Perfect for a summer gathering, Creamy Grapes Salad with red and green grapes is coated in cheesecake batter and topped with brown sugar and crushed pecans.
Creamy Grapes Salad
Creamy Grapes Salad
Summer time, picnics, gatherings, beach time and food!
Cold food to be exact.
What is Creamy Grapes Salad?
It is a sweet side dish made with grapes.
The sauce tastes like thick liquid version of my Pressure Cooker New York Cheesecake.
Crunchy nuts and brown sugar make up the topping.
Creamy Grapes Salad is perfect to bring to summer picnics, Labor Day outings, 4th of July beach days and more.
It is very decadent; cold and creamy and sweet.
Definitely not low carb or keto because of the grapes. However, diabetics can use a sugar substitute and limit the portion of the fruit.
Cast of Ingredients for Creamy Grapes Salad
My recipe is a bit different than most of the ones you will find on line.
My Cardamom Spiced Vanilla Sugar makes a HUGE difference in flavor.
This is your food, so totally do what you like. You don’t need to use Cardamom Spiced Vanilla Sugar, the if you don’t want.
Ingredients for Creamy Grapes Salad
- Cream Cheese
- Sour Cream or Homemade Greek Yogurt
- White Sugar
- True Lemon or Fresh Lemon Juice
- Vanilla Bean Caviar or Vanilla Bean Extract
- Whole Pecans
- Brown Sugar
- Cardamom Spiced Vanilla Sugar
This is not your regular old Creamy Grapes Salad.
But then again, most of my recipes are not your normal average recipes. If I am going to post a recipe, it needs to stand out from others and be the best ever!
True Lemon Granulated Crystals
I’m not affiliated with this company, I just love True Lemon so much.
The flavor is exactly like fresh lemons off the tree.
In my Elote {Mexican Corn on the Cob} recipe, I use True Lime for the very same reason.
Since, no liquid is added, the sauce in the Creamy Grapes Salad recipe (as well as my Elote recipe) stays thick and does not get watered down!
When the grapes chill in the fridge overnight, they tend to release juice, so I prefer not to add more liquid. 🙂
Cardamom Spiced Vanilla Sugar
The other ingredient that takes this Creamy Grapes Salad up a notch is my Cardamom Spiced Vanilla Sugar.
Seriously, the flavors of cardamom, cloves, star anise add a nice and subtle flavor.
For a stronger flavor, use more of my spiced sugar and reduce the white sugar!
Other names for Creamy Grapes Salad.
Grapes Rockefeller
Grapes Cheesecake Salad
Grape Salad
Blend Cream Cheese in Food Processor
If you use a food processor, there is no need to worry about letting the ingredients come to room temperature.
In fact, for this type of “cheesecake” recipe, I prefer to start with cold cream cheese.
Also, I’m so used to letting my food processor do all the heavy work.
Grate Lemon for Zest
Lemon Zest brightens the flavors in the Creamy Cheesecake Sauce!
A handheld microplane easily does the trick.
Remove Vanilla Bean Caviar
How to Remove Caviar from Vanilla Bean.
- Take a small sharp paring knife.
- With the vanilla bean flat on a cutting board, use the tip of the knife and cut the vanilla bean from end to end.
- Be careful not to cut through the bean.
- Hold one end of the bean.
- Using the dull side of the knife, start at one end of the bean and firmly scrape the little moist seeds (caviar) from the bean.
Don’t throw out the vanilla bean. It still has a lot of life left in it!
Use it to make vanilla sugar or add it to a jar of my Cardamom Spiced Vanilla Sugar recipe.
If you don’t have a vanilla bean in the house, just use vanilla extract.
My Pressure Cooker Vanilla Bean Extract is perfect for this task.
Stir in Lemon Zest, Adjust Sugar
It is a good idea to start out with the lower amount of White Sugar and Cardamom Spiced Vanilla Sugar.
Sometimes the grapes are super sweet and less sugar is needed.
After blending all the ingredients, just do a taste test and adjust lemon zest and sugar(s) as needed.
Mix Cheesecake Mixture with Grapes
The cheesecake sauce will firm up a bit with an overnight chill in the refrigerator.
You certainly can enjoy it right away.
But, it is better after it is cooled, so that the sauce adheres to the grapes.
As I am a sourdough bread baker and use these food storage containers for proofing bread, I just used the tub to mix the sauce into the grapes.
It’s easily transportable and I can pour the grapes into a nice glass bowl (pictured in the final photo) and then add the topping before serving
Chopped Pecans
Why Use Whole Pecans?
- First of all, it is cheaper.
- Whole Pecans will stay fresher if kept whole.
- They are easy to chop with a good Santoku knife.
- I prefer using food less processed, as who knows how well the chopping machines are cleaned.
- I have OCD re cleanliness…. 😉
Well, maybe not an doctor diagnosis of OCD. It might be a control issue.
Since I can’t seem to control my weight (especially since blogging and cooking all the time) and I’m fat again, being clean is something I CAN control.
Pecan Brown Sugar Topping
Get to where you are going and then top the Creamy Grapes Salad with the Pecan Brown Sugar Topping.
The pecans and brown sugar will add a nice crunch.
I love to add some Grapenuts Nuggets too, for more crunch.
Also, if anyone has a nut allergy, use Grapenuts instead.
For my Slow Cooker Autumn’s Best Apple Crisp, I use Grapenuts for the topping instead of nuts and we really love the topping.
Grapes Rockefeller
So, I realized that in this post I rambled on and on.
Sometimes I have a lot to say and other times, I have an extra lot to say! 🙂
I hope you will enjoy my version of Creamy Grapes Rockefeller.
Have you tried my Red White and Blue Fresh Berry Cheesecake Salad?
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Culina Stackable (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk– a MUST have, probably my most used utensil
- di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
- Alpha Armour Salt Box with Spoon
- John Boos Maple Cutting Board with Groove
- Microplane Stainless Steel Zester
- KitchenAid 11 Cup Food Processor
- Bormioli Rocco Viva Salad Bowl
- Cardamom Spiced Vanilla Sugar
- True Lemon
- Vanilla Bean
Caring is sharing! If you would like to support This Old Gal, please share this recipe on Social Media, so that I can continue to bring you more wonderful recipes!
If you make this salad, I’d love it if you would take a photo and tag me on Instagram at #thisoldgalcooks. I enjoy all your photos!
Here is your handy printable recipe:
Creamy Grapes Salad
Perfect for a summer gathering, Creamy Grapes Salad with red and green grapes is coated in cheesecake batter and topped with brown sugar and crushed pecans.
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese
- 8 ounces Sour Cream or Yogurt
- 1/4 cup White Sugar or more
- 1/8 cup Cardamom Spiced Vanilla Sugar (or all white sugar)
- 1 Vanilla Bean (or vanilla extract)
- OR
- 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon True Lemon (or lemon juice)
- OR
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Zest
- 4 pounds Green and/or Red Grapes stems removed, washed/dried
- 3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 3/4 cup Whole Pecans chopped
- OR
- 3/4 cup Grapenuts Nuggets
In a food processor, add cream cheese, sour cream, sugars and vanilla (caviar or extract) and process until smooth.
Remove blade from processor, add lemon zest and mix through.
Taste and adjust sweetness, as necessary.
Pour over grapes and mix through. Refrigerate over night, or until chilled.
Mix together topping and sprinkle over grape salad.
Wash the grapes with the stems on and then remove them from the stems. This helps to keep water from getting into the grapes. After washing the grapes, I place them in a bowl with a paper towel to help dry the grapes.
If you prefer, you can use all white sugar. We all have different tastes, so do what you prefer.
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