Healthy homemade coleslaw made with fresh cabbage and a sweet, tangy dressing made without any refined sugar. Delicious creamy coleslaw is incredibly easy to make from scratch, better than store bought, and this healthy version is the perfect compliment to so many of your favorite summer bbq recipes!
Coleslaw is one of the most popular dishes around the summer time and it’s also incredibly easy to make. If you have never tried making coleslaw from scratch then you do so as soon as possible. With only a few simple ingredients, and five minutes of your time, you’ll have a quick and easy side dish that you can serve at potlucks and BBQs.
Homemade Coleslaw Ingredients
Shredded Cabbage and Carrots : for this recipe, you’ll need sixteen ounces of coleslaw mix. This is the easiest way to go as all of the veggies are already pre-shredded. You can find this in the produce section of your local grocery store. If you prefer, you can also shred your own blend of green cabbage, purple cabbage, and carrots using a box grater.
Mayonnaise: mayonnaise will serve as the base of the coleslaw dressing. Mayonnaise gives the dressing a creaminess that coats the shredded cabbage well. When choosing a mayo for this recipe I like to look for one that is made from a high quality oil like avocado or olive oil.
Apple Cider Vinegar: this helps to give the coleslaw that classic tangy flavor.
Dijon Mustard: this adds extra delicious flavor to the dressing.
Maple Syrup: adds a bit of sweetness to the creamy coleslaw dressing to offset some of the tang.
Celery Seed: this is a classic coleslaw ingredient and gives the coleslaw that traditional flavor – you can’t leave it out!
The Perfect Creamy, Tangy Dressing
The “hardest” part of making this coleslaw is preparing the dressing. To make coleslaw dressing:
Step One: add the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, celery seed, salt, and pepper to a small mixing bowl.
Step Two: use a whisk to whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth and creamy. I have found that using a whisk for this really works best as it helps to make sure the dressing is really combined.
What Can I Use Instead of Mayonnaise?
If you do not want to use mayonnaise in this coleslaw you can try using Greek yogurt instead. For the best results, I recommend using full-fat Greek yogurt as a one-to-one replacement in the coleslaw dressing.
How to Make Coleslaw
Once you make the dressing, preparing the coleslaw really could not be more simple. All you need to do is add the shredded veggies to a large bowl and then drizzle the creamy dressing over the shredded veggies and toss until everything is well combined and the veggies are coated.
If you would like, you finish the coleslaw with a bit of chopped parsley or thinly sliced green onion for even more flavor.
Can I Make This Recipe Vegan?
Yes! If you would like, the best way to make a vegan version of this recipe is to use your favorite vegan mayonnaise. There are several different egg-free and vegan mayonnaise options available at most grocery stores.
What to Serve With Your Coleslaw
Coleslaw is the perfect side dish for so many summer favorites. Here are a few of my favorite dishes to pair with coleslaw:
BBQ pulled pork
Hamburgers
BBQ pulled chicken
Hot Dogs
Ribs
Grilled chicken or fish
Make-Ahead Tips
The great thing about coleslaw is that you can definitely make it in advance. If you would like, you can fully prepare the coleslaw and store it in an air-tight container in the fridge until you are ready to store.
Another option is to prep the coleslaw dressing in advance and just pour it onto the cabbage thirty minutes before you are ready to serve.
How to Store
This coleslaw is best stored in an air-tight container and should last for up to three days in the fridge.
I hope you give this Homemade Coleslawa try! It’s absolutely delicious and so easy to make.
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 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.
WOW!! Very quick and easy to make. It wasn’t drowning in dressing, which let the freshness of the slaw mix shine through. Made it with BBQ pork and it was a refreshingly light and fresh contrast. Big hit – will definitely make this again!!
I am pretty sure I have already left a comment – but had to leave another one! I make this all the time and it is such a hit. My kids and husband love it. It is super easy. Sometimes I use half broccoli slaw and half red cabbage to up the health factor and it is still just as amazing.
So yummy! I truthfully have always just made my own and winged it with cole slaw and now I’m kicking myself for not finding this recipe sooner! The celery seeds and maple syrup really made this a winner for me!
This is going to be my go to coleslaw recipe from now on. So fast, so easy, and only uses things I already have in my kitchen.
It’s so easy to make a straight forward recipe complicated – but you’ve figured out the right proportions, flavors and ease to this one. Thank you!
This is my favorite coleslaw recipe! I sub greek yogurt for half of the mayo (so 1/4c yogurt and 1/4c mayo) and put 1tb of honey vs. maple syrup. It’s healthy and delicious 😋
Hello, I tried this recipe with substituting honey for maple syrup. It was very good and I will continue to try it in a broccoli slaw! It was just what I wanted a “Healthy Coleslaw”😊
I needed a side dish I could eat for a family BBQ so I made this Healthy Cole Slaw. I was sooo delicious that everyone ate it and only one person commented that it was sweet like store bought Cole Slaws. I will not be buying this anymore, only making this recipe. Thanks so much!
I made this fantastic Cole Slaw to go with pulled pork and it was amazing! After that I found some pre-shredded broccoli slaw and made this recipe with it. It was also amazing.
best coleslaw i’ve had in such a long time!! the dijon and celery seed made the best, traditional creamy dressing to go on the crunchy slaw mix. so good on tacos!!
This is SO good. I will never buy store bought coleslaw again. To be honest I never really loved the store bought stuff but never found a recipe I liked. The dressing is so good and just the right amount. No body wants their cabbage swimming in mayo.
I’ve tried quite a few healthy coleslaw recipes and this one is by far the best! Made a batch to serve with ribs for dinner and ended up eating a bunch of it for lunch first. 🙂 So good!
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WOW!! Very quick and easy to make. It wasn’t drowning in dressing, which let the freshness of the slaw mix shine through. Made it with BBQ pork and it was a refreshingly light and fresh contrast. Big hit – will definitely make this again!!
★★★★★
That sounds amazing, Dee! So glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing!
I am pretty sure I have already left a comment – but had to leave another one! I make this all the time and it is such a hit. My kids and husband love it. It is super easy. Sometimes I use half broccoli slaw and half red cabbage to up the health factor and it is still just as amazing.
★★★★★
So yummy! I truthfully have always just made my own and winged it with cole slaw and now I’m kicking myself for not finding this recipe sooner! The celery seeds and maple syrup really made this a winner for me!
★★★★★
Commenting again because this is so good! I make it every year for our big summer pool party and it’s always such a hit!
★★★★★
This is going to be my go to coleslaw recipe from now on. So fast, so easy, and only uses things I already have in my kitchen.
It’s so easy to make a straight forward recipe complicated – but you’ve figured out the right proportions, flavors and ease to this one. Thank you!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you loved it, Bailey! thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Delicious! I will never buy pre-made coleslaw again!
★★★★★
This is my favorite coleslaw recipe! I sub greek yogurt for half of the mayo (so 1/4c yogurt and 1/4c mayo) and put 1tb of honey vs. maple syrup. It’s healthy and delicious 😋
Hello, I tried this recipe with substituting honey for maple syrup. It was very good and I will continue to try it in a broccoli slaw! It was just what I wanted a “Healthy Coleslaw”😊
★★★★★
Perfect combination of flavors in the dressing. My new go-to slaw recipe.
I needed a side dish I could eat for a family BBQ so I made this Healthy Cole Slaw. I was sooo delicious that everyone ate it and only one person commented that it was sweet like store bought Cole Slaws. I will not be buying this anymore, only making this recipe. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
I made this fantastic Cole Slaw to go with pulled pork and it was amazing! After that I found some pre-shredded broccoli slaw and made this recipe with it. It was also amazing.
★★★★★
best coleslaw i’ve had in such a long time!! the dijon and celery seed made the best, traditional creamy dressing to go on the crunchy slaw mix. so good on tacos!!
★★★★★
This coleslaw is so good! It’s creamy and the flavors are perfect. I used lite Mayo, it was all I had on hand, and it was still great!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you were able to make this recipe work for you, Sara! Thanks for sharing!
This is SO good. I will never buy store bought coleslaw again. To be honest I never really loved the store bought stuff but never found a recipe I liked. The dressing is so good and just the right amount. No body wants their cabbage swimming in mayo.
★★★★★
Haha! Yay! I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Allison! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve tried quite a few healthy coleslaw recipes and this one is by far the best! Made a batch to serve with ribs for dinner and ended up eating a bunch of it for lunch first. 🙂 So good!
★★★★★
Serving this alongside ribs sounds so good! I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Robin! Thanks for sharing!