Apple Pecan Salad

Name: Apple Pecan Salad
Prep time: 22 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 31 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 stick unsalted butter; 3/8 cup packed dark brown sugar; 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 tablespoon water; 1 1/2 cups pecan halves; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/3 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon white vinegar; 3/4 tablespoon fresh lime juice; 1/8 cup pineapple juice; 2 teaspoons honey; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 6 cups spring mix greens; 2 medium honeycrisp apples, sliced; 3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles; 3/4 cup dried cranberries

By Emma

Certified Culinary Professional

Published on 22 January 2026 • Recipe tested & approved

Candied pecans toasted with a brown sugar twist; tangy apple cider vinaigrette with pineapple juice zing. Crisp spring mix, tart apples, crumbly blue cheese, and cranberries tossed in a bright dressing. Sweet, savory, crunchy, tart all in one bowl. Make candied nuts crunchy but watch the sugar burn. Dressing balances acidity and sweetness; swap pecans for walnuts if you like earthier flavor. Serve chilled, toss gently. A salad with layers and contrast, not your boring leafy greens.

Prep: 22 min

Cook: 9 min

Total: 31 min

Servings: 6 servings

#salad #nuts #fruit #vinaigrette #American #blue cheese #pecans #apple

Crunch. Sweet. Sharp buttery scent fills the kitchen while pecans caramelize in butter and brown sugar. That warn-the-family feeling. Using two vinegars and pineapple juice for zing, not just apple cider vinegar like the usual suspects. Honey stirred until it melts in adds a subtle layer of sweetness underneath the bright acidity. Blue cheese crumbles add complexity; dried cranberries bring tart bursts. Balancing textures and flavors is what I chase here—crunchy nuts, juicy apples, crumbly cheese and leafy greens, all coated lightly in a dressing that wakes up your palate but doesn’t drown the ingredients. I’ve learned control over the sugar heat the hard way—too fast and your nuts burn bitter, but done right, the nuts snap satisfyingly. This salad is a dance between sweet, salty, and tangy, no dull steps allowed.

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter
3/8 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
3/4 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/8 cup pineapple juice
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
6 cups spring mix greens
2 medium honeycrisp apples, sliced
3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
3/4 cup dried cranberries

About the ingredients

Butter crucial for coating pecans evenly—the fat carries sugar and cinnamon, provides richness. Dark brown sugar used instead of light for deeper molasses notes; light sugar will work but less intense flavor. Cinnamon quantity lowered slightly to avoid overpowering. Water helps sugar dissolve without clumping or burning. Pecans can be swapped with walnuts or almonds for different crunch profiles but fresh nuts only—stale loses flavor fast. Dressing uses both apple cider and white vinegar; feel free to replace white vinegar with champagne vinegar for softer acidity or try lemon juice instead of lime for different bright note. Pineapple juice is a twist replacing some vinaigrette acidity with tropical sweetness; unsweetened preferred to control sweetness. Honey adjustment suggested depending on pineapple juice brand and personal taste. Garlic powder adds subtle savory lift but fresh garlic can overpower here—powder hits balance. Spring mix is base, but spinach or arugula add peppery edges if you prefer bitter complexity. Apples: recommended Honeycrisp for balance in tartness and texture; Granny Smith work if puckery is your thing. Cranberries add chewy bursts; dried cherries are alternative. Blue cheese crumbles selected for crumbly texture rather than creamy feta or goat cheese which change flavor profile.

Method

Candied Pecans

Preheat oven 350F. Sheet lined with parchment—no sticking, easy cleanup. Melt butter, brown sugar, salt, water in medium skillet over medium. Stir till sugar glossy, melted; watch closely or it scorches fast. Toss in pecans. Stir nonstop. The sugar coats and crackles; a hint of butter fat in air. After ~3 minutes, flames might rise in pan if you aren’t cautious. Pull from heat; immediately stir in cinnamon. Spread pecans single layer on pan. Bake 4-6 minutes tops until smell deepens and nuts dry. Let cool fully—crisp is key. Warm nuts stick; cooled nuts snap.

Vinaigrette

Whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, lime juice, pineapple juice. The mix should shimmer. Add honey, salt, pepper, garlic powder. Whisk till smooth. Taste! Adjust salt or honey depending on juice sweetness. If too sharp, add extra honey sparingly. If too thick, a splash water or pineapple juice thinned mine out in past tries.

Salad Assembly

Toss spring mix in large bowl. Add apples, blue cheese, cooled candied pecans, dried cranberries. Drizzle vinaigrette slowly, toss gently. Too much dressing? Scooped some off with leaves before serving. Want more texture? Use Granny Smith instead of Honeycrisp for tart snap. For nuts, walnuts swap well but butter-sugar mix maybe less needed. Serve immediately—lettuce wilts fast under wet dressing.

Cooking tips

Slow cooking sugar and butter on medium, stirring constantly, prevents scorching. Visual cue: mixture glossy and smooth, no grains visible; aroma sweet, rich caramelized butter. Nuts should be coated and glistening pre oven. Baking pecans after caramel coating dries the sugar faster, locking crispiness. Watch timing closely—too long and sugar burns, too short and nuts remain sticky and soft. Removing them when warm and spreading thin stops clumps. Dressing whisking order doesn’t matter much but adding honey off heat prevents crystallization and blends more easily. Taste test—salty, sweet, acidic balance is personal; feel confident adjusting salt or honey. Adding lime/lime juice last keeps fresh citrus bite. Combine salad ingredients last to keep texture vibrant; wet greens get soggy if tossed too early. Toss gently to prevent bruising leaves or breaking nut pieces. Serve promptly; leftovers best keep dressing separate and added per serving. Common fail: nuts burned or dressing too sharp. Nuts easily recover by swapping butter for olive oil but loses that caramel edge; adjust sugar down if oil used. Dressing too sharp? Stir in a pinch extra honey or olive oil to smooth out. Salad makes a great side for roasted meats or as a light main course with added protein like grilled chicken.

Chef's notes

💡 Slow cook sugar and butter medium heat. Stir constantly for glossy sugar coating. Watch for tiny bubbles around nuts—caramel signal. Avoid letting sugar grain. Pull pan right at first whiff of burnt caramel edge. Cinnamon goes in off-heat. Spread nuts thin on parchment for crispness; warm nuts stick and clump instantly.
💡 Vinaigrette shake or whisk? Whisk preferred sharp emulsify. Adjust honey last to balance acidic tang. If dressing too thick, splash water or more pineapple juice. Lime juice last keeps brightness. If too sharp, add honey sparingly, not too much or dressing dulls. Use champagne vinegar for softer acid or lemon instead of lime for freshness shift.
💡 Pecans swap to walnuts or almonds if needed. Walnuts absorb a bit more butter, brown sugar edge less intense. Nuts must be fresh—stale dulls crunch, flavor lost fast. Bake candied nuts just 4-6 minutes max. Too long turns bitter scorch; too short equals sticky chewy nuts. Cool fully before mixing with salad ingredients; crunchy snap hinges on this.
💡 Salad greens base spring mix. Spinach or arugula add bitterness if you like edge. Apples? Honeycrisp balance sweet and tart texture well. Granny Smith gives more snap but can overpower mild cheeses. Blue cheese crumbles chosen for crumbly texture; creamy cheeses throw off balance heavily. Cranberries add tart bursts; dried cherries alternative if you want subtler sweetness.
💡 Watch nuts bubbling in pan close. Flames flare-ups sometimes happen—don’t panic, pull heat. Stir constantly till sugar smooth and coating fat-scented. When assembling, toss salad gently to avoid bruising leaves or breaking nuts. Too much dressing? Scoop off excess quick. Serve salad immediately; leaves wilt fast under wet dressing. Leftovers? Keep dressing separate for freshness.

Common questions

Can I substitute other nuts?

Yes, walnuts or almonds work well. Walnuts soak butter more; sugar less caramelized edge. Almonds crunch but no strong molasses note. Keep nuts fresh—not stale or flavor dulls. Coat immediately and bake short time only. Avoid oily nuts to stop sogginess.

How to fix burnt sugar in candied nuts?

Pull pan fast. If slight burn, add cinnamon off-heat to mask. If scorched flavor strong, start new batch or swap butter to olive oil—loses caramel but stops bitter notes. Slow steady stirring prevents most burns. Don’t rush caramel stage—watch bubbles on pecans carefully.

How long does salad keep after assembling?

Salad best same day. Greens wilt fast wet in dressing. Nuts lose crispness if mixed too early. For leftovers, store salad and dressing separate. Toss just before serving. Refrigerate in airtight container but avoid soggy leaves. Can keep candied nuts separate for hours to retain crunch.

Any alternatives to vinegars in vinaigrette?

White vinegar swapped with champagne vinegar softens acidity. Apple cider must remain for luck of flavor. Lime juice replaceable with lemon but brightness shifts. Pineapple juice essential for tropical sweet zing but unsweetened preferred. Adjust honey based on pineapple juice sweetness to balance.