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This Carrot Raisin Salad is a lighter, fresher twist on the classic. Instead of a heavy mayonnaise dressing, shredded carrots, sweet pineapple, and plump raisins are tossed in a bright, sweet-tangy dressing that pulls everything together beautifully.
This simple salad is one of those family-friendly sides that fits just about anywhere. Serve with baked chicken tenders or soppy joes with homemade sauce for a kid-friendly dinner or pair with baked ham and scalloped potatoes for an unexpected, yet welcomed side at Easter Dinner.
Kristen's Keys for Carrot Raisin Salad
While an easy recipe, a few small details make a big difference here.
- Grate your own carrots. Pre-shredded carrots are thicker and drier, which means they don't soak up the dressing well. Freshly grated carrots are softer, sweeter, and absorb all that flavor.
- Opt for canned pineapple juice in 100% juice. Drain off the tibits to use for the salad and then use some of that juice to sweeten the dressing.
- Give it time to chill. That will let the carrots soften slightly and soak up the dressing.
5-sTar Reader Review
My kids just love this salad! They both love carrots but we are going through the wobbly tooth stage so they are always forgoing carrots and crunch apples because they hurt too much. This is so much easier for them to eat 😀 -Claire
How to Make Carrot Raisin Salad with Pineapple
It is so easy to make this salad! Soak the raisins, whisk the dressing, and toss it all together.
Step One: Soak Raisins
Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak while you shred the carrots and whisk the dressing, which will give them a bit of time to soften and plump up.
Step Two: Prepare Dressing
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, rice wine vinegar, pineapple juice, and a pinch of salt together. I like whisking the dressing in a large mixing bowl to cut down on the number of dishes. Never a bad thing in my book!
Step Three: Toss Together
Add the grated carrots right to the mixing bowl with the dressing, along with the pineapple tidbits. Drain off the raisins, add them to the mix, and gently fold everything together.
Step Four: Chill
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours to let the carrots soften and all the flavors marry together. Then serve as desired.
Recipe Modifications
- Swap Honey for Maple Syrup: Just as delicious and vegan-friendly.
- Add Crunch: A handful of sunflower seeds or chopped pecans adds texture if you want a little contrast. Just wait to add them until right before serving.
- No Rice Wine Vinegar? Mirin or white wine vinegar are both suitable substitutes.
- Skip the Soak. If your raisins are soft and plump, you can skip soaking them prior to adding to the salad.
More Kid-Friendly Veggies
Just like setting out a tray of raw vegetables with creamy dill dip wins over the pickier eaters, so does this carrot raisin salad. Below are a few more vegetable recipes my picky eaters love as well.
Carrot Raisin Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 (8oz) can pineapple tidbits in 100% juice, reserve juice
- 4 cups shredded carrots, about 4 large carrots
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey, or maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place raisins in a small mixing bowl and cover them with hot water. Let the raisins sit in the hot water to plump up for 5 to 10 minutes. Once the raisins have plumped up, drain off the water.
- Drain the 1 (8oz) can pineapple tidbits in 100% juice, reserving 2 tablespoons pf the juice for the dressing.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons pineapple juice (reserved from pineapple tidbits), 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt together until combined.
- Add the shredded carrots, drained pineapple tidbits, and drained raisins to the dressing and toss well to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2026.
I was searching for a recipe for carrot salad, without mayo, to serve today for Easter. Your recipe caught my eye and I am so glad it did. It is fabulous! I experimented with the dressing and tested out using honey vs. maple syrup. I liked the maple syrup better as it seemed to be sweeter than the honey and I liked the way it balanced out the tartness of the vinegar. The only change I made was to stir in a little olive oil before serving to give the salad a bit more richness. Thank you, Kristen, for a delicious recipe that I will be sure to enjoy throughout the year!
I am so glad your family enjoyed Rebecca!
I made the carrot raisin salad..... with pineapple. Put honey and rice vinegar as called.
It was not what I expected. My family said they wouldn't care if I didn't make it again 🤷.
I am so sorry your family did not care for this Terry! Were you expecting a creamier or sweeter salad?
Loved this! Had to use white wine vinegar but still delicious
So glad you enjoyed.
Hi! Great recipe. I’m babysitting and they don’t have mayo, so this was perfect. I did substitute lime for the vinegar, again because they didn’t have rice wine vinegar. I love it! Thank you, Kristen!
I am so glad you were able to enjoy this with what you have on hand!
I usually make it with dressing at all always been a crowd pleaser at potluck.My favorite salad
I am so glad you and your guests enjoy Sharon! Thanks for sharing!
We were so disappointed to walk into Chic-Fil-A one day, a couple years ago to find out they dropped Carrot-Raisin salad from the menu! We loved it. So, I tried my best but it just wasn’t a good replica. I’m so excited today to find your recipe that I’m preparing it as I text 😋. We’re missionaries now working in Central Africa and wanted you to know what a blessing you have been to me this morning!!! Thanks again.
Oh Shirley!! What a BLESSING you are!! We will be praying for you as you reach people in Central Africa. I am humbled to do something small for you today 🙂
I have made this before and it's a real winner with the entire family! It tastes like sunshine to me!
I love the way you described this as "sunshine" Renee!
My kids just love this salad!
They both love carrots but we are going through the wobbly tooth stage so they are always forgoing carrots and crunch apples because they hurt too much.
This is so much easier for them to eat 😀
YAY!!! I am so glad your kids were able to enjoy just like my son with his braces!