This Homemade Broccoli Salad is the perfect side dish. Crisp broccoli, crunchy sunflower seeds, sweet cranberries, and smokey bacon all come together in this delicious recipe. The sweet and tangy dressing pulls it all together for a delicious recipe that everyone will love!
The Best Homemade Broccoli Salad Recipe
Did anyone else grow up eating broccoli salad? My mom used to make it all of the time when I was growing up. I have very fond memories of my mom making broccoli salad for cookouts, baby showers, or church events and being super excited when she put a little extra salad aside just for our family.
I love my mom’s traditional broccoli salad recipe but, I wanted to tweak it just a little a bit. My version of the classic uses a few simple ingredients to create a delicious side dish that everyone is sure to love.
Broccoli Salad Ingredients
Broccoli Florets: you can buy a few crowns of broccoli for this recipe or pre-cut florets. Just make sure to cut the florets into bite-sized pieces.
Bacon: this adds a delicious smoky, richness to the salad. You can cook the bacon on stovetop or in the oven. Just be sure to drain it before using.
Red Onion: this adds the perfect onion flavor to the salad.
Sunflower Seeds: choose roasted and salted sunflower seeds to add a bit of extra crunch to the salad.
Dried Cranberries: while traditional broccoli salad uses raisins, I really prefer the flavor of dried cranberries. If you do not love dried cranberries feel free to use raisins instead.
Creamy and Easy to Make Broccoli Salad Dressing
What pulls the salad together and gives it such great flavor is the tangy, creamy dressing that is drizzled over the salad ingredients. The dressing is simple to make and pairs very well with the hearty broccoli florets.
- Mayonnaise – the base of the sweet and tangy dressing for this salad is mayonnaise. While traditional recipes may use something like Miracle Whip, I prefer to use a high-quality avocado oil based mayonnaise instead. If you’re not a fan of mayonnaise, you can swap it for whole milk Greek yogurt instead and I’ve included some additional substitution options below as well.
- Maple syrup – instead of white sugar this dressing recipes uses pure maple syrup to give the dressing and salad that classic sweetness.
- Apple cider vinegar – this gives the dressing a bit of tang and helps to balance the sweetness.
- Salt and pepper – you likely will not need a ton of additional salt here but black pepper is an essential ingredient and plenty of it.
How to Make Broccoli Salad with Bacon
Step One: First, make the dressing. Combine the mayonnaise, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, black pepper, and the pinch of salt. Stir until smooth.
Step Two: Next, in a large mixing bowl, combine the broccoli, dried cranberries, red onion, and cooked bacon. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir until everything is well combined.
Step Three: Serve immediately or store in the fridge for two hours before serving. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use instead of mayonnaise?
I really think that mayonnaise gives this salad the best flavor but, if you are not a fan, you have a couple of different options that may work for you. You can use a combination of half mayonnaise and half Greek yogurt or sour cream. Or, you can use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.
Do you cook or steam the broccoli before making the salad?
No. Since broccoli can be eaten raw, there is no need to steam or cook the broccoli florets for this salad.
How small do you cut the florets?
Since the broccoli is raw, cutting it into bite-sized florets will work best in the salad.
Ashlea’s Tips and Tricks
- Wait to add the bacon. If you want the bacon to still be crispy when serving the broccoli salad, you can wait to add it until right before serving the salad. This will ensure that it remains crisp.
- Let the salad sit. I think this salad really tastes its best after it sits for at least thirty minutes or so. Make it in advance and let it sit in the fridge for a bit to allow all of the flavors to meld.
- Stir things up. Give the salad a toss right before serving. It is completely normal for the dressing to settle in the bottom of the bowl. Giving the salad a stir before serving will ensure that that the dressing is evenly distributed on the broccoli.
More Delicious Salad Recipes You Will Love
- Herby Green Goddess Chicken Salad
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- The Best Homemade Coleslaw
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
- Greek Broccoli Pasta Salad
I hope you give this Homemade Broccoli Salad recipe a try! It’s a simple hearty salad that I know you will love.
If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings / #allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.
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The Best Homemade Broccoli Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Homemade Broccoli Salad is the perfect side dish. Crisp broccoli, crunchy sunflower seeds, sweet cranberries, and smokey bacon all come together in this delicious recipe. The sweet and tangy dressing pulls it all together for a delicious recipe that everyone will love!
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- pinch of salt (plus more to taste)
Salad
- 8 cups broccoli florets, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 6 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
Instructions
- First, make the dressing. Combine the mayonnaise, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, black pepper, and the pinch of salt. Stir until smooth.
- Next, in a large mixing bowl, combine the broccoli, dried cranberries, red onion, and cooked bacon. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir until everything is well combined.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge for two hours before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Eat Love Eat
Delicious. Have made it many times and it always delights!
Thank you, Caroline! So happy you loved it!
Every time I make this, my guests always rave about it! Making it for a holiday get together right now. So delicious!
What is your favorite mayo you use? Thanks!!
I love Chosen Foods avocado oil mayo!
So yummy! I had some kohlrabi to use up so I swapped that for the broccoli and it was so good! Always happy with every recipe I try of yours, thanks for all the delicious meals!!!
I grew eating another version of broccoli salad at church potlucks, but there are a few key ingredient swaps this recipe calls for that make me feel better about the dressing. I also love using cranberries instead of the raisins that I was used to!
What is your favorite mayonnaise?
So delicious! I was a little nervous when I saw maple syrup and mayo, but omg that combo with the vinegar is delish! A great alternative to the everyday salad! Thank you so much!
This recipe is SO GOOD. Broccoli salad is the perfect side to keep in my fridge and have along with a sandwich or some other entree (but honestly I could probably just eat a big bowl of this for a meal if I let myself!).
I made this salad for a family BBQ and it was a huge hit! I found that it made a lot of dressing so I’ll make slightly less than it calls for in the future. It was also a little bit too sweet for me so I’ll use less maple syrup, but that’s all personal preference. I’ll definitely be making it again! Thanks for a great recipe!
This recipe tastes so good I can’t believe it’s healthy! I’m putting this in my recipe rotation!
This salad is so delicious! Very easy to make and tastes great. I will be adding this to my regular rotation. Thanks!
This recipe is so delicious and so easy! Perfect summer salad, and I could drink the dressing it’s so good!!
Great salad! Kid, husband and mom approved. I love the maple syrup in the dressing.
Making this tonight to take to a cookout this weekend! So excited to give it a shot!! I LOVE the combination of crunchy broccoli, salty sunflower seeds, and sweet cranberries!
This salad is terrific! Great flavor combo! I’ve made it several times & people always love it!
I love this recipe so so much! When I’m on a round I will swap the cranberries for dried currents as compliment cranberries are hard to find. Thanks for sharing!!
How many servings are there in the Broccoli salad?
I would say 4-6 servings depending on how hungry everyone is!