Snickers Salad Is the Greatest “Salad” of Them All

Long before “candy salad” was a trend on social media, Midwesterners were dressing chopped-up fruit with whipped cream and pudding, adding in diced candy bars, and calling it “salad.” Snickers salad is the greatest of them all. 

We can debate the merits of calling anything dressed in whipped topping and topped with caramel a “salad,” but what’s not up for debate is how delicious this cool, creamy treat is and how perfect it is for potlucks and parties. 

Snickers salad is made with just five ingredients and is a crunchy, creamy, sweet-and-tart dessert that will become a family favorite. 

The Origins of Snickers Salad 

Unlike some other popular dessert salads like ambrosia salad or Jello salad, Snickers salad doesn’t have a clear origin story. Many sources credit an influence of Scandinavian immigrants who may have adapted their beloved römmegröt—a sweet porridge of cooked flour, milk, and sour cream, often served with fresh fruit and nuts—with ingredients that they had in the American Midwest. 

Couple that idea with a general trend towards convenience foods like Jell-O instant pudding mix and Cool Whip in the 1950s, and dessert salads like this one were born.

Easy Tweaks

While a base of vanilla pudding is my family’s favorite, you can also try this Snickers salad with other instant pudding flavors—cheesecake and butterscotch are popular alternatives. 

If you’re a Granny Smith apple hater, just be sure to choose another crisp and not-too-sweet apple like Pink Lady or Golden Delicious. As for whether the apple truly makes this dish a salad or not, Snickers salad lore says that it really depends on “which end of the potluck table” it is served on.