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Why You’ll Love My Recipe

Carrots, oranges, and raisins don’t have to be relegated to desserts! This creamy, tangy, and crunchy salad is the perfect side dish to add some colour to your dinner table.

For more great ways to sneak some carrots into your food, why not make a carrot-loaded regular coleslaw recipe or these delicious Dill & Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots? Make this salad as a side for some Retro Sweet & Sour Meatloaf or a Retro 7-Up, Pineapple & Cherry Slow Cooker Ham.

Reader Review

AWESOME!!!! I was raised on this. I’m here in Florida and no one has ever herd of carrot salad. I add raisins and craisins to mine. sometimes at Christmas I chop up some red and green cherries and toss them in there to make it festive. My entire family looks forward to it. It’s so good! I’m going to try the pineapple it sounds really good.

– Lynn Aultman

Karlynn’s Recipe Notes

Skill Level: This is a very easy recipe to make.
Total Time: Making this salad will take under 30 minutes.
Variations: If you aren’t sure about orange in this salad, try pineapple chunks or tidbits instead. Use some dried cranberries instead of raisins if you’d like to add some tartness. Try a blood orange for a slightly different flavour and colour. If you happen to have some multi-colored carrots around, grate those up for an even more vibrant salad.
Tools Needed: For this recipe, you’ll need a grater, a small bowl, a medium bowl, a cutting board, a knife, and a spoon. You may also need a can opener, if you choose to use canned orange or pineapple segments.

A hand holds a small bowl of mayonnaise over a larger bowl containing shredded carrots, chopped fruit, and raisins; two lemon halves are in the background.

What You’ll Need For Ingredients

Carrots: Any carrots will work for this, as long as they’re grated. If you’ve got some colourful ones from your own garden or a farmers market, try those for an extra splash of colour. Otherwise, whatever carrots you’ve got on hand will be fine.

Fruit: This recipe calls for small cubes of orange, but you can use pineapple if you prefer. Try plump, juicy golden raisins for a fruitier flavour. Or, black raisins for extra sweetness. You could also try red raisins or currents, if you like them better.

Dressing: Mayonnaise, sugar, and lemon juice may sound like a strange combination, but they work together to make a creamy and tangy dressing for this salad. You can adjust the exact amounts of each ingredient to get the taste just right for your personal preference.

Several glass bowls on a white surface contain grated carrots, chopped oranges, raisins, mayonnaise, and sugar. Two lemon halves are placed between the bowls.

How To Make Carrot Raisin Salad

This is a brief overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.

In a medium bowl, combine the carrots, raisins, and orange.
Mix dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and then add to the carrot mixture.
Stir until fully combined and refrigerate until serving.

Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for Making Carrot Raisin Salad

Dress it Up: Mix your dressing in a separate bowl and then taste it before adding it to the carrot mixture. This gives you a chance to adjust the amount of lemon juice and sugar to get the right balance of sweetness and acidity. You can also play with the amount of salt and pepper you use, as well as add in any other seasonings you’d like to try in this salad.

Dry it Out: Make sure to fully drain any canned fruit that you add to this salad, as well as the raisins after you’ve soaked them. Too much moisture will make the dressing watery and likely make it separate sooner. On the other hand, if you feel like the salad is too dry, add a bit more mayo. It’s really all up to you and your personal preference.

Storage Instructions

Fridge: Since carrots don’t tend to get mushy easily, you should be able to store this in a sealed container in your fridge for several days. The dressing ingredients may start to separate, so give the salad a good stir before serving it again.

Freezer: This salad wouldn’t likely freeze well, due to the ingredients in the dressing. You could grate your carrots in advance and freeze them until you need them, but ideally this is a dish you’ll make and eat fairly fresh.

More Delicious Side Dish Recipes

Looking for more easy sides?

There you go, everyone. A retro recipe that you’ll either love or hate. Try it out and let me know what you think.

Happy Cooking!

Karlynn