Carrot Salad: a weeknight method

A serving bowl of carrot salad with a spoon in it.

This carrot salad is fresh shredded carrots, sweet raisins and juicy pineapple, all tossed in an straightforward kitchen-made dressing. A super fast side dish option that’s a big hit with both kids and adults.

I serve a salad almost every night with dinner, and sometimes plain old lettuce can get boring. I liven things up with fun salad offerings such as cool and refreshing Israeli salad, Mediterranean inspired farro salad, and this sweet and savory carrot raisin salad.

Carrot salad is a classic dish for good reason. It’s so straightforward to make, has just a handful of ingredients, and has the reliable taste of sweet and savory flavors. Serve your salad alongside hearty options like pan seared chicken breast, beef brisket or zucchini fritters for a memorable meal.

Carrot Salad Ingredients

Bowls of ingredients including carrots, raisins, mayonnaise and seasonings.

This recipe is made with carrots, pineapple, raisins, mayonnaise, sugar, pineapple juice and lemon juice.

How Do You Make Carrot Salad?

Start by shredding your carrots, or if you want to save time, buy a bag of pre-grated carrots. Place the carrots in a bowl along with raisins and diced pineapple. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, and a little bit of lemon juice and pineapple juice. Pour the dressing into the bowl with the carrots, then toss everything together. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator. Let the salad chill for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors blend together, then serve and enjoy.

Process shots showing how to make carrot raisin salad.

Tips For The Reliable Dish

The great part about this carrot salad recipe is that it tastes even better if you make it in advance. The salad will stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Looking to save a few calories? It’s fine to use light mayonnaise instead of regular.
You can use either golden or black raisins, whatever you have on hand is fine.
I use canned pineapple tidbits because it’s so straightforward and convenient. If you prefer to cut your own pineapple, that will also be tasty.
I do think that freshly grated carrots have a better flavor, but if I’m in a big hurry I’ll grab a bag of shredded carrots at the grocery store.

Quick Tip

Don’t forget to save a little of the pineapple juice from the can for the dressing!

Recipe FAQs

How do you shred carrots?

Start by choosing medium or large whole carrots, then peel them and slice off both ends. Use a box grater, mandoline or food processor to shred the carrots. Each of these techniques produces slightly different results, but they’ll all work just fine.

What is carrot salad made of?

Carrot salad is made of shredded carrots, pineapple, raisins, mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice and pineapple juice.

Can you grate carrots ahead of time?

You can absolutely grate your carrots ahead of time for this salad. Grated or shredded carrots will stay fresh for 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

A bowl of dressing being poured over carrots, raisins and pineapple.

FOLLOW ME

Carrot Raisin Salad Flavor Variations

While this salad is fabulous as-is, you can switch up some of the flavors to customize the recipe to your tastes.

Dressing: Sometimes I make a little bit different version of the dressing by combining one part of mayo with one part of Greek yogurt or sour cream. You can also use all pineapple juice to flavor the dressing instead of adding lemon juice. Honey makes a great substitute for the sugar! You can use the same amount of honey for a similar sweetness level.
Fruit: You can use other types of fruit instead of pineapple such as oranges or apples. No raisins in the pantry? Feel free to use a different type of dried fruit such as dried cranberries.
Toppings: Add a little extra crunch to your salad with toasted walnuts, pecans or sliced almonds.
Savory Salad: To make a salad that’s decidedly savory, use the same amount of grated carrots with 2 tablespoons each of fresh parsley or cilantro, and green onion. Make a dressing with 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt and black pepper to taste, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Whisk the dressing together, pour it over the carrots and herbs, and stir everything together.

A serving of carrot salad on a lettuce leaf.

Next time you’re looking for a side dish to please a crowd, whip up a batch of carrot salad. You’ll be glad you did!

More Great Ways To Enjoy Carrots

Candied Carrots

25 mins

Honey Roasted Carrots

35 mins

Carrot Souffle

1 hr 15 mins

Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

50 mins

Glazed Carrots

20 mins

Love This Recipe?

Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

Add as Google preferred source Authorthe Makdob kitchen A bowl of creamy carrot salad with a large spoon in it.

This carrot salad is fresh shredded carrots, sweet raisins and juicy pineapple, all tossed in an straightforward kitchen-made dressing. A super fast side dish option that's a big hit with both kids and adults. Time Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Chilling Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes

Course Salad
Cuisine American
Serves 8

Ingredients

4 cups carrots peeled and shredded
8 ounce can pineapple tidbits
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons pineapple juice from the can
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Instructions

Drain the pineapple, but reserve 2 teaspoons of the juice for the dressing.
Place the carrots, pineapple and raisins in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, pineapple juice and sugar.
Pour the dressing into the bowl with the carrot mixture. Stir until well combined.
Cover and refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, then serve.

Notes

The great part about this salad is that it tastes even better if you make it in advance. The salad will stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Looking to save a few calories? Feel free to use light mayonnaise.
I do think that freshly grated carrots have a better flavor, but if I’m in a big hurry I’ll grab a bag of shredded carrots at the grocery store.