A simple, classic Broccoli salad recipe that serves as a great fast side dish for any party or potluck. Made with bacon, cranberries, sunflower seeds, cheddar cheese and a homemade dressing, this is one of my favorite side dishes and it can be prepped in under fifteen minutes!
The Perfect Side for Your Next Cookout
Please do not be alarmed by the amount of green in today’s post! I know broccoli salad is a little different from what you’re used to seeing here, where sugar and chocolate and chocolate chip cookies and definitely not broccoli are the norm, but bear with me.
Broccoli salad is one of my favorite side dishes (right up there with deviled eggs and macaroni salad). It’s perfect for serving alongside Easter dinner (or any holiday dinner) and is a simple and refreshing side dish for summer parties and pot lucks. It can be thrown together in under fifteen minutes and I guarantee you that at least one person is going to ask for the recipe, wherever you bring it.
In contrast to the broccoli, onion, and savory bacon and cheddar, this recipe has a surprising bit of sweetness thanks to a pinch of sugar and dried cranberries. The contrasting flavors blend perfectly together, and a splash of vinegar gives the dressing a subtle bite. This really is the perfect summer salad, and the best broccoli salad I think you’ll ever try.
Tips for Making the Best Broccoli Salad
Broccoli salad is easy to make, but there are a few tips I want to share to make everything come together perfectly for you.
Notes on Cheese
When buying cheese for your broccoli salad, the thicker the shred the better. Buy sharp or extra sharp cheddar and stay away from the finely shredded variety. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, you can just buy a block and shred it yourself. Another option is to cut the cheese into small cubes instead.
Broccoli: To Blanch or not to Blanch?
I never blanch my broccoli when making broccoli salad, and I’ve never received any complaints (in fact, I always get requests for this recipe!). If you prefer to do so, you can. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and then blanch your broccoli for no longer than 60 seconds. Immediately drain and rinse in cold water to stop the broccoli from over-cooking. Dry your broccoli thoroughly before proceeding.
A Note on Buying the Right Amount of Broccoli:
You can buy pre-cut florets, but for me it was cheaper and not much more difficult to just buy a few heads of broccoli and cut it myself. This recipe required about 2.5 heads of broccoli for me to make it, but your mileage may vary depending on the size of your grocery store’s broccoli! I recommend discarding the stems and only using the florets (with a bit of the stem attached, but discard the thicker, woodier part).
For Best Taste, Let it Sit!
While this easy broccoli salad can be served right away, I prefer to let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to let all of the flavors really meld together. Like any good coleslaw recipe, it benefits from at least a brief resting period. Not only does the flavor develop and deepen, but the broccoli (and the other ingredients) will also begin to absorb the dressing, which improves the flavor and softens the broccoli. Broccoli salad can be prepared up to 3 days in advance of serving.
How to Lighten Up Broccoli Salad
Broccoli salad certainly isn’t health food and is usually served alongside other not-so-light main dishes (think hot dogs and my smash burger recipe). However, there are a few modifications you can make to make it a bit less fattening. I’ve found that when people see broccoli salad they think they’re getting something healthy, so if that’s what you’re looking for, there are a few modifications you can try.
- Lighten up the mayo. Instead of using regular mayo, use one made with olive oil. I’m very picky about the type of mayo that I use and can’t stand the taste of reduced fat (and don’t get me started on Miracle Whip). I’ve found that using olive oil mayo in my broccoli salad recipe gives you all of the same creaminess and flavor while being a better alternative.
- You can replace some or all of the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt.
- Using pre-cooked bacon will save time and fat and calories. Make sure you’re using real bacon pieces and not imitation flavored “bits”. These are usually found in the salad dressing aisle and should say that they’re “real” bacon on the packaging. I’ve also found that this bacon holds up best to the moisture from the broccoli salad.
Keep in mind that ultimately broccoli salad (especially this broccoli salad with bacon and cheese!) is meant to be an indulgent side dish, and not health food!
This recipe has been one of my most popular on the blog for over 7 years and has received hundreds of 5-star reviews. If you try it, I’d truly love to know how much you love it, too!
Enjoy!
Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 5-6 cups broccoli florets¹ 1 lb, this was about 2 ½ heads of broccoli for me (450g)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese thicker, not finely shredded (115g)
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries (85g)
- ½ cup crumbled bacon² (60g)
- ½ cup salted sunflower seeds (60g)
- ⅓ cup red onion diced into small pieces (50g)
Dressing
- ¾ cup mayo I use olive oil mayo (175g)
- ¼ cup sour cream³ (70g)
- 1 ½ Tablespoon white wine vinegar⁴
- 3 Tablespoons sugar (40g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Combine broccoli florets, cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, bacon, sunflower seeds, and onion in a large bowl.
- In a separate, small bowl, whisk together mayo, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth and well-combined.
- Pour dressing over broccoli combination and toss or stir well.
- Broccoli salad may be served immediately, but for best flavor refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Make sure to toss broccoli salad thoroughly again before serving.Keep refrigerated if not consuming right away.
Notes
How to Store Broccoli Salad
Broccoli Salad may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. If you are making several days in advance, I recommend storing the salad and the dressing separately, then tossing everything together at least an hour before serving.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This Broccoli Salad Recipe was originally published 07/06/2017, re-published 04/15/2019 and updated 05/12/2025.
Jules
Excellent! I made this tonight for dinner and it was absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe exactly as written and I would not change a thing other than to double the batch for a special dinner occasion when I need to serve more people. I think the addition of the sharp cheddar cheese is really nice. It has so much texture going on And the dressing is a really nice compliment to the fresh chopped up broccoli
Ca Tonya Siddell
I didn’t have sour cream so I did substitute it with Greek yogurt, which I’ve done with other recipes. I made it yesterday and just tried it, I followed your recipe and didn’t change anything. It’s amazing! Thank you so much 😊
J. Brogdon
So, so good. The sauce is what makes this salad! Love it.
Izilda Reis
This has got to be one of the tastiest salads I have ever eaten. Absolutely delicious. This is going to be a favorite for when I go to a cookout.
Michele
This has become a family favorite and it’s so easy! I did not blanch the broccoli and used the recipe as is. It’s really fabulous!
Ray
Made for first time for work pot luck. EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE loved it. I did 8c. blanch broccoli for 60sec, and substituted white wine vinegar with apple cider vinegar, and added an additional tbsp of sugar. I will continue making this forever, lol. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Santina Diano-Powell
Hi. I loved your 🥦 salad. it was refreshing & easy to make. I replaced the dried cranberries with dried mango sliced julienne style, (missing the dried cranberries). I used regular yellow onions, (missing the red onions) & ended up adding celery to the mix. The salad dressing was lovely also. I ended up using red basmatic vinegar, (missing the white wine vinegar). Even though the dressing was lovely, I didn’t pour the whole thing in. We all loved it! mThanks!
i
Laura
This is the best broccoli salad I have ever had! Love that it is not overly sauced. Perfect in every way! Thank you!
Kim
Great recipe. I needed to make a side dish, and didn’t have all the ingredients. I subbed in honey glazed pecan pieces for the sunflower seeds. I also subbed fat free poppyseed dressing for the vinegar. it turned out great.
Linda H.
If you cook your own bacon, add a tablespoon or 2 of the bacon drippings into the dressing! its excellent!
Rebecca
Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. Delicious 😋 I used lite mayo Sprouts brand and used Wholesome Yum brand sugar free honey in place of sugar since I’m prediabetic. I did everything else by your recipe. Making regularly so good.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you like it, Rebecca! Thanks for letting us know how those substitutions worked for you 🥰
Juanita
I make this every Christmas but add salted cashews in place of salted sunflower seeds.
Lisa
This recipe was delicious. I have made it a few times using whatever type of nuts we have available, all are good.
Libby
Delicious! Substituted raisins for cranberries and added buttermilk. This made the sauce go farther without lots of mayo. Substituted cayenne pepper for black pepper with no salt. Yummy!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Libby! thanks for coming back to leave a review ❤️
Darlene
Exactly the broccoli salad recipe I was looking for! The individual ingredients shine through without being drenched in the sauce. Made this for company potluck Christmas party. Delicious!
Tosha
I made this as a Christmas side dish. It turned out to be the hit of the dinner. Everyone was so impressed that broccoli could be so delicious. It was amazing. I followed your recipe exactly and it was fantastic!!! Thank you!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it was a hit, Tosha! This is definitely our favorite way to eat broccoli 😉
Carra V.
This recipe is definitely being added to favorites! It is so yummy!! The recipe is easy to follow and it comes together rather quickly! Thank you for sharing! My family loves it! ❤️
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for the review, Carra! We’re so happy everyone loved it 🥰
Meredith Watts
I can’t understand how you can say that this salad takes only 10 minutes to prepare! Cutting up the florets myself, cooking the bacon myself, shredding the cheese myself, it took me an hour. We did enjoy it, although I reduced the amount of sugar in the dressing.
Sam
Hi Meredith! I’m glad you enjoyed it. When the ingredient is listed as, for example, crumbled bacon, it is standard that you do not include the cook time for the bacon. It comes down to how the recipe is written. I hope that helps add some clarity. 🙂
MJ
Delicious!!! This salad has a little of everything, it makes eating broccoli fun! I love the addition of the cranberries and sunflower seeds so good! I need to remember to make this more! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
AAB
This is a really good recipe. I didn’t have white wine vinegar, so I used red wine vinegar, and it still came out good.
Valerie Akers
This recipe was delicious! Can’t wait to make it again!