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Candied Pecan Salad with Apples

By Sarah On   |  Updated:

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Piled with crisp apples, homemade candied pecans, and a tangy maple balsamic dressing, this candied pecan salad is an easy fall salad that’s always a crowd-pleaser.

Piled with crisp apples, homemade candied pecans, and a tangy maple balsamic dressing, this candied pecan salad is an easy fall salad that's always a crowd-pleaser.

Save this recipe for later using the ‘save to recipe box’ button. If you make it, please let me know by leaving a comment + star rating below the recipe card. This only takes moments and helps support my website so much!

Fall salad days are here again!! While summer salads are wonderful, you just can’t beat a good salad loaded with all the fall works.

Enter, this gem of a lunch featuring homemade candied pecans + all the best parts of fall and please never leave my life.

Piled with crisp apples, homemade candied pecans, and a tangy maple balsamic dressing, this candied pecan salad is an easy fall salad that's always a crowd-pleaser.

It’s the homemade candied pecans that really make this salad and NO, there is no candy-making experience required! I show you how to make quick candied pecans in minutes on the stovetop that are perfectly sweet, crunchy, and quite honestly life changing if we’re talking about salad add-ins.

Pair that with a quick homemade balsamic maple dressing and a mess of crisp fall apples and we’ve got fall lunch all covered.

This Salad Features…

  • A base of tender kale leaves
  • Crunchy homemade candied pecans
  • Crisp fall apple slices
  • Sweet dried cranberries and tangy feta cheese
  • A sweet and tangy maple balsamic dressing
Piled with crisp apples, homemade candied pecans, and a tangy maple balsamic dressing, this candied pecan salad is an easy fall salad that's always a crowd-pleaser.

Making the Bistro Fall Salad

(scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

  • Brown sugar
  • Unsalted butter
  • Cinnamon
  • Kosher salt
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Maple syrup
  • Dijon mustard
  • Olive oil
  • Kale
  • Apples
  • Dried cranberries
  • Feta cheese
  • Pepitas

Choosing Your Apples

This salad works great with a variety of apples, but I typically go for a sweet, crisp apple such as honeycrisp, gala, cortland, jonathan, or braeburn. Feel free to experiment with different kinds!

Piled with crisp apples, homemade candied pecans, and a tangy maple balsamic dressing, this candied pecan salad is an easy fall salad that's always a crowd-pleaser.

Tips for Perfect Fall Salad

  1. Candy pecans on stovetop – toss the pecans around in a brown sugar candy mixture over medium heat until fragrant and lightly toasted.
  2. Allow pecans to cool completely – this cooling step will solidify the candy coating on the outside of pecans.
  3. Massage kale – this helps tenderize and break down the fresh kale. Drizzle a little bit of the dressing over kale and use your fingers to massage kale until it becomes tender.
  4. Dress salad just before serving – for best results, wait to dress the salad until just before serving so all the ingredients stay crisp and fresh. Keep reading for make-ahead instructions.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this salad.

  • Swap in pears – use two medium ripe pears in place of the apples.
  • Use a bottled dressing – you will need about 1/2 cup bottled dressing in place of the homemade. I recommend a balsamic, red wine, or lemon dressing.
  • Try different greens – try a spring mix, spinach, or chopped romaine in place of the kale.
  • Try another nut – try almonds or walnuts in place of the pecans.
Piled with crisp apples, homemade candied pecans, and a tangy maple balsamic dressing, this candied pecan salad is an easy fall salad that's always a crowd-pleaser.

Make Ahead Instructions

Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead tips.

  • Candy the pecans – store the cooled candied pecans in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
  • Make the dressing – store the dressing in refrigerator up to 1 week.
  • Prep the kale – chop the kale, massage, and store in refrigerator up to 4 days.
  • Assembly – when ready to assemble, combine the salad ingredients, candied pecans, and dressing in a large bowl and toss to combine.
Piled with crisp apples, homemade candied pecans, and a tangy maple balsamic dressing, this candied pecan salad is an easy fall salad that's always a crowd-pleaser.

More fall salads you’re going to love this season!

Save this recipe for later using the ‘save to recipe box’ button. If you make it, please let me know by leaving a comment + star rating below the recipe card. This only takes moments and helps support my website so much!

Piled with crisp apples, homemade candied pecans, and a tangy maple balsamic dressing, this candied pecan salad is an easy fall salad that's always a crowd-pleaser.
Print Pin
4.60 from 5 votes

Candied Pecan Salad with Apples

Piled with crisp apples, homemade candied pecans, and a tangy maple balsamic dressing, this candied pecan salad is an easy fall salad that's always a crowd-pleaser.

This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 393kcal

Ingredients

Candied Pecans

Maple Balsamic Dressing

Salad

  • 8 cups packed fresh kale leaves or mixed greens
  • 2 medium honeycrisp or gala apples, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup pepitas

Instructions

Candied Pecans

  • Line a small sheet pan or plate with parchment paper and set aside. Heat brown sugar, water, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until simmering.
  • Add pecans to pan and cook over medium heat 3-5 minutes until pecans are fragrant and evenly coated. Immediately spread pecans in an even layer on parchment paper and allow to cool completely.

Maple Balsamic Dressing

  • In a small bowl, whisk balsamic, maple syrup, and mustard until smooth. Gradually drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly until dressing is smooth. Season dressing with salt and pepper to taste.

Salad

  • Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle about 1 tablespoon dressing over top. Use your fingers to massage kale well until kale is tender.
  • Add apples, cranberries, cheese, pepitas, and candied pecans to kale and drizzle dressing over top. Toss salad to evenly coat and serve immediately.

Notes

Storing Instructions
Salad is best if served immediately after assembly.

Nutrition

Serving: 12 oz salad | Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 288mg | Potassium: 301mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 2924IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below. Feel free to share a picture on Instagram and tag @wholeandheavenlyoven or hashtag it #wholeandheavenlyoven

This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 9/30/26.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. marcie says

    I love ordering salads like this when I go out, only they’re always better at home aren’t they? This salad has such a delicious combination going on, and maple syrup is a must for me in salad dressings — it makes such a huge difference!

    Reply

  8. Danielle says

    I am sooo behind on commenting lately, but I just went through your last few posts and your pictures are so gorgeous Sarah! I just had to tell you that, but I’m sure you already know! This salad is seriously gorgeous too and so perfect for fall. I could see myself devouring the entire thing 😉

    Reply

  12. Annie says

    Hi! I’m looking forward to making this for my work pot luck tomorrow! (Just FYI, the dried cranberries are not in the list of ingredients.)

    Reply
4.60 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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