This classic Waldorf salad recipe is one of those old-school recipes that I always come back to when apples are in season.

Crisp apples, juicy grapes, celery, and toasted walnuts get tossed in a creamy dressing that’s half Greek yogurt and half mayo, so you keep all the richness with a lot less heaviness. Plus, you can make it in about 10 minutes (easy-peasy!).

A Waldorf salad is a classic American salad of apples, celery, grapes, and walnuts in a creamy dressing, first served at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City in 1896. The original was just three ingredients: apples, celery, and mayo. It’s evolved into many variations over the years. This lightened-up version is how my mom used to make it—we swap half the mayo for plain Greek yogurt and brighten it up with honey and fresh lemon juice.

Serve it as a refreshing lunch (add some chicken for a full meal!), a brunch side, or a holiday side dish next to turkey or ham.

Why You’ll Love This Waldorf Salad Recipe

• Healthy & Wholesome: Made with fresh fruit, celery, and heart-healthy walnuts, plus a lightened-up dressing.
• Quick & Easy: Comes together in just 10 minutes with simple ingredients.
• Naturally Gluten-Free: A delicious salad option for everyone.
• Perfect for Any Occasion: Great for lunch, brunch, or as a holiday side dish!

Waldorf Salad Ingredients

For the Salad:

• Red apples: You will need 2 red apples, like Fuji or Gala
• Green apple: I used 1 Granny Smith apple
• Chopped celery: You will need about 3 celery ribs, sliced into ¼-inch thick pieces
• Red grapes: Cut the grapes in halves
• Chopped walnuts: This gives the salad a nice nutty crunch

For the Dressing:

• Mayonnaise: This gives that homestyle flavor as a creamy base
• Plain Greek yogurt: Make sure that you use plain Greek yogurt for a neutral flavor. I used Fage 5%
• Honey: This give a sweet touch to the dressing
• Lemon juice: Using fresh lemon juice is a must. Gives a touch of brightness
• Salt & Pepper: Use freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

How To Make Waldorf Apple Salad

1. Prepare the ingredients: Wash and dice the apples into bite-size chunks. Halve the grapes and chop the celery.
2. Prepare the dressing: In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
3. Combine the ingredients: Add the grapes, celery, and walnuts to the apples. Stir in the prepared dressing until everything is well coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Serve the salad: Serve in a large bowl or scoop individual portions onto a bed of green leaf lettuce or mixed greens.

Waldorf Salad Tips and Variations

• Start with crisp apples. This is the one place the variety really matters. Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, and Granny Smith all hold their shape and stay crunchy in the dressing. Softer apples like Red Delicious or McIntosh go mealy within an hour and take the salad’s whole texture down with them. If you want to mix up the flavor even more, use two red apples and one green apple in the same bowl for both sweetness and tartness.
• Keep the apples from browning. Toss the diced apples in the lemon juice first, before you mix the dressing. A tablespoon is enough to coat them, and it works better than adding lemon at the end. A splash of apple cider vinegar does the same job if you’re out of lemons. Leave the skins on the red apples too, that’s where the color and most of the fiber live.
• Try the original. The classic Waldorf salad recipe was created in 1896 at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City, which became the Waldorf-Astoria a year later when it merged with the Astoria next door. The original was three ingredients: apples, celery, and mayo. No walnuts and no grapes; both of those came later. If you want to taste the version that started it all, skip the nuts and fruit and let the apple and celery carry it.
• Lighten the dressing with cream. Traditional versions fold a few tablespoons of lightly whipped heavy cream into the mayo. It makes the Waldorf salad dressing airier and less tangy than a yogurt base would. Worth trying once if you’re serving this at a holiday table.
• Make it without mayo. Use all Greek yogurt in place of the mayo and yogurt combination, plus an extra teaspoon of honey since the mayo is carrying some of the richness. For a fully dairy-free and mayo-free version, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, and a pinch of salt instead. It’s a completely different salad, brighter and less creamy, but very good.
• Add marshmallows or cranberries. Mini marshmallows are the potluck version a lot of people grew up with, and they turn this into something closer to a dessert salad. Dried cranberries or raisins are the more grown-up move and add a nice chew against the celery.
• Toast the walnuts if you have time. Five minutes at 350°F is the difference between walnuts that are just there and crunchy walnuts that taste like something. Pecans, sliced almonds, and sunflower seeds all work as swaps, and they all benefit from the same toasting.
• Turn it into a chicken Waldorf salad for lunch. Fold in two cups of shredded rotisserie chicken and you have a full lunch with no extra cooking. Same dressing, nothing else changes. This is my favorite way to use up leftovers from a roast chicken.
• How to serve it. Serve it on a bed of butter lettuce as a first course, next to roast turkey or ham for the holidays, or scoop it into a sandwich on good bread. Halve the grapes rather than leaving them whole, so you get juicy grapes in every bite instead of the occasional surprise.

How to Store Waldorf Salad

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, though it’s best within the first 24 hours before the apples soften and the celery loses its crunch. Don’t freeze it, the yogurt dressing separates and the apples turn to mush. To make it ahead, chop everything and mix the dressing separately up to a day in advance, then combine within an hour of serving.

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