Taffy Apple Salad

This sweet salad really tastes like a taffy apple! Taffy Apple Salad is an easy side dish for a cookout or gathering that you can make in under 20 minutes.

Taffy apple salad in a small white dish, with a larger glass serving dish in the background

“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 whipped topping. Just like Pistachio Salad or Snickers Salad, you can serve it as a side dish (that’s what I do!) or dessert.

It’s the perfect side dish for burgers, hot dogs, kabobs, and other summertime fare. And it’s delicious in the fall with in-season apples.

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Ingredients

overhead shot of ingredients for taffy apple salad
  • I like to use tart Granny Smith apples. You could use another sweeter apple, but this salad already has plenty of sweetness to it. Tangy Granny Smith apples complement the other 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.
  • Whipped topping (such as Cool-Whip) can be found in the freezer section of your grocery store. Do not substitute whipped cream here. It won’t work as well!
  • 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

Put the pineapple in a colander set over a large bowl. A fine mesh strainer is best for this. Press the pineapple with the back of a spatula until all of the liquid is released. Keep the liquid! You’ll need it for the next step.

hand with a spatula pressing crushed pineapple in a colander

It’s really important to make sure that all of the liquid is pressed out. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a watery salad.

Chop the apples into ½ inch pieces, and toss them with the reserved pineapple juice. Let the apples sit while you go on to the next steps.

chopped apples in a glass bowl

Whisk together the vinegar, egg, and flour until smooth. Then, whisk in the sugar.

hand whisking egg, vinegar, and flour in a glass bowl

Use a spatula to fold in the drained pineapple, most of the nuts (reserve a few for the top), and the whipped topping. The key is to fold in these ingredients gently to ensure that the whipped topping stays fluffy.

taffy apple salad with a spatula in a glass bowl

Place the apples on an absorbent, clean kitchen towel and dry them off. Squeeze, blot, do whatever you need to do to get them dry. This step is important to avoid a watery salad!

apples being dried on a blue and white tea towel

Fold in the apples to the mixture. Then, transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and top with the remaining nuts.

taffy apple salad topped with nuts in a glass bowl

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 whipped topping 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.

Can I make Taffy Apple Salad ahead of time?

Taffy Apple Salad is best served on the same day that its made. That said, you can make it up to 8 hours in advance. Keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it.

white shallow bowls filled with taffy apple salad next to a glass bowl and a green apple.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Taffy Apple Salad watery?

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.

Do I need to peel the apples?

Nope! You can if you want to, but I like the extra crunch that the peel adds.

Can I make this dairy free?

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).

More sweet salads

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!

📖 Recipe

Taffy apple salad in a small white dish with a large glass serving dish in the background

Taffy Apple Salad with Peanuts

Published by Kate
This sweet salad is the perfect side dish for a cookout. It really does taste like a taffy apple!
4.63 from 16 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 270 kcal

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.

Video

Notes

You MUST thoroughly drain the pineapple and thoroughly dry the apples. The salad will be watery if you don’t do this well. 
If you prefer, you can remove the skin from the apples before chopping. I prefer to keep the skin on for extra crunch! 
You cannot substitute whipped cream for the whipped topping. It needs to be whipped topping, sold in the freezer section of the grocery store. It has stabilizers in it that enable it to hold the apples, peanuts, and pineapple. 
You CAN substitute a non-dairy whipped topping, such as So Delicious Coco-Whip or Truwhip Vegan (make sure it’s marked “vegan”). That will make this dairy free! 
The salad is best on the day that it is made, but it can be made up to one day ahead. Refrigerate it until ready to serve. 

Nutrition

Serving: 8servingsCalories: 270kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 39mgFiber: 3gSugar: 32g
Keyword side dish salad, taffy apple salad
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment below!

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7 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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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