Carrot pineapple salad with canned pineapple, raisins, and walnuts. A quick, simple, and irresistible side dish you can make in about 10 minutes.
This carrot pineapple salad is fresh, sweet, and tangy, and so easy and quick to make. It's just grated carrots, canned pineapple, a few extras, and a simple dressing, yet the result is so satisfying - a salad so good you might want to eat it on its own.
I make this carrot salad with pineapple and walnuts at least once a month, probably more often. I can't resist buying oversized bags of carrots when they're on sale, so we end up eating this salad or a carrot soup like Carrot Celery Soup or Carrot and Broccoli Soup quite often.
I like serving it alongside simple mains like chicken or meat dishes. If you need ideas, it goes well with things like Panko Chicken, Air Fryer Meatloaf, or even Quick Pork Belly Bites.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Ingredients: 7 + olive oil, salt & pepper | Servings: 6 | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients
Carrots: Use regular carrots and grate them on the coarse side of a box grater. You can also use a julienne cutter.
Canned pineapple: Drain it well and keep a little of the juice for the dressing. As a guide, about 6 canned pineapple rings equal roughly 1½ cups diced pineapple.
- You can use fresh pineapple instead of canned. Make sure it's ripe, as fresh pineapple is usually a bit more tart and less sweet, so you might need to add a little more maple syrup.
- It's also less juicy, so if the salad seems dry, add a small splash of lemon juice or water.
Raisins or sultanas: I love them in this combination (or in any other, actually), but if you're not a raisin person, you can leave them out. Or replace them with other dried fruit; dates, figs, cranberries, or apricots should work, too.
- If you open a bag of raisins to make this salad, use some for this delicious Banana Raisin Bread.
Walnuts: You can use other nuts instead; pecans are always the most obvious substitute, but almonds, sunflower seeds, or pine nuts are great, too.
Dressing: Olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, a little reserved pineapple juice from the can, salt, and pepper.
See the recipe card for detailed instructions and full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make carrot pineapple salad?
Chopping: Drain the pineapple well, keeping some of the juice for the dressing. Dice the pineapple if the pieces are too large. Grate the carrots on the coarse side of a box grater.
Step #1: Toast the walnuts in a dry pan until lightly browned, let them cool slightly while you prepare the rest.
Step #2: In a large bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, a bit of the reserved pineapple juice, salt, and pepper.
Step #3: Add carrots, pineapple, and raisins to the bowl.
Step #4: Mix well and adjust the taste. Stir in the chopped parsley and add the nuts before serving.
Tips
- Fresh pineapple: Replace the canned juice with a little orange juice, apple juice, or lemon juice mixed with maple syrup. If the fruit is very ripe, you can skip it. Check out the Pineapple Fruitcake, too.
- Taste the dressing and adjust the lemon juice or maple syrup as needed.
- Toasting the walnuts makes a big difference; don't skip it. This Chicken Salad with Cranberries is also topped with walnuts.
- You can mix everything ahead, but add the walnuts just before serving.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Stir before serving again. Add fresh walnuts on top if needed.
What to serve it with
This salad works well with simple main dishes. It also fits nicely next to quick pasta dishes if you want something fresh on the side.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Carrot Pineapple Salad
Equipment
- Box grater
- Large bowl
- Small pan
Ingredients
- 3 carrots about 9 oz/ 250 g
- 6 rings of canned pineapple or fresh pineapple rings, Note 1
- ½ cup walnuts Note 2
- ⅓ cup raisins or sultanas, Note 3
- 1 small bunch of parsley chopped
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons pineapple juice reserved from the can, Note 4
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preparations: Peel and grate the carrots on the coarse side of a box grater or cut them into thin strips. Dice the pineapple.3 carrots + 6 rings of canned pineapple
- Toast the walnuts in a dry pan until lightly browned, shaking the pan often so they brown evenly. Keep an eye on them, as they burn quickly. Transfer to a plate and let cool while you prepare the rest.½ cup walnuts
- Whisk the dressing ingredients directly in a large serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.2 tablespoons olive oil + 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1 tablespoon maple syrup + 1-2 tablespoons pineapple juice + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- Mix the salad: Add the carrots, pineapple, and raisins to the bowl. Mix well and adjust the taste with more salt, pepper, lemon juice, pineapple juice, or maple syrup, if needed.carrots + pineapple + ⅓ cup raisins
- Serve: Stir in the chopped parsley and top with the walnuts just before serving.walnuts + 1 small bunch of parsley
Notes
- Pineapple: You can use fresh pineapple instead of canned. Choose ripe fruit and add a little more maple syrup if needed. If the salad seems too dry, add a splash of lemon juice or a bit of water. Six canned rings equal about 1½ cups diced pineapple.
- Nuts: Replace with pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, or pine nuts.
- Raisins: Use other dried fruit like dates, figs, cranberries, or apricots. You can leave them out, but they add sweetness.
- Pineapple juice: If using fresh pineapple, replace the canned juice with a little orange juice, apple juice, or lemon juice mixed with maple syrup; if the fruit is very ripe, you can skip it.
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