Video Carrot Raisin Salad with Pineapple and Creamy Honey Lemon Dressing

A crunchy, healthy and flavorful Carrot Raisin Salad recipe walnuts and celery drizzled with a Creamy Honey-Lemon Dressing. Easy to make and soooo good with all the spring and summer things like Black Bean Walnut Burgers and Olive and Egg Potato Salad! This recipe is vegetarian, gluten free and easily vegan.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Carrot Raisin Salad Recipe with Pineapple

This carrot raisin salad recipe is chock full of good for you ingredients and makes a fabulous side for all the summer things. It’s a welcome addition to picnics, potlucks or for alfresco afternoons on the porch. It pairs perfectly with Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches or BBQ Chickpea Burgers, you’re going to appreciate how simple this is to make!

A versatile recipe, some ingredients are easily subbed for what you have in the pantry. Use whatever nuts you have on hand. I like walnuts, but pecans or slivered almonds would be a delight as well. For raisins, I like currants (shown here) or golden raisins, but Thompson dark raisins are delicious too, and add a nice contrast.

For pineapple, I like fresh and in season (Spring-Summer) because it’s so sweet and juicy and the leftovers make a delicious snack or sweet addition to a smoothie. But canned can also be used with delicious results. Simply drain before using.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Carrot Raisin Salad

This carrot raisin salad recipe with pineapple is simple to pull together. You’ll need just a few fresh ingredients (see recipe card for full details):

Carrots with Tops Attached – this way you can see how fresh they are and the tops are delicious as a garnish and in smoothies.
Walnuts
Pineapple – fresh if possible
Raisins – currants, Thompson or Golden
Celery – for the crunch!
Fresh Parsley

For the carrot raisin salad dressing, you’ll need mayo, lemon juice and zest, honey (or maple), and a pinch of salt. SO simple, right?

Quick Guide: How to Make Carrot Pineapple Salad

Just a few simple steps to whip this recipe up! In summary, here’s how to make carrot salad with pineapple: (see recipe card below for full details):

First, toast the walnuts, then give em’ a good chop.
Second, soak the raisins in hot water. This will make them nice and plump!
Third, shred the carrots (you can use shredded or grated carrots)! I use the coarse shredder blade of a food processor to shred the carrots. A Julienne peeler will also do the job.
Fourth, chop the celery, pineapple chunks and parsley.
Last, whip up the mayonnaise honey lemon dressing.

Put all the ingredients for this carrot salad with raisins and nuts in a large bowl and toss.

A Few Recipe Tips

Make ahead? Yes please! The dressing can be made up to three days in advance. For the carrot pineapple salad, make one day ahead of when needed. Sprinkle fresh herbs over the top, then toss before serving.
To shred the carrots, I use the coarse shredder blade of a food processor. A Julienne peeler will also do the job.
For the raisins, I prefer currants, but they can be hard to find. Look in the bulk bins at your Co-Op or health food store. Otherwise, golden and Thompson raisins are fabulous too.
Make it vegan! Simply leave out the honey in the dressing and use maple instead. It’s an easy and delicious swap!