Snickers apple salad is crisp apple chunks and chopped Snickers bars folded into a thick vanilla pudding cream, then drizzled with caramel sauce and chopped peanuts. It tastes like a caramel apple in a bowl: tart, crunchy fruit against chewy nougat, caramel and salty nuts, all held together by a cool, creamy dressing.
The dressing is what keeps it from going soupy. Whisk the instant pudding mix with only 1 cup (240 ml) of milk instead of the 2 cups on the box, so it sets as thick as frosting before the whipped topping goes in. Apples release juice as they sit, and a loose dressing turns watery within an hour. Everything comes together in 15 minutes with no oven, serves 10, and a 1-hour chill makes it an easy side or dessert for a Thanksgiving potluck.
At a Glance
- Yield: 10 servings, about 3/4 cup each
- Bowl: a 3 to 4 quart (3 to 4 liter) serving bowl
- Time: 15 minutes prep, 1 hour chilling
- Difficulty: very easy, one bowl and a whisk, no cooking
- Key technique: half the milk for the pudding, and apples tossed in lemon juice
What Makes This Salad Hold Up
A thick dressing and dry apples are the two things that keep Snickers salad creamy. A 3.4 oz (96 g) box of instant vanilla pudding normally sets 2 cups of milk into soft pudding. With half the milk it sets in about 2 minutes into a stiff cream that can absorb the juice the apples give off over the next few hours without thinning.
The apples are cut into 3/4 inch (2 cm) chunks and tossed with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of lemon juice. The acid slows browning, and patting the chunks dry on a towel removes surface moisture that would otherwise water down the dressing. Chopping the Snickers cold, straight from the fridge, keeps the caramel from smearing across the knife and the pieces from melting into the cream.
Choosing the Apples and Candy Bars
The recipe card lists every amount. These are the choices that change the result:
- Granny Smith apples: 2 medium. Their tartness balances the candy and pudding, and they stay crisp for a full day in the dressing.
- Red apple: 1 Honeycrisp, Gala or Fuji, for color and sweetness. Skip Red Delicious, which turns mealy. Together the 3 apples weigh about 1 1/2 lb (680 g) and give about 5 cups of chunks.
- Snickers: 8 oz (225 g), about 12 fun-size bars or 4 full-size bars, chilled for at least 30 minutes before chopping.
- Instant vanilla pudding: one 3.4 oz (96 g) box. It has to be instant; cook-and-serve pudding will not set without heat.
- Whipped topping: one 8 oz (226 g) tub, thawed in the fridge. It holds its volume for 2 days, longer than homemade whipped cream.
- Caramel sauce: 1/4 cup (75 g) store-bought or homemade, plus 2 tablespoons (18 g) chopped roasted peanuts for the top.
Cutting Everything to Size
Core the apples and leave the skins on for color and crunch. Cut them into 3/4 inch (2 cm) chunks, about the same size as the Snickers pieces, so every spoonful gets some of each. Toss the chunks with the lemon juice in a bowl as you go.
Cut each fun-size Snickers into 4 to 6 pieces, or each full-size bar into about 12. Keep the candy in the fridge until the dressing is ready. At room temperature the caramel softens within 10 minutes and the pieces stick together in clumps.
Mixing the Pudding Dressing
In your serving bowl, whisk the pudding mix with 1 cup (240 ml) of cold milk for 2 minutes. It will be very thick, close to a pudding you could pipe. Fold in the whipped topping in 2 additions with a spatula until no yellow streaks remain.
Pat the apples dry, then add them and most of the Snickers to the dressing and fold just until everything is coated. Keep a handful of candy for the top. Folding gently instead of stirring keeps the whipped topping airy, so the salad stays light rather than dense.
Signs It Is Ready to Serve
The salad is ready when it has chilled for at least 1 hour and the dressing clings to the apples in a thick coat without pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Tilt the bowl: if a thin liquid gathers at the edge, the apples were wet or the pudding had too much milk.
Right before serving, scatter the reserved Snickers over the top, drizzle the caramel sauce in thin lines and sprinkle on the peanuts. Added earlier, the caramel sinks into the cream and the peanuts soften.
Fixing a Runny or Brown Salad
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Watery dressing | Pudding made with 2 cups of milk, or wet apples | Use 1 cup of milk and pat the apple chunks dry |
| Brown apples | Apples cut long before mixing, or no lemon juice | Toss the chunks in lemon juice as you cut, then coat them in dressing within 30 minutes |
| Candy pieces in clumps | Snickers chopped warm | Chill the bars 30 minutes and keep them cold until mixing |
| Soft, mealy apples | A soft variety like Red Delicious | Use Granny Smith with a crisp red apple such as Honeycrisp |
| Dressing too sweet | Sweet apples only, or extra caramel mixed in | Keep 2 Granny Smiths in the mix and use caramel only on top |
Swaps and Variations
- Real whipped cream: beat 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream with 2 tablespoons (15 g) powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Serve the salad within 8 hours, because whipped cream deflates sooner.
- Cheesecake dressing: beat 4 oz (113 g) softened cream cheese into the pudding before the whipped topping for a tangier, firmer dressing.
- Caramel apple salad: use butterscotch pudding instead of vanilla and 1/2 cup (85 g) toffee bits instead of the Snickers.
- Other candy bars: Milky Way, Twix or Reese’s Cups work at the same 8 oz (225 g) weight.
- Grapes: replace 1 apple with 1 cup (150 g) halved green grapes for extra juiciness.
If you like the Snickers flavor in a sliceable dessert, try this Snickers cheesecake. For more creamy fruit salads on the same table, cranberry fluff salad, ambrosia salad and pistachio fluff are all made the same no-bake way.
Make Ahead and Storage
Snickers apple salad keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. On day 2 the apples are a little softer and the candy coating starts to bleed into the cream, but the dressing stays thick. Do not freeze it: the apples turn spongy and the dressing separates when thawed.
To make it ahead for a party, mix the dressing and fold in the apples and Snickers up to 24 hours before serving, then add the caramel and peanuts at the table. For a warm fruit side instead, these cinnamon apples cook in 15 minutes. It pairs well on a dessert table with old-fashioned banana pudding, and you will find more ideas in these easy Thanksgiving desserts.
Snickers Salad Questions
Can I make Snickers apple salad the night before?
Yes. Mix it up to 24 hours ahead with lemon-tossed apples and add the caramel and peanuts just before serving.
Is Snickers salad a side dish or a dessert?
Both. In the Midwest it is served as a side at potlucks and holiday dinners, but it works just as well as a no-bake dessert.
Can I use cook-and-serve pudding?
No. Cook-and-serve pudding only thickens when heated, so the dressing stays runny. Use instant.
How do I keep the apples from browning?
Toss them in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of lemon juice as you cut, then coat them in the dressing within 30 minutes.
Save It for Thanksgiving
Pin this Snickers apple salad to your no-bake desserts or Thanksgiving desserts board so it is ready for the next potluck sign-up.
Snickers Apple Salad
Snickers apple salad with crisp Granny Smith and red apples, chopped Snickers bars and a thick vanilla pudding and whipped topping dressing, finished with caramel sauce and chopped peanuts. Whisk the instant pudding with only 1 cup of milk so the dressing sets thick and stays creamy as the apples release juice. Ready in 15 minutes with no oven, then chill 1 hour. Serves 10 and keeps 2 days, an easy no-bake dessert or side for Thanksgiving and potlucks.
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples
- 1 medium crisp red apple (Honeycrisp, Gala or Fuji)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
- 8 oz (225 g) Snickers bars, about 12 fun-size, chilled
Dressing
- 1 box (3.4 oz / 96 g) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup (240 ml) cold whole milk
- 1 tub (8 oz / 226 g) whipped topping, thawed
Topping
- 1/4 cup (75 g) caramel sauce
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) chopped roasted peanuts
Instructions
- CHILL THE CANDY: Refrigerate the Snickers for at least 30 minutes.
- CUT THE APPLES: Core the apples, leave the skins on and cut into 3/4 inch (2 cm) chunks. Toss with the lemon juice as you go, then pat dry with a towel.
- CHOP THE SNICKERS: Cut each fun-size bar into 4 to 6 pieces. Keep a handful aside for the top.
- MAKE THE DRESSING: In a large serving bowl, whisk the pudding mix and cold milk for 2 minutes, until very thick. Fold in the whipped topping in 2 additions until smooth.
- FOLD: Add the apples and Snickers and fold gently until coated.
- CHILL: Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
- TOP AND SERVE: Scatter the reserved Snickers on top, drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with the peanuts. Serve cold.
Notes
- Thick dressing: whisk the instant pudding with only 1 cup of milk. With 2 cups the salad turns watery.
- Dry apples: toss the chunks in lemon juice, then pat them dry before folding them in.
- Cold candy: chill the Snickers 30 minutes before chopping so the caramel does not smear.
- Topping: add the caramel sauce, peanuts and reserved candy right before serving.
- Storage: covered in the fridge up to 2 days. Do not freeze.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 293Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4.5gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 195mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 2gSugar: 35gProtein: 3g
