Snickers Salad Recipe

This Snickers Salad Recipe is a retro dessert made with chopped Snickers bars and apples folded into creamy vanilla pudding and whipped topping.

Snickers Apple Salad Recipe

Yes, this isn’t really a salad–it’s a dessert combining a mix of chopped Snickers bars, Granny Smith apples, vanilla pudding, and whipped cream.

But since it technically does have some fruit in it and gets tossed together in a salad bowl, it’s perfectly acceptable to pile it high on our dinner plates right alongside the Roasted Vegetables and Crockpot Turkey Breast. At least that’s how it goes where I’m from! 🙂

Snickers Salad Origin

I hear you: you’re asking, “What is Snickers Salad?” Well, it’s not totally clear where this salad originated. That said, if you attend a church or community picnic/potluck in the Midwest, there is a good chance you’ll find a “salad” like this that satisfies your sweet tooth!

At a potluck, these salads are usually served alongside other comfort-food-type casseroles (also called hot dishes) like Funeral Potatoes or Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole. So no matter how sweet, if it’s served on the same table as these hot dishes, you can bet it’s part of the main course!

Snickers Salad Ingredients

I make Snickers Salad with pudding instead of cream cheese, which is how I like it best. If you prefer cream cheese, swap in one 8 ounce block for the pudding and milk, beat until smooth, then fold in the whipped cream.

• Snickers bars. Yes, the candy bar! Grab full-sized or fun-sized bars and dice ’em into small pieces.
• Granny Smith apples. This is the traditional apple to use in this salad since it pairs so nicely with the caramel in the Snickers bars. These apples are tart which helps to balance the sweetness of the salad.
• Vanilla pudding mix. I recommend the Jell-O® brand here. Make sure to get the smaller (3.4 ounces) box, not the 5.6-ounce package. Stick to the regular vanilla pudding mix instead of the sugar-free kind, and use the instant pudding, not the cook-and-serve type.

Ingredients, Continued

• Milk. Don’t follow directions on the pudding mix–only add 1 cup of milk here. 1%, 2%, and whole milk all work great here.
• Frozen whipped topping. Make sure your frozen whipped topping (lite, sugar-free, or original) is fully thawed before using it in Snickers Salad. If it’s partially frozen, it won’t mix properly. Want to make your own whipped topping? Check out the “quick tip” box below!

Snickers Salad Toppings

To finish off this Snickers Salad, I love adding a few toppings. These are optional, but they make the treat look and taste even better!

• Top with sSome of the diced Snickers bars (reserved from the salad).
• Heath® milk chocolate English toffee baking bits add a nice crunch and complementary flavors.
• Add a drizzle of caramel sauce (either homemade or store-bought).

Use Leftover Granny Smith Apples:

• Apple Crumble with a thick crumble topping
• Apple Bread Recipe with grated apples
• The best ever Apple Pie with a homemade Pie Crust Recipe
• Apple Crumble Bars with caramel
• Easy Apple Nachos