Apple Slaw

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Made with tart apples, cabbage, and carrots, this apple slaw brings fall flavor to the classic side dish. A tangy yogurt dressing pulls together the slaw for a fresh flavor.

In my opinion, coleslaw is a side dish that should be celebrated all year long, not just for summer cookouts.

This apple coleslaw adds a pop of seasonal flavor to the classic, making it even more suitable alongside pork chops, barbecue, or the Thanksgiving turkey.

Crisp veggies and chopped apple are tossed with a creamy dressing made with Greek yogurt. Honestly, it’s so good sometimes we just eat the slaw by itself!

This apple slaw is easy to make and stores well, so you can even mix it up a couple of days in advance of serving.

If you’re looking for a fresh side this season, you’ve got to try apple slaw!

Ingredients for apple slaw

You’ll need:

Cabbage – I usually buy a whole cabbage and shred it myself instead of getting packaged slaw mix. A whole cabbage can yield a lot of shredded cabbage. You only need 3 cups for this recipe, which is equal to about 1/4 of a cabbage.

You can use the extra cabbage to make my pork cabbage skillet, which uses apples too!

Carrots – Shred your carrots using a grater or food processor. You’ll need about 2 medium carrots.

Apple – I recommend using a tart apple in this recipe, but you can use any variety you like. There’s no need to peel; just dice or julienne (cut into matchsticks) depending on your preference.

Green onions – Green onions are also called scallions, or sometimes spring onions. You’ll need 2, both the white and green parts.

Plain yogurt – The dressing for this slaw uses yogurt as the base instead of mayonnaise. I like to use plain Greek yogurt.

Cider vinegar – Also known as apple cider vinegar and not to be confused with the apple cider drink, cider vinegar adds a tart tangy flavor to the dressing.

Sugar – Just a little sugar is added to the dressing.

Dijon mustard – Mustard adds more tangy flavor to the coleslaw. Other mustards work in place of dijon too, like stone-ground.

Celery seeds – In my opinion celery seeds are a must for coleslaw! 

Salt and pepper – Season your dressing to taste.

How to make this recipe

First, make the dressing.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, cider vinegar, sugar, dijon mustard, and celery seeds until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.

If using a whole cabbage, cut into quarters. Cut out the stem core and remove any wilted outer layers.

Slice thinly or put through a food processor using a shredding blade.

Grate the carrot using a box grater or the food processor.

Core apple and cut into a small dice. You don’t need to peel the apple — the peel has a lot of nutrients!

Add the cabbage, carrot, apple, and sliced green onion to the bowl with the dressing.

Using a pair of tongs, toss together ingredients to coat the slaw with the dressing.

Garnish with sliced almonds and serve, or cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Chilling will help the flavors meld, but the slaw should stay crisp. Toss again with tongs before serving. 

Storage tips

Apple slaw keeps well in the refrigerator, stored in an airtight container. Eat the dressed slaw within 5 days.

If you want to make sure the almonds stay crisp, leave them out of the coleslaw until just before serving.

I do not recommend freezing apple slaw.

Recipe suggestions

For a pop of sweet-tart flavor, add dried cranberries, golden raisins, or chopped dried cherries.

Instead of sliced almonds, add pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or shelled sunflower seeds.

Swap the sugar for honey or agave.

This slaw is great with cheese! Cut sharp cheddar into small pieces and toss with the slaw.

Instead of green onion, you can add thinly sliced or finely chopped red onion for a stronger, sharp onion flavor.

Add dried apple pieces along with the fresh apple for a bite of concentrated apple flavor.

FAQ

What kind of apple should I use for slaw?

I recommend using a tart apple, especially if you plan to add any sweetened dried fruit. The tart and tangy flavors of the combined slaw just really are excellent.

Using a sweet apple can be too much, but a Pink Lady, which has a sweet-tart flavor, works well.

Look for a crisp apple, like Granny Smith, Braeburn, Jonagold, or Pippin.

Can I use premade coleslaw mix?

To save time, you can use a packaged slaw mix. These mixes contain shredded green cabbage, shredded purple cabbage, and matchstick carrots.

Can I use mayonnaise instead of yogurt?

If you prefer the flavor of mayonnaise, you can swap it in for the yogurt.

You might need to adjust the other dressing ingredients to account for the difference in flavor.

Serving suggestions

Apple slaw is perfect for both dinners at home or at a potluck. 

It makes a great side dish for steak roulade, or as a crunchy topping for fish tacos. 

Try it with your favorite grilled meats, or add leftover cooked chicken to make it a full meal on its own.