Snickers Salad Recipe (With Apples And Cream Cheese)

One of my favorite things to bring to a potluck or cookout is Snickers Salad (which also goes by Apple Snickers Salad, Snickers Apple Salad, Snickers Fruit Salad, and other similar monikers). Featuring crisp chunks of fresh apple, bite-sized pieces of Snickers candy bars, and a creamy mixture of sweetened cream cheese and Cool Whip, I ask you — what’s not to like?

You can use just about any variety of apples in this Snickers salad recipe — Pink Lady, Ambrosia, Opal, and Honeycrisp all work well — but I typically make it with Granny Smith apples. The tart apples are a delicious contrast to the sweet candy and cream (sort of like a caramel apple!)

Snickers Salad Ingredients

• Cream cheese — Full-fat cream cheese lends this dessert a delicious tangy flavor.
• Frozen whipped topping (aka Cool Whip) — The addition of thawed Cool Whip makes for a thick, luscious cream cheese mixture.
• Powdered sugar — Balance the tangy flavor of the cream cheese with a bit of powdered sugar. (Only have granulated sugar handy? Add a tablespoon of cornstarch to 1 cup of granulated sugar and pulse in your blender under powdered!)
• Snickers bars — The combination of milk chocolate, peanuts, caramel, and nougat in Snickers bars makes it the perfect candy for this particular dessert.
• Granny Smith apples — I like the contrast between tart apples and the sweetness of the candy and cream cheese mixture, but any crisp apple will taste delicious in this recipe!

Why Use Cream Cheese Instead Of Pudding?

While Snickers bars and apples are always included as Snickers salad ingredients, some versions of the recipe call for instant vanilla pudding mix instead of cream cheese. I prefer the tangy flavor of cream cheese to the simple sweetness of an instant pudding mix, but that’s just my preference!

While I prefer to make this Snicker fruit salad without pudding mix, feel free to experiment with pudding mix and other variations or substitutions that sound good to you! Consult the ingredient substitutions table later in this post for delicious ideas.

Jillee’s Take:

The first time I heard about Snickers Salad was after my son Erik had some while attending a potluck dinner at a friend’s house. After tracking down the recipe online and trying it for myself, it quickly became one of my go-to dishes to take to cookouts and barbecues. It’s simple, delicious, and a great conversation starter!

How To Make Apple Snickers Salad (With Cream Cheese)

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 12 ounces frozen whipped topping (i.e. Cool Whip), thawed
• 6 Snickers candy bars
• 4-6 Granny Smith apples

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer, then carefully fold in the whipped topping.

Chop the apples and Snickers bars into bite-size chunks and stir them into the cream cheese mixture. Cover the bowl, refrigerate for 1 hour, and it’s ready to serve!

Helpful Tips

• If you want to chop the apples ahead of time, add a bit of lemon juice to the apples to prevent browning. (This will increase the tartness of the apples, so you may want to add a bit more powdered sugar to compensate.)
• Some folks say that Opal apples are less prone to browning than other varieties, so use them if you can find them!
• Use a Danish dough whisk to gently fold the Cool Whip into the sweetened cream cheese mixture without losing its fluffy texture.

“If you freeze your Snickers bars before chopping them, it helps them break up better and they won’t be sticky either. Also, I find it less expensive to get the bags of fun-size Snickers, and they are quicker to cut up!”

– OGT Reader Kelli

Tasty Topping Ideas

Take your Snickers salad to the next level with one of these quick and easy toppings:

• A drizzle of chocolate, butterscotch, or caramel sauce
• Chopped nuts
• Toasted sweetened coconut
• Mini chocolate chips
• Mini marshmallows
• Crushed vanilla wafers or graham crackers
• Candy bits

Snickers Salad Ingredient Substitutions

Want to make your Snickers Salad allergy-friendly? Navigating around dietary restrictions? Consult the table below for suggestions.

Snickers Salad FAQ

Where Did Snickers Salad Originate?

We don’t know exactly who put together the first Snickers Salad, but it initially became popular in the upper Midwest.

How Long Does Snickers Salad Last?

Because the apples release liquid, Snickers Salad only lasts for a day or so. Make it the same day you plan to serve it and store it in the fridge.

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Is Snickers Salad Gluten Free?

Yes! It’s always smart to double-check labels, but none of the components of this salad contain gluten.

Is Snickers Salad Vegan?

The recipe featured in this post is not vegan, but you can easily make a vegan Snickers Salad using substitutions from the table above!

Why Is My Snickers Salad Runny?

Fresh apples release liquid over time, so it’s best to make this recipe shortly before you plan to eat it. (Using pudding instead of cream cheese can also result in a thin or runny texture, so keep that in mind!)

Can I Use A Different Flavor Of Pudding In Snickers Salad?

If you prefer your Snickers Salad with pudding, you don’t have to stick with plain vanilla! Butterscotch pudding, chocolate pudding, and even banana pudding would make for a delicious change of pace.

More Popular Potluck Recipes

Potlucks and cookouts abound during the summertime in our neck of the woods, and my go-to potluck recipes have proven themselves crowd-pleasers time after time. In addition to Apple Snickers Salad, here are a few of my other favorite potluck dishes:

• Cornbread
• “Funeral” Potatoes
• Five-Bean Hot Dish
• Crockpot Meatballs
• Craisin Spinach Salad
• Irresistible Dips

Conclusion

If you’re looking for an easy, delicious, and memorable recipe for your next potluck dinner or cookout, you can’t go wrong with this Apple Snickers Salad. The crisp crunch of apples, the sweet chewiness of candy bars, and the sweet creamy dressing combine to make a dessert salad everyone will rave about!

What are your thoughts on sweet salads like Snickers salad with cream cheese?

Snickers Salad (Recipe)

Jill Nystul

This sweet dessert salad features a combination of tart apple chunks, Snickers bar pieces, and a tangy cream cheese mixture. It's a potluck favorite! Adapted from Food.com.

4.28 from 18 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 327 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 12 ounces frozen whipped topping thawed
• 6 Snickers bars
• 4-6 Granny Smith apples

Instructions

 

• Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until thoroughly blended, then fold in the whipped topping.
  
• Cut Snickers and apples into bite-size chunks and stir them into the cream cheese mixture.
  
• Cover and chill for 1 hour before serving.
  

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 149mgPotassium: 229mgFiber: 3gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 390IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 0.3mg