Snickers Apple Salad
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Cold no-bake dessert salad tossing vanilla pudding with chopped apples and Snickers. Fluffy from whipped topping, sweet, crunchy, creamy. Lemon juice keeps reserved apples crisp on top. Caramel drizzle optional. Chill a bit, flavors meld but textures must stay firm. Satisfies craving for candy bar with fruit balance. Easy enough to mix fast but requires feel more than exact timing.
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
0 min
Total:
20 min
Servings:
10 servings
#no bake
#dessert salad
#fruit salad
#Snickers
#instant pudding
#easy dessert
Vanilla instant pudding whipped up with a dollop of Cool Whip, sweet, airy, almost cheesecake-like but no baking. Apples adding crisp bite and Snickers for caramel-chocolate crunch, bit of a grown-up candy salad. I learned not to use just any apples here — firm, tart, like Granny Smith, otherwise it’s mush in no time. Lemon juice is a must to keep reserved apples bright on top or no one wants a brown bowl. No bake, easy, just timing with pudding thickness, not exact minutes. Chill some, but salad tastes best fresh when textures snap. Last batch I tried over chilling and the Cool Whip turned crumbly — not great.
Ingredients
- 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz) — can swap for butterscotch pudding for twist
- 1 cup cold milk
- 1 container (8 oz) Cool Whip or whipped topping substitute (like mascarpone whipped with vanilla and powdered sugar)
- 3 medium apples, cored and chopped bite-size
- 3 Snickers candy bars, chopped small
- 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Caramel sauce for drizzle (optional)
About the ingredients
Instant pudding is the base — vanilla is classic but swap to butterscotch for dimension or even banana cream. Milk amount matters: too warm and thickens too fast; too cold slows pudding setting. Cool Whip or similar topping gives body without heaviness, mascarpone plus whipped cream can replace if a dairy boost needed. Apples should be crisp; softer like Gala disintegrate too fast. Snickers bits bring chewy caramel and peanut chunk texture but can be swapped for Milky Way or even chopped peanut butter cups. Lemon juice stops oxidation on apples you set aside. Caramel sauce optional but brings richness and a slick sheen to finish. This salad demands fresh fruit prep to keep colorful and appetizing.
Method
- Dump vanilla pudding mix into large bowl — don’t fuss with sifting
- Pour in 1 cup cold milk slowly while whisking vigorously; keep going till pudding consistency thickens visibly, not too loose, not gloopy
- Gently fold in Cool Whip, keep light and airy; avoid overmixing or you’ll lose fluff
- Chop apples and Snickers in uneven, rustic chunks; keep a few pieces back for garnish
- Squeeze lemon juice onto reserved apple bits immediately to stop browning—that sour bite sharpens flavor
- Combine chopped apples and Snickers into pudding base; fold just enough to distribute candy and fruit evenly without breaking things down
- Spread salad in serving dish; scatter reserved apple and candy on top like confetti
- Finish with caramel drizzle if you want counterpoint, adds sweet salt contrast
- Chill 10-15 minutes if you remember; eat soon after because Crunch fades into sogginess quickly
Cooking tips
Whisk pudding powder into cold milk actively — the whisk sound changes as mixture thickens, from liquid splash to thicker rasp; watch closely. Folding Cool Whip instead of stirring keeps air bubbles intact; use spatula gently, scoop from bottom up. Chop apples and candy unevenly for texture contrast; avoid over prepping candy too fine or it disappears and clumps. Immediately treat reserved apples with lemon juice or brown spots form fast—acid bites stay visible. When mixing apples and candy into pudding, fold carefully; do not overmix or the fluffiness dies and apples squeeze out juice, watery mix ensues. Garnish last, fresh appearance counts. Chill briefly so salad is cold but textures still snap, chewy Snickers doesn’t turn dense. Leftover caramel drizzle looks fancy but too much makes it cloying.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Watch pudding thickness by sound, whisk faster at first, splash then rasp noise signals ready; warm milk speeds thickening but can ruin texture, cold milk slows but safer. Fold Cool Whip gently; no stirring, scoop bottom up. Keeps air inside, fluff holds. Apples must be crisp and tart like Granny Smith. Avoid Gala or softer - they turn mush fast. Chop Snickers unevenly, bigger bits hold chew and caramel. Too fine, clumps and dissolves into mix; texture lost.
- 💡 Reserve some apples for garnish immediately toss with lemon juice. Stops oxidation, keeps them bright on top. Lemon juice quantity matters. Too much can sour salad, too little browns fast. Folding candy and apples into pudding—fold lightly just to distribute. Overmix makes fluff fall apart, releases juice creating soggy mess. Chill time short, 10-15 minutes max. Longer turns whipped topping crumbly, flavors dull; textures lose snap and candy chews get dense.
- 💡 Substitute pudding flavors for variation; vanilla classic, but butterscotch gives richer caramel tone, banana cream brings fruity depth. Milk temperature affects setting time; too warm sets too fast, can get gloopy before folding. Cool Whip can be mascarpone mixed with whipped cream if dairy richness needed. Adjust texture by mixing timing, feel pudding changes from splash to off-rasp on whisk sound. Use spatula for artful folding, not spoon or fork; prevents deflating.
- 💡 Chop apples and candy chunks unevenly for best mouthfeel. Rustic pieces not uniform but balanced; small bits fill flavor evenly, big chunks offer chew contrast. Lemon juice treatment only on reserved pieces, no soaking all apples or salad turns wet. Caramel drizzle optional but brings shiny finish plus salty-sweet snap. Too much looks cloying and overpowers fresh flavors; drizzle thin bright lines over top. Garnish last, fresh appearance key. Skip chilling if rushed; salad best fresh flavors snap textures intact.
- 💡 If salad gets watery, fix by draining excess liquid from folded mix before plating. Or refrigerate briefly then stir gently mid-chill to redistribute moisture without crushing apples. Candy bars melt slightly, becomes sticky so best to chop just before mixing. Use airtight container to store left overs minus caramel topping. Refrigerate no more than a day; candy bars sog after that. Crabby textures return partly if stirred fast before serving but avoid excessive handling.
Common questions
Can I use other candy bars?
Yeah, Milky Way or peanut butter cups swap fine. Different chew, flavor. Snickers still best for caramel peanut crunch. Texture changes though. Watch candy size to keep distinct bits.
What if pudding sets too fast?
Use colder milk, whisk slower. Hot milk makes instant pudding tough to fold. Work fast folding cool whip before pudding stiffens completely. Timing here is key. Practice feel over exact minute counting.
How to keep apples from browning?
Lemon juice on reserved apple pieces right away. No soaking whole batch or salad gets wet. Acid bites stop oxidation visually. Fresh cut aroma present. Timing critical, lemon quantity too—less browns, too much sour.
How to store leftovers?
Store uncovered to keep crunch shorter time or airtight if texture less priority. Caramel drizzle separate so it doesn’t get sticky or runny. Eat within one day; candy bars soften, salad weeps. Chill in fridge only. Avoid freezing; messes texture badly.
