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.
Mary Beth
This recipe is delicious! I caramelized the onions first and let them cool before mixing in. I’m not a fan of raw onions. Turned out great and got a lot of compliments!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yum! Sounds tasty, Mary Beth 😊 We’re so happy you enjoyed it!
Christine
The salad was good. I didn’t have dried cranberries so I substituted with raisins. Also, the dressing seemed a little dry. I would recommend using one cup of mayonnaise.
Belinda G Orner
Awesome!
Heather
made this for a BBQ last week and I’m still getting people asking about it! Delicious
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad it was a hit, Heather! Thanks for the review 🩷
Tina C
Love this recipe! Been making use the past 3 years. So delicious
Dave
The dressing is spot on.
Miracle Whip has its place. Not in broccoli salad, perhaps.
Good recipe. Thank you.
Dhause
Yummm this is delicious
Tiana
I make this for family/friend events and EVERYONE will NOT shut up about how it’s the best broccoli salad they’ve ever had. You will not regret using this recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
😂 Sounds like it was a huge hit! Thanks for using our recipe, Tiana!
Caren
Quick, easy, delicious! The dressing definitely makes it. I leave out all onions
Ke
Just made this and it was delicious! I 1/2 the recipe and substituted yogurt for sour cream…couldn’t tell the difference.😊
Sam
Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out, Ke! I’m so happy you enjoyed 🙂
Michele Perruchon
Hi. I made it for a 4th of July party and added blueberries and chickpeas. It was delicious! Everyone loved it.
Sam
Yum! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out, Michele!
Lisa
This is the best darn salad I’ve ever had. When I bring it places everyone asks for the recipe. SO GOOD!!!
Kristen
I really was hesitant about broccoli salad because I don’t like uncooked broccoli but I was pleasantly surprised how well the flavors combined and I would make this again. I made if for dinner for my husband and I so the whole recipe was a bit much for just us two so I recommend halving it for smaller portions. I substituted a couple ingredients due to what I had available, I substituted shallot instead of red onion (I personally like shallot more than red onion) and roasted pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you decided to give it a try, Kristen! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review–we really appreciate it 😊
Cindy
Just made this and it’s delicious even right after mixing! I didn’t have heads of broccoli but had a package of “broccoli slaw” I needed to use up plus a scant amount of the last of my garden broccoli. Cut back the sugar by 1 tablespoon and used up some white onion in place of the red. love it and so quick and easy to mix. I think the dressing would be really nice on just a cabbage coleslaw as well.
Lori
ExcellENT!!
Elizabeth Sandberg
Have made variations of this for a while, but this classic version turned out better than the rest. The dressing is perfect! Thank you for including the nutritional information!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for using our recipe, Elizabeth! So glad you enjoyed it 🥰
Karen
I love this broccoli salad. This time around I did it a little different. I took a veggie tray to a picnic. The next day I used the leftovers for a broccoli salad. I didn’t have much broccoli so I used cauliflower too. I had green onions from the veggie tray so I used them instead of red onion. I also used radishes from the veggie tray. I omitted cheese, mostly because I’m not a big cheese fan. My brother grabbed some before I added the dressing because he doesn’t like mayonnaise. Well, let me tell you, he came back for more with the dressing!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Love that idea, Karen! We’re so happy it was such a hit 😊
Connie
I fixed this with my grandkids fresh broccoli out the garden it was the best ever had didn’t last long
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad you enjoyed it, Connie! We bet it’s even better with fresh-picked broccoli 😋