best apples for Taffy Apple Salad
Since Taffy Apple Salad is relatively sweet, I like using Granny Smith apples for this recipe. Their tartness pairs really nicely with the sweet Cool Whip mixture.
You can also use Pink Lady or Braeburn apples, especially if you want to see a pop of pink or red in the salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Too much of the pineapple juice made its way into the salad. Make sure to press ALL of the liquid out of the crushed pineapple, and dry the apples really well before adding them.
Nope! You can if you want to, but I like the extra crunch that the peel adds.
Definitely. Instead of regular whipped topping, use a dairy-free whipped topping. Two examples include So Delicious Coco Whip and Tru Whip Vegan (make sure it says vegan—regular Tru Whip contains dairy).
Yes! The salad won’t keep as long (whipped cream loses its shape faster than Cool Whip) but you can substitute 3 cups of whipped cream for the Cool Whip. You’ll need 1.5 cups of heavy cream to make 3 cups of whipped cream.
📖 Recipe
Taffy Apple Salad with Peanuts
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple
- 3 large Granny Smith Apples
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 1 (8 oz) container whipped topping (like Cool Whip)
Instructions
- Place the pineapple in a colander set over a large bowl. Drain pineapple thoroughly, pressing on it with the back of a spatula until no more juice comes out. This is essential to not having a watery salad, so please drain it really well!
- Chop the apples into ½ inch pieces. Place the apples in the bowl with the pineapple juice and toss. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the egg, flour, and vinegar until smooth. Whisk in the sugar.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of nuts to sprinkle on top.
- Using a spatula, fold in the drained pineapple, the rest of the nuts, and whipped topping.
- Drain the apples and place them on a clean kitchen towel. Use the towel to thoroughly dry the apples. This is also essential to not having a watery salad!
- Fold in the apples with a spatula. Transfer to a serving bowl, and top with the reserved nuts.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.
This recipe uses raw egg? That doesn’t sound safe. Is something missing in the instructions to cook the “dressing” as I’ve seen in other recipes?
That’s correct—raw egg in this one. Pasteurized eggs can be used!
1st time..great!!
So good to hear! Thanks, Jim!
I will try at home
I loved this creamy recipe
Thanks, Simon! Hope you enjoy it!
Love this recipe! The taste and texture of the crushed pineapple in the cool whip is like little bits of caramel. This is a delicious sweet & salty combo.
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