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.
Cindy Turner
Best salad I have ever made. Anywhere I take it people rave about it and it is always the first dish to empty. This is a “must make” salad.
Amanda
this slaps so hard!
Sherry
Delicious.
April
I used half sugar and half monk fruit and still delicious!
Mary
Excellent recipe! Used Greek yogurt b/c had no sour cream. Vegan bacon bits (we don’t eat pork b/c we raise Kune Kune pigs and it struck my family as wrong to eat pork ever since we got to know them and to learn how sensitive they are). Salted pepitas b/c had no salted sunflower seeds on hand. My raw broccoli-skeptic son really liked it! As do I!
Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Jake
I made this the other night. The only tweaks I made were: alittle less sugar, and adding some diced up tomatoes…delish.
Keeping the dressing on the side, allowed me to enjoy this for 3 days w/o anything getting soggy.
Cheers, Jake
Roxana
I had made this recipe at every family gathering . It’s AMAZING GOOD!!
Have you ever tried the dressing on a coleslaw mix ?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Roxana! I have not used it on a coleslaw, but it could work. It is similar to my coleslaw recipe. 🙂
Donna
How many does this recipe serve?
Sam
Hi Donna! It will make about 8 cups so the amount of servings will depend on how much each person takes.
Deana Slone
We went camping with the family over the weekend and I made this salad. It was a big hit and I will definitely be making it again. I substituted Splenda for the sugar since we’re all trying to watch our carbs. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Zeida Lugo
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’ve made this several times for cookouts and everyone loves it!
Aniee
Can you make it the night before, dressing and all?
Sam
Sure thing! 🙂
Bev Proffitt
Hello! I was wondering if I could substitute anything for the mayo? Not a fan!
Sam
Hi Bev! I’m so sorry! It’s really the main ingredient for the dressing so unfortunately I don’t have a good substitute, maybe someone else can chime in with what they have tried. 🙁
Old Grey Mare
I like mayo so have not actually made substitutions, but based on the many variations of broccoli salad that are all good (just some better than others) I have some recommendations that I feel would be worth trying. However, the first recommendation is that the first time you make it, make it for a potluck situation, so lots of people will be eating a small amount of it instead of you having to eat it all yourself (in case you do wind up not liking it).
The simplest “substitution” would be to use well-mashed avocado instead of mayo as I have seen that suggested as a sub for mayo in other recipes. However, I have other ideas and you can consider whether they seem right for you.
1. Skimp some on how much mayo you use AND do use the olive oil mayo instead of regular.
2. Do use the substitution of Greek yogurt instead of sour cream as its consistency is closer to the “missing” mayo than sour cream is.
3. Substitute agave for granulated sugar. It is considered to be sweeter, so only use 2 tablespoons, but it being liquid should help make up for skimping on how much mayo you put in.
4. You MIGHT want to substitute golden raisins instead of cranberries as they are sweeter and less dry. I would suggest having both on hand, originally not adding either, then after it has been refrigerated for a while taste-test and then decide whether to add the cranberries or the golden raisins. [Also, the substitute ratio for agave to sugar is “2/3 to 3/4”, so if sweetness is a significant part of the appeal of broccoli salad to you, then you might want to use a dab more than 2 tablespoons of agave syrup.]
Bev
Thank you for your suggestions! I ended up making a poppyseed dressing and it was a huge hit! It was sweet, yet tangy with the addition of some freshly squeezed orange juice and it complemented the salad beautifully!
Michelle
Love this recipe!
Meredith
make your own dressing fot this. it’s basically cole slaw dressing buttermilk, Greek yogurt vinegar, sugar… play with it according to taste. or just buy a jar of cole slaw. dressing..
JoyH
This salad is incredibly delicious! The hubby couldn’t stop eating it. Many thanks for sharing!
Carol
I love this salad. The only thing I change is, I use plain yogurt instead of mayo and sour cream and honey instead of sugar.
Kelly Lee Evanitsky
Yes I like that idea
Leigh
Everyone loved it!
Debi
Had this same written recipe years ago, lost it. But here I’ve found it. I’ll be sure not to lose it again!
Jessica
I’m so excited to try this for an upcoming baby shower! We were asked to bring enough to serve 80(!!) people and I’ve never made a dish in that quantity before. I see you have noted that this makes 8 cups, how many would you say this would serve?
Thank you for sharing!!
Sam
Hi Jessica! I would say it serves about 8 people. 80 people is a lot and that’s going to be a LOT of broccoli salad! It will definitely be a lot of fun to make. Enjoy! 🙂
Gloria Spivey
I also need to serve our senior adult group at church, which is about 80 so would you show the amounts for each item ? I’m not good at figuring 10 times the amount
Aisha
hi.what can I replace the bacon with
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Aisha! You can just leave it out. Enjoy 😊
Sue
My daughter is vegetarian and we leave out the bacon. A good substitute is chick peas or carrots with bacon flavoring sprinkled on them(we like Deliciou brand)
Enjoy!
Laura
It definitely depends on how many items are on your menu to calculate how many ounces per person. I would figure 1/3 to 1/2 cup pp at most.
So one recipe of 8 cups should serve 16 to 20 people. I would multiply by 4
Kathy
This salad was the best ever. I made some substitutions but only because I didn’t have the exact ingredients. I buy packets of Orchard Valley Harvest candied pecans, cranberries and pepitas from Amazon, also sold at Costco in a big bag. I added 3 packets in place of sunflower seeds and cranberries. I also used gruyere cheese in place of cheddar. I was just wanting to use up the cheese I had. It was delicious!