There’s a reason why this Ensalada De Manzana is made during the holiday season. It’s a symphony of crisp apples, crunchy pecans, pineapple and sweet raisins tossed in a creamy dressing that adds the perfect refreshing touch.
Complete your holiday menu with this Ensalada de Manzana. It’s a wonderful Mexican Christmas dessert but technically can be enjoyed year-round. It is very simple to make and refreshing (like my Gelatina De Mosaico).
But many of us hold this salad near and dear to our hearts for Christmas and Easter time. Why? Well, it brings back a sense of childhood nostalgia, and it’s a delicious way to add fresh, seasonal fruits and nuts to a holiday table.
It’s similar to my popular recipe for Ensalada Navideña but with less ingredients to prepare. This simple apple salad is the perfect complement to a holiday menu with tamales, pozole, carne deshebrada or dishes like enchiladas and tacos de carnita in every way!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Ingredients
Here’s the breakdown of what’s in this Ensalada De Manzana.
- Green apples & red apples: I prefer to use two different kind of apples but you can use your favorite ones. I don’t peel them prior to chopping them since it adds extra texture to this salad.
- Pecans: I’m using pecans today, but both walnuts and pecans are great – choose your favorite!
- Canned pineapple chunks and reserve some of the juice to sweeten the creamy mixture.
- Raisins or dried cranberries: While the original recipe calls for raisins, I’m using cranberries on mine since that’s what I had on hand.
- Condensed milk: The nice thing about using condensed milk is that it’s perfectly sweetened already and there is no need to add sugar to the recipe.
- Media crema. Or substitute with heavy cream, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
*** Make sure to read the entire blog post. Every step matters since I provide helpful tips along the way!
How To Make Ensalada De Manzana
- Over medium heat, toast the pecans in a skillet until browned (one shade darker than they originally were) and fragrant, about 2 to 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add the crema, condensed milk and pineapple juice. Whisk until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Chop the apples in ½ in cubes and add to the milk mixtures as you cut them one at the time. This will prevent the apple from turning brown.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix gently with a spatula.
- Reserve in refrigerator and chill for 1 hour or overnight.
Tips & Notes
- Toasting the pecans intensifies the texture, flavor and brings out more of the nutty taste. Do not skip this step!
- Chop the apples last to prevent browning as much as possible. Once they’re in the mixture, they won’t brown!
- Optional: Wait to add the pecans until just before serving if you want them to have a crunch. Nuts turn a little soggy when refrigerated.
Serving Suggestions
It is best served chilled. A warm creamy apple salad won’t taste its best. I like to serve it in cute bowls or serving cups. Sometimes I like to add some whipped cream on top for extra texture and creaminess.
How To Store
It is always best the day it’s made or the day after. After that it starts to break down and lose its consistency as the apples release their juices. Store covered and in the refrigerator. Eat within a day.
More Mexican Desserts
Thank you for stopping by!
I hope you like this recipe! Do you have any questions I can help you with? Or if you made it, I would love it if you leave a comment or rating below.
Gracias!!!! xx, Ana
Print Recipe:
Ensalada De Manzana (Mexican Apple Salad)
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans chopped into small pieces
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cans (7.6 oz) media crema or heavy cream (equivalent amount)
- ⅓ cup of the pineapple juice from the can
- 2 green apples cut into small cubes
- 2 red apples cut into small cubes
- 1 20 oz can pineapple chunks
- ½ cup dried raisins or cranberries
Instructions
- Toast the pecans in a skillet over medium heat until browned (one shade darker than they originally were) and fragrant, about 2 to 5 minutes.1 cup pecans
- In a large bowl, add the crema, condensed milk and pineapple juice. Whisk until all ingredients are incorporated.14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, 2 cans (7.6 oz) media crema or heavy cream (equivalent amount), ⅓ cup of the pineapple juice from the can
- Cut the apples in ½ in cubes and add to the milk mixtures as you cut them one at the time. This will prevent the apple from turning brown.2 green apples, 2 red apples
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix gently with a spatula.1 20 oz can pineapple chunks, ½ cup dried raisins or cranberries, 1 cup pecans
- Reserve in refrigerator and chill for 1 hour or overnight.
Muy Delish Notes:
- Toasting the pecans intensifies the texture, flavor and brings out more of the nutty taste. Do not skip this step!
- Chop the apples last to prevent browning as much as possible. Once they’re in the mixture, they won’t brown!
- Optional: Wait to add the pecans until just before serving if you want them to have a crunch. Nuts turn a little soggy when refrigerated.
Add Your Own Private Notes
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Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
Perfecta para la Cena de Navidad!!!
Gracias Malena!!! si muy buen postre.
Mi postre favorito!!!
Que delicioso ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thanks so much Elisa! I’m so happy you liked it!
Muy delicioso, Ana! Here in Thailand building my holiday menu’s! Loving all the favorites!
Thank you for all the recipes! You’re wonderful!
This sounds yummy. One quick question…is it condensed milk or Sweetened Condensed Milk? Thank you!
Hi Jan! It’s sweetened condensed milk. I’ll update the recipe card to be more exact. Thanks for the question and have a lovely day 🙂
I hope you enjoy this this ensalada de manzana on your next gathering! It’s something I like to make no matter the time of year 🙂
Ana