Old Fashioned Carrot Salad

If you’re craving a little nostalgia with a whole lot of flavor, you’re going to love this Carrot Salad. This gem comes straight from my Grandma’s recipe box, and it’s so much more than the simple versions you’ve probably had before. Creamy, sweet, and full of crunch, this salad is loaded with raisins, juicy pineapple, and a handful of pecans that take it over the top. Quick to whip up and always a crowd-pleaser, it’s the kind of recipe that disappears fast at potlucks, family dinners, and holiday tables alike.

If you’re planning a holiday menu, be sure to browse my Easter Side Dishes for more reader-favorite recipes. And if you’re on a salad roll, you’ll also love my KFC Coleslaw, Broccoli Salad, and Cucumber Tomato Salad.

Grandma always knew best! Let’s make this salad.

Why This Recipe Works

• Straight from Grandma’s Recipe Box: This isn’t just any carrot salad—it’s a family heirloom, passed down and perfected over time.

• Loaded with Goodies: With juicy pineapple, sweet raisins, and crunchy pecans, it’s far more satisfying than the plain versions.

• Perfectly Balanced: The creamy, slightly sweet dressing brings everything together for a salad that’s crave-worthy, not boring.

• Easy + Versatile: It comes together quickly, works for holidays or barbecues, and can easily be made mayo-free with a healthy twist.

Before You Begin

✨ Fresh Is Best: This carrot salad is at its absolute best the day it’s made. Chill it first, then serve it fresh for the creamiest texture and brightest flavor. If you’re making it ahead, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

✨ Plump Those Raisins: Don’t skip this little trick! Warm some pineapple juice (or water if you’ve already tossed it) and let the raisins soak until they’re soft and juicy. It makes every bite extra delicious.

✨ Mayonnaise-Free Option: Want to lighten things up? Swap the mayo for plain Greek yogurt. Just adjust the sugar to your taste. Skip flavored yogurts—they’ll cover up the classic sweet-and-tangy flavor combo Grandma perfected.

Carrot Salad Recipe Ingredients

• Carrots- I prefer to use the bagged grated carrots for my grated carrot salad. I think their thick-cut texture is best in the salad. Shredding the carrots on a box grater or the food processor doesn’t produce the same chunky texture. Plus, you get a little time-saving convenience!
• Crushed pineapple – adds another layer of flavor along with a textured twist that complements it perfectly. Be sure to drain it well.
• Sugar- I include sugar to round out the flavors in the dish. You can substitute it with honey if you’d like.
• Feel free to decrease the amount of sugar, use your favorite sugar substitute, or leave it out altogether.
• Salt – Adding just a small amount of salt enhances flavor and sweetness. Plus, it plays well with the lemon juice which is a nice tangy balance for the sweet pineapple.
• Nuts –I use nuts for an added layer of flavor and texture. However, if you’re not so nuts about nuts, just leave them out. If you want to try some different combinations, pistachios, almonds, or cashews would all be great alternatives!
• Raisins – Grandma always used brown raisins, but there are lots of varieties to experiment with. Golden raisins tend to be slightly plumper than their brown cousins.

• Mayo – Since I’m on the west coast, I use Best Foods (a.k.a. Hellmanns). If you can find Dukes, use that!
• Lemon Juice – In a pinch, if you don’t have fresh lemon juice, you can substitute apple cider vinegar for it.

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Technically, you can keep this salad in the fridge for a day or two but it tastes best freshly prepared. Really, after a couple of hours, the carrots start to soak up the dressing and the pecans lose their crunch.
• Can You Freeze This? NO. This is a mayo-based salad that just doesn’t freeze well at all.
• Make-Ahead Tips:  If you want to make the salad ahead of time, just keep the dressing and the carrot mixture separate until 30 minutes before serving time, then toss and chill. I like to store my dressing in a mason jar. It makes transport a breeze!

Variations

• Dried cranberries – are another excellent alternative if you want just a hint of tang in the salad. There are tons of different dried fruits and any of them would be fun to try. I think dried dates or apples would be fantastic!

What To Serve With Shredded Carrot Salad

This is especially delicious with grilled foods. I like to serve it alongside my favorite grilled chicken, shish kabobs, beer brats, or grilled flank steak.

I like to serve a few more salads along with this one. I like to serve my pea salad, classic macaroni, grape salad,  dill pickle pasta salad, and/or tortellini salad.

How To Make Carrot Salad Recipe

1. Whisk together mayo, lemon juice, salt, and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, add carrots, pineapple, raisins, and pecans.
3. Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the carrots. Toss
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Toss before serving.

***See the full instructions below.

More Great Salad Recipes

• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing
• Three Bean Salad
• Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
• Mexican Corn Salad
• Marinated Tomato Salad
• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Mediterranean Salad
• 1905 Salad
• Pea Salad

Tried This Recipe? Let’s Stay Connected!

If you made my old-fashioned Carrot Salad, I’d love to hear what you thought! Please take a minute to leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a quick review—your feedback means the world to me and helps other home cooks find the recipe too.

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Carrot Salad

Straight from Grandma’s recipe box comes this creamy, sweet classic Carrot Salad. I add pecans for extra crunch! Quick & easy, this is a family favorite!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time2 minutes mins

Total Time12 minutes mins

Servings: 8 people

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

• ▢ 2/3 cup mayonnaise (plus extra as needed after refrigeration)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sugar
• ▢ 4 cups grated carrots
• ▢ 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, well-drained
• ▢ 1 cup raisins
• ▢ 1 cup pecans, coarsley chopped

Optional Garnish

• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

•  In a small bowl add mayonnaise (2/3 cup), lemon juice (2 tablespoons), salt (1/2 teaspoon), and sugar (1 tablespoon) and whisk until well combined.
•  In a medium bowl add carrots (4 cups), pineapple (1 (20-ounce) can), raisins (1 cup), and pecans (1 cup). Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the carrots and toss until well combined. Wrap salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Toss before serving. Add a few tablespoons of mayonnaise if too much of the dressing has been absorbed. Garnish, if desired, with minced parsley (1 tablespoon).

Fans Also Made:

• 
  Asian Coleslaw
• 
  Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
• 
  Honey Glazed Carrots
• 
  KFC Coleslaw Recipe

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Notes

1. Fresh Is Best: Your carrot slaw will taste best when it’s served fresh, the day it's made after it has been chilled. If you’re not serving this side dish immediately, it should be kept covered with plastic wrap in the fridge.
2. Plump The Raisins: warm up the pineapple juice and let them soak in it until they plump up a bit. If you’ve already tossed the juice- warm water or other juice works fine too. It just needs to be warm- not boiling. You’ll love the plump, juicy tidbits in your salad!
3. Mayonnaise Free Version: I get asked a lot about lightening this recipe for a healthier salad. One of the most common ingredients people look to change is mayonnaise. Greek yogurt is the best alternative.
   • I recommend using plain Greek yogurt and adjusting the amount of sugar to your desired level of sweetness. Flavored yogurt will mask the great taste combinations of the dish.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of the recipe | Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 10711IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

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