Broccoli Salad with Bacon & Cranberries
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You’ll love this lighter version of the classic Broccoli Salad with Bacon & Cranberries. It’s packed with crunchy broccoli, crispy bacon, tart cranberries, and a creamy homemade dressing.
And it’s ready in about an hour. If you’re looking for more easy salad recipes try our Kale & Brussel Sprout Salad with Cranberries, Zesty Italian Pasta Salad or Country Style Potato Salad.
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We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card.
If you are in need of a festive addition to your holiday table, look no further. How about a big bowl of delicious Broccoli Salad with homemade salad dressing? The vibrant red and green colors make this recipe a pretty choice for all your holiday meals.
But please don’t limit this recipe to the holidays. A dish this delicious shines any time of year.
It’s an easy choice for weeknight meals. I like to make a batch over the weekend so I can serve it with meals throughout the week.
The recipe can also be easily doubled for larger gatherings. Whenever I take this dish to a potluck I come home with an empty bowl. Every. single. time.
Ingredients for Broccoli Bacon Cranberry Salad
Salad Ingredients
Broccoli Florets – use fresh only! See the notes below about frozen broccoli.
Dried Cranberries – I use Craisins from the grocery store.
Bacon – fry your own, or use real bacon bits.
Red Onion
Cheddar cheese – use cubes or shredded, optional
Sunflower seeds – adds a nice crunch, optional
Creamy Dressing Ingredients
Mayo – use light or regular, but I don’t recommend using Miracle Whip. See the tips section below for a way to lighten this broccoli salad even more by using Greek yogurt.
Brown Sugar – you can also use a substitute such as Swerve or Truvia.
Other Ingredients: salt, pepper, paprika, honey, apple cider vinegar.
How to Make Broccoli Salad with Cranberries & Bacon
Step 1 – Combine broccoli, bacon, Craisins, onion, sunflower seeds and cheese in a large bowl.
Step 2 – Combine mayo, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, honey, paprika, salt and pepper. Whisk until well blended.
Step 3 – Pour dressing over salad and toss until ingredients are evenly coated. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Do you cook the broccoli before adding it to the salad?
I don’t because we like the crunchiness of fresh broccoli. It will soften a little bit while it’s refrigerated, though. But if you prefer softer broccoli you can blanch it.
How to Blanch Broccoli
Place the florets in a pot of boiling water just until they turn bright green. Quickly drain it and put the broccoli into an ice bath for a few minutes to stop the cooking. Drain and dry before adding it to your salad.
Can I Use Frozen Broccoli?
Unfortunately, no. After you thaw the broccoli, it will be too soft and watery. And that’s not what you want in this broccoli salad recipe.
Tips For Making Easy Broccoli Bacon Cranberry Salad
- If you don’t want to cook your own bacon, grab some bacon bits from the salad aisle at the grocery store. But be sure they say REAL bacon, not the imitation ones.
- To make this salad a little lighter you can use Greek yogurt instead of mayo, or make a half and half swap.
How To Store
Broccoli salad is best served after it allowed to chill for a couple hours. To store, place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Variations of Broccoli Salad with Craisins
Cold salads like this are great for adding in other “toppings” to jazz it up! Here are some favorites:
- Nuts – walnuts, pecans, or slivered almonds all work well.
- Peas and Carrots
- Tomatoes – use whole, grape tomatoes.
- Cauliflower
- Hard-Boiled Eggs – if you choose to add eggs, try this easy way to make hard-boiled eggs in the Instant Pot.
- Cheese – firm cheese works best so it doesn’t get soggy. You can purchase store-bought or just shred a block. You can also use cheese cubes.
I’ve made several modifications to the original recipe by tailoring the ingredients to my family’s tastes. And reducing the sugar makes for a slightly healthier salad.
But let’s be honest – it’s not exactly a “healthy” salad. You’re still eating bacon, mayo & dried cranberries!
Keep this recipe in your back pocket. When you’re short on time, 15-20 minutes is all you need to make a delicious side dish.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes:
- Katie’s Cornbread Casserole
- Orange Dreamsicle Salad
- Easy Vegetable Salad
- Fruit Cocktail Salad
- Quinoa Chickpea Salad
This recipe was given to me by a friend many years ago. And it remains a family favorite to this day.
Originally published in 2014, this is one of the first recipes I shared on A Reinvented Mom. A recipe this good deserved an update and new photos. Updated 4/23/22, 9/10/20 and 9/12/17.
**Pin Broccoli Salad with Cranberries for Later**
Iโve linked this recipe at: Meal Plan Monday.
Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cranberries
Equipment
Ingredients
DRESSING
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of fresh ground pepper
- Pinch of paprika
SALAD
- 10 cups broccoli florets, about 3-4 medium sized heads, or 1/2 a Costco-sized bag
- 5 strips bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries, I used Craisins
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, optional
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, optional
Instructions
DRESSING
- Combine the mayonnaise, brown sugar, honey, vinegar, salt, pepper and paprika in a small bowl. Mix until well blended.
SALAD
- Combine broccoli, bacon, onion & dried cranberries in a large bowl.
- Add dressing to salad ingredients and gently mix until broccoli is well coated.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour or until ready to serve.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
- Optional ingredients are not included in nutritional calculation.
Nutritional Estimate
Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.
I do like to add small squares of farmers (marble) cheese, pumpkin seeds and or sunflower seeds. Love love broccoli salad, sadly Iโm the only one in the family that eats it!
Love your additions, Betty. Don’t be sad your family doesn’t like Broccoli Salad – it means you don’t have to share – lol!
All this recipe needs is the addition of cashews. That will put it โover the top!โ
That sounds yummy, Carol! I’ll have to try it next time.
Thank you for posting to Motivation Monday!
I like the mix of sweet & salty, chewy & crunchy. Great salad that has a little of everything. Thank you for sharing with See Ya in the Gumbo.
Oh my! This looks so amazing. Pinned and tweeted. Thank you so much for being a part of our party. We really appreciate you! I hope to see you on Monday at 7 pm. Happy Saturday! Lou Lou Girls
Yum! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
Usually, I don’t like broccoli – but the additions of craisins, red onion and my all-time favorite bacon make me think I will love this recipe! I am featuring it tonight when the #FoodieFriday linkup goes live โ thank you so much for sharing it!
I think bacon makes everything better. Thanks for the feature, Jenny!
What a Yummy Salad!! Hey I would love it if you shared your stuff on my new Link Party that starts tomorrow…Thursday! Its called My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday! here is the link…You have great stuff!! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for the kind words & invitation, Elaine! I’d love to check out your party.
Thanks for sharing this salad idea at Motivation Monday. I’ve made a similar salad, but never with Craisins– sounds like a sweet addition ๐
The Craisins add a nice sweet/tart taste to the salad. Thanks for stopping by, Mitzi!
I just love this salad and the dressing is one of my favorites. Thanks so much for starting your 2015 with Full Plate Thursday and have a great week!
Happy New Year!
Miz Helen
Thanks for stopping by, Miz Helen!