Creamy and Sweet Cinnamon Apple Salad

Now I know I’m not the only one who enjoys a good fruit salad, but let me tell you, making this apple salad I felt like an adult, a real fancy adult. The mixture of dried fruits, nuts, seeds, and a creamy cinnamon neufchâtel cheese mixture is really such an amazing combination.  One of the best things too is that ingredients for this recipe can be interchangeable as well, keep on reading to get this amazing apple salad recipe and I’m sure you will make it over and over again!

Amazing Apple Salad For All Seasons

One thing about this apple salad is you can make it any time of year and for me, that’s a win! All you need is some fresh apples and a few ingredients and your ready to go. It’s an amazing side dish for lunches as well as something sweet you can have for breakfast. I love this apple salad because it is also packed full of my favorite dried nuts and berries. It’s so delicious.

Can You Use Any Type Of Apples?

For my recipe, I used honey crisp apples just because they are my favorite apple, but you most definitely can use your favorite! You can even mix apples using honey crips and granny smith apples together would be an amazing variation to this recipe.

Why Use Neufchâtel Cheese?

I am using neufchâtel cheese because it does have a lower fat count than regular cream cheese, and because I am already adding sugar to this recipe I thought it would be a perfect trade-off. Neufchatel cheese is very similar to cream cheese in taste and texture I personally have used it in many of my baking recipes as well. That being said if you do not want to or cannot get neufchâtel cheese using regular cream cheese would work perfectly as well.

How To Make This Apple Salad – Step By Step

• First things first make sure you set out your neufchâtel cheese so that it gets to about room temperature, it just makes it much easier to mix with your other ingredients later.
• Next, take your apples, I had two very very large honey crisp apples that I used, but if you have normal-sized apples I would use about three or four. Go ahead and dice them up to bite-sized pieces and put them in a large mixing bowl.
• After having your apples diced in your mixing bowl add in very cold water and two tablespoons of lemon juice, this will help the apples from browning, give them a good stir.

• As your apples are taking a bath in the lemon juice water, let’s make that amazing sweet cheese dressing. Take your neufchâtel cheese, sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar and add them to a mixing bowl, mix the ingredients together until they are all combined and you have a nice smooth textured dressing.

• Once you have your dressing drain your apples then add your dressing to the apples.

• Now, for my recipe, I used a variety of mixed dried fruits, nuts, and seeds. I make this mixture for my salads and yogurts, it is pretty much a mix of dried cranberries, walnuts, almonds, pepitas, and sunflower seeds. But, for the purpose of this recipe, I would say to use 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup sliced almonds and 1/2 cup of dried cranberries. 

• Mix together your apples, creamy dressing, and nuts and berries.
• Store in an air-tight container for up to two days in your fridge, after that the apples may lose their crispness. 
• Enjoy! 

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Creamy and Sweet Cinnamon Apple Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

An Amazing Apple Fruit And Nut Salad With A Creamy Cinnamon Sugar Dressing Perfect For Any Time Of Year!

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Ingredients

Cinnamon Dressing

• 4 oz. (Half of a Package) Neufchatel Cheese
• 4 oz. Sour Cream
• Spash of Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
• Dash of Nutmeg
• 3 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar 

Apple Soaking Liquid

• 3 Cups Cold Water
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice 

Apple Salad Base

• 3 - 4 Large Apples ( Honeycrisp and Granny Smith work great)
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
• 1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds
• 1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries 

Instructions

1. Set aside a pack of Neufchatel cheese to reach room temperature (this will make it easier to mix).
2. Wash your apple and dice them into bite-sized pieces.
3. Put your diced apple pieces into a bowl and add your water and lemon juice and let the apples soak for a few minutes giving them a stir here and there.
4. In a separate mixing bowl add in your Neufchatel cheese, sour cream, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir until combined.
5. Drain for apples from the soaking liquid and add in your dressing.
6. Now add your nuts and dried fruits and stir until combined.
7. Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe is best when served right away. The longer the apples sit in the mixture they can lose their cripness. I wouldn't keep this longer than a couple of days in the fridge in an airtight container.