Broccoli Salad is a quick salad full of fresh crisp broccoli, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and bacon bits. It’s all tossed in a really easy creamy homemade dressing.
Since it’s best made ahead of time (and everyone raves about this recipe), it’s a great potluck dish and a favorite addition to a holiday table.
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What Makes This The Best Broccoli Salad
Simple. Delicious. Easy. The best broccoli salad recipe doesn’t need a lot of fancy ingredients.
- It’s so incredibly easy to make!
- The 3 ingredient dressing is super simple and extra creamy with a little tang. We love that it doesn’t have tons of sugar!
- Since it’s best made ahead of time, it’s perfect for potlucks and bbq’s or even lunches throughout the week.
- It is always a hit, we almost never have leftovers but if you do have leftovers, they last for about 5 days!
If you have extra veggies you need to use up, you can easily add them to this dish. Zucchini, cauliflower, celery, or peppers can make great additions!
Ingredients in Broccoli Salad
Fresh broccoli florets are the star of this dish. The broccoli doesn’t need to be cooked first. Just wash and drain well (a salad spinner can help ensure it’s dry).
Crispy bacon adds a salty smoky flavor. I use real bacon bits in this recipe to keep is simple but you can cut and crumble your own if you’d like.
Add ins include:
- onions (red or green work well)
- dried cranberries (add raisins if you’d like)
- sunflower seeds. Swap out the seeds for any kind of chopped nuts like almonds or pecans.
How to Make Broccoli Salad
This is probably one of the easiest salads you will throw together, which is why it has become a favorite (plus it’s so yummy)!
- Wash the broccoli and dry it very well. Cut the florets (and the stem) into bite-sized pieces, this can be done up to 4 days ahead of time. If you’d like you can also add some broccoli slaw to the salad.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside per the recipe below.
- Place the ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and toss with dressing. Remember to allow time for the recipe to chill in the fridge. This gives the broccoli a chance to soak in some of the dressing making it even better!
Broccoli Salad Dressing
We love this creamy broccoli salad dressing and it’s super simple to make in just 3 minutes.
- Mayonnaise can be swapped for dressing (like Miracle Whip).
- A sugar substitute of your choice will work well in this recipe.
- If you’re looking for a premade dressing, try coleslaw dressing or creamy poppyseed dressing.
- To make this broccoli salad recipe healthier, substitute half of the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt and skip the bacon bits.
Tips for the Best Creamy Broccoli Salad
- Wash your broccoli ahead of time if possible, this helps to ensure it drains well.
- This gives the broccoli a chance to soak in some of the dressing, resulting in an even more flavorful salad!
- Allow time for the recipe to chill in the fridge. This gives the broccoli a chance to soak in some of the dressing, resulting in an even more flavorful salad!
Make Ahead & Leftovers
Broccoli Salad can be made in advance and kept in the fridge (at least an hour but up to 24 hours) until you’re ready to serve. If you’d like to make further ahead, keep the dressing separate and toss a few hours before serving.
Leftovers will last about 4-5 days in the fridge.
More Easy Salads We Love
Did you enjoy this Broccoli Salad? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Ingredients
- 8 cups broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup bacon bits
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and bacon bits. Pour the prepared dressing over and mix well.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad
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We made this tonight and it is absolutely fantastic!
Why was the recipe recently changed? I loved the old one and made it for all potluck occasions and it always a big hit. Now the dressing seems off. Is there a chance u could send me the old recipe? I saw u updated it earlier this month
This recipe has not been changed, some formatting was updated but the recipe remains exactly the same. I hope that helps.
Instead of bacon bits I use ham that I have cut into little cubes. I sometimes will add a couple hard boiled eggs diced up. Either way, it always disappears and everyone wants more. So, needless to say I have a second bowl in the fridge to bring out……
I love that Renae! So happy they love it!
Such a fantastic recipe a crowd pleaser for sure. I did not include the bacon and added shredded carrots and still tasted awesome! Is there a portion size to go along with your Nutrition guide or did I miss it?
Hi Chasity, the serving size should be about 1½ cups in size with all the mix-ins.
Can the dressing be saved and used again in a week?
Yes, there is nothing in the dressing that should spoil within a week as long as it is kept refrigerated.
What can I use instead of cider vinegar?
White vinegar or white wine vinegar.
Can’t wait to try this salad. Looks delicious
Swapped pomegranate for cranberry, honey for sugar, and pepinos for sunflower seeds. It was a hit!
Thanks for the inspiration!
I just made this and it is absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe with one modification. Instead of sugar is used pure Canadian maple syrup. It gave it a real wow factor.
Thank you for sharing
What a delicious idea!
I plan to make this tomorrow for Thanksgiving. I accidentally bought roasted, salted (shelled) sunflower seeds. Will this work? Thanks!
These will be delicious in this recipe. Enjoy!
Thank you!
Easy and delicious recipe. I like to do half broccoli and half cauliflower.
Delish!! Has been a hit at many dinners!!
Thanks so much Tara! Glad this has been well received with your family and friends!
I love cooking
So happy to hear that Thando!
Miracle Whip instead of regular mayo makes for a much better salad
Thanks for the tip Dee! We will have to give it a try :)
Did you also use vinegar when you used miracle whip?
Absolutely delicious! Easy to make and the best part is that my husband loves it.
Success! So happy to hear that Patricia.
Delicious recipe!! Especially good for a hot summer day! How long is this good for in the refrigerator?
Thank you :)
Thank you Angela! I hope you love it. I have munched on the leftovers for 3 days. I hope this helps!
I quick pickle my red onions first and use a mandolin… adding crumbled goat cheese is also AMAZING instead of bacon! Best salad ever… a fine foods store in my neighbourhood sells this recipe for 10 bucks a cup!!! Goat cheese!!
Goat cheese sounds like such a tasty addition Andrea!
Great recipe.
Do you think the onions are a must in this recipe? I’m not fond of raw onions, so want to eliminate them – this salad just sounds too good to pass up!!
You can certainly leave the onions out Natalie!
Try putting the raw diced onion in a strainer and running it under hot water for 3 or 4 minutes. This really takes that raw bite out of the onions.
Delicious
Thank you Pat, so glad you love this salad!