This quick and easy Broccoli Salad with Cranberries and Bacon is a Spring and Summer staple for parties, gatherings, barbecues, and picnics galore!
After playing around with #ALLTHEVARIETIES of broccoli salad, I’m embracing all things Southern and diving into the classic picnic and potluck staple and loving every minute of it!
It’s a mix of fresh and creamy, sweet and savory, tender and crunchy and translates to a flavor and texture celebration of sorts. It’s no wonder this dish is so popular!
My go-to broccoli salad strategy is to toss the salad in a small portion of the dressing before chilling, then dressing a bit more after the salad has had some time for the flavors to marinate and meld.
I also like to add the bacon and sunflower seeds right before serving for maximum crunch factor – SO GOOD!
Easy Vegan and Vegetarian Swaps
As written this classic broccoli salad is gluten-free. If you’re one of my vegan or vegetarian friends, there are a few deeeeeelicious options to for ya:
If you’re vegetarian and would like to make the broccoli-kissed salad below, simply swap out the bacon for vegetarian bacon bits or smoky tempeh “bacon” *or* simply leave it out entirely!
My Vegetarian Broccoli Salad and Chopped Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad are both tasty veggie-friendly options as well!
For a vegan version of this broccoli salad, you can use your favorite vegan bacon swaps or skip as mentioned above, and swap mayo/sour cream for your favorite vegan varieties.
My beloved Broccoli Kale Salad is also vegetarian and veganized by skipping the optional cheddar mix-in.
As always, feel free to shoot me a message if you need any tips for swaps and such.
Broccoli Salad with Cranberries and Bacon
Here’s what you’ll need to make this baller broccoli salad:
From the pantry, grab some dried cranberries, roasted sunflower seeds, and red onion. You’ll also want to snag white wine or apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and a little sugar to sweeten the dressing.
Fridge ingredients include broccoli, cheddar cheese, bacon, mayo and/or sour cream.
Once you have all your ingredients ready to go, it’s time to get our broccoli salad on with this easy peasy recipe!
Broccoli Salad with Cranberries and Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 cups finely chopped broccoli (approx. 1 pound)
- 1 cup coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- ½ cup dried cranberries plus extra to taste
- ⅓-½ cup roasted salted sunflower seeds
- ½ cup crumbled bacon (approx. 6-8 slices)
Broccoli Salad Dressing
- 1 cup quality mayo (Duke's is my fav)
- 1 TBSP white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
- 1 TBSP sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- First whisk together dressing ingredients. Set aside.
- NOTE: The dressing for these salads is traditonally sweetened a bit more. Feel free to sweeten to taste or add extra dried cranberries for sweetness. For a tangy broccoli salad you can replace 1/4 cup of the mayo with sour cream. My biggest tip would be to use a quality mayo like Duke's, Hellman's, or even homemade.
- Next chop broccoli into small bite-sized pieces. I like to include around 5 cups of florets with a cup or so of chopped broccoli stalk
- Add broccoli to a large bowl along with finely chopped onion, dried cranberries, and coarsely grated cheddar cheese.
- Add *HALF* the dressing to the bowl and mix well. Chill for an hour. Chill remaining dressing to add before serving, to taste.
- I love to use fresh ultra-cripsy bacon for this salad. Cook bacon via your favorite method (pan-frying, baking, or air fryer) while the salad chills then add to the salad just before serving for best results. Cook time will vary based on method chosen.
- After chilling, give the salad a taste and then add additional dressing to taste. Mix well.
- Top with sunflower seeds and crumbled bacon. Toss to combine and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try this classic broccoli salad with cranberries and bacon, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Questions & Reviews
It’s an amazing taste
Yay! Thank you!
The whole family loves this salad. Healthy and tasty and excellent
Thank you so much, Ina!
This recipe sounds delicious.Just wondering if you use sweetened or unsweetened cranberries.
Thanks Carla! I grabbed them at Target and believe they’re the sweetened type.
All I can say is Scrumptious! Made it just as the recipe calls for. Easy and delicious.
I bought a large package of broccoli florets then froze it. Can I the thaw it to make a cold broccoli salad?
Hi Rita! I have only used fresh broccoli for my salads (when I use frozen I typically roast or steam it) so I’m not sure about the exact taste and texture differences when using frozen broccoli for a this type of salad. If you get a chance to experiment let me know if it works? xo
I love broccoli salad, but I’ve never made it before. From the picture, the broccoli looks cooked. Do you need to cook the broccoli first? I assume you don’t, but wouldn’t it be too hard?
Hi Debbie! When I shoot broccoli for salads and want a super green hue or a more tender floret, I actually lightly massage it first. After chopping the florets nice and tiny i’ll drizzle on a teeny bit of olive oil and massage it into the florets to bring out the color and slightly tenderize the broccoli, kind of like how you would massage kale leaves for a salad. The first time I did it as an experiment and I loved it so much that I do it often now!
This is basically the same recipe that I always use. But let me share one tiny change I have made.
I do not use Craisins anymore, instead I have started using a Walmart mix called “Berries and Golden Raisins”. It takes away some of the sour of the cranberries and give a little tart from the cherries and sweet from the golden raisins.
Ooooh that sounds so good! Trying it next time I make it – thanks for the tip! Xoxo
I def gonna make it for a family picnic. Can u use ranch dressing?
Hi Stephanie! I haven’t tried it with ranch yet, but that could totally be tasty. Let me know if you get a chance to try it out!
This is my go-to recipe for family gatherings and now I’m even getting requests for it. I used to make a pasta salad but really wanted to up the veggie intake and this is perfect. Personally I omit the red onion (I only like cooked onions). I appreciate how easy it is to make so even when I’m low on energy or time I know I can commit to making it.
Soo good! Ty for the recipe!
Yay!! Totally happy dancing over here!
This salad was fresh and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
So happy you enjoyed it, Sam! Thank you!