Eating your veggies was never so tasty.
Moms, I know you’ll hear what I’m saying: kids and veggies don’t always get along.
Yeah, my kids love most vegetables and will sometimes eat them happily, with no sauce or anything. But frankly, sometimes they need a little encouragement.
One of the best ways I know to make veggies go down easier is to mix them with fruit. Since fruit is healthy too, a mixed veggie-fruit salad is something I can feel good about giving my girls…and since it tastes sweet and delicious, it’s something they’ll actually be happy to eat.
One of the best fruit-and-veggie salads I know is the carrot raisin salad from Chick-Fil-A. You know, with the shredded carrot and raisins and pineapple, all in this sort of creamy, tangy-sweet dressing?
But I can’t exactly go out to Chick-Fil-A every time I want to feed my kids some veggies, so I did a little experimenting and whipped up my own copycat version. Turns out, it’s not that hard – the only part that takes time is grating all those carrots. And the way my girls gobble it down makes it well worth the effort.
This salad isn’t about to replace coleslaw in my heart – but it comes in a close second.
Copycat Chick Fil A Carrot Raisin Salad Recipe
Ingredients you will need
- carrot, shredded
- pineapple chunks, cut into small piece
- raisins
- mayonnaise
- sugar or honey
- salt
- lemon juice
- Drain any excess liquid from the carrots.
- Drain the can of pineapple and cut them into a small dice.
- Add the raisins and mix everything well. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, salad dressing, sugar and salt. Mix well and pour on top of the carrots. Combine everything until it’s well incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Copycat Chick Fil A Carrot Raisin Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups carrot shredded
- 2 cups pineapple chunks cut into small piece
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Drain any excess liquid from the carrots.
- Drain the can of pineapple and cut them into a small dice.
- Add the raisins and mix everything well. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, salad dressing, sugar and salt. Mix well and pour on top of the carrots. Combine everything until it’s well incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 30mins.
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
More Chick-Fil-A Recipes you will love
Wendy says
This is one of my mom’s favorite things, but our CFA hasn’t served it in years.
Question: About how many carrots does it take to produce 4 cups of shreds?
Thanks!
Corey says
I would say 8-10 medium sized carrots Wendy 🙂 I hope that helps.
Wendy says
Thanks!
Pamela Stewart says
I just bought 2 bags of pre-shredded carrots at Kroger. Ran them both my electric shredder (as they are too chunky w/o shredding them first). So much easier than trying to guess how many carrots to use-2 bags together make about 4 1/2 cups. Then do the other things in the recipe at your leisure..the hard part (carrots) are done. I’ve come back to this recipe many times.. it’s such a crowd pleaser at holiday dinners and cookouts… or just to keep in the fridge, all to yourself for a nice summer salad
Emily says
Hi! I’m making this tonight 🙂 in one section you mention lemon juice and in another you mention lime….which is the correct one? Thank you
Corey says
There was a typo in the recipe card.. sorry about that. It is lemon juice 🙂
Robert says
Is there anything to substitute the mayonnaise with?
Robert l u d g a t e says
Hi Robert you might try using plain Greek yogurt and adding more honey to the recipe. I suggest experimenting with that. I’ve used plain yogurt or sour cream in a variety of dishes that normally call for mayonnaise, such as potato salad and try going half mayo and half yogurt or sour cream, but in any case it works out pretty well for me. Best of luck from a Californian transplanted from Georgia.
Candy C says
My Mom requested this salad and your copycat recipe caught my eye. Thank you so much we love it. Seeing as our chick fila doesn’t sell it anymore
Connie Manshardt (Man's ♡) says
My husband was so disappointed Chick-fil-A discontinued its carrot raisin salad. I made your copycat recipe yesterday so it could sit overnight for dinner tonight, but I let him sample it. Thank you so much for this recipe and for helping make a large smile appear on my husband’s face when he tasted this. To him it tasted just like Chick-fil-A’s. It couldn’t be any better than that! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Corey says
I know! It was such a sad day when they stopped making it. I am so happy your husband loved the recipe 🙂
Sally says
Fantastic. Tastes just like Chick-Fil-A. I skipped the sugar/honey in the dressing and didn’t miss it. Also used 1 can of crushed pineapple, drained. Cut out the step of chopping the pineapple. Thanks!
Nancy Lee-Durrwachter says
I appreciate the nutritional information, this would be even better if it also listed the serving size.
Mary says
I miss this salad. I bought packaged carrot shreds which are too thick. How should I get this more like the grated ones? Food processor? My arthritis keeps me from grating while carrots. Thanks.
Corey says
A food processor should work for you Mary. 🙂
Doreen Berry says
I made that carrot raisin salad and it was delicious
Milissa Laughlin says
Can you make it the day before? Or will it turn brown?
Corey says
Making it a day before should be just fine 🙂
Diana says
So good! This was my favorite side dish at Chik-Fil-A but I don’t eat there any more because they are homophobes. So now I can make my own version at home! Yay!
daph says
It is not often that I eat something that tastes completely new to my tastebuds, as I am over 50 and a completely hopeless foodie. I made this recipe after seeing Nicki make it on “Big Love” a few times. I was curious: why is this woman always grating carrots and adding raisins? Is that a thing? So I researched and learned a thing or two.
Well, I like it!
I used half Duke’s mayo and half generic mayo, and I used half sugar and half honey. I only had white raisins, but they are plumping up as we speak.
Thank you for the weird and beautiful flavors. I will mos’ def’ put this recipe into my cole slaw/macaroni salad folder for years to come.
Susan M says
The recipe says mix the salad dressing, what salad dressing?
Corey says
Sorry Susan, that is the mayo. Sometimes referred to as dressing. I will make a note to help clarify that.