Grandma's Old-Fashioned Carrot Salad Recipe {with Raisins} - Key To My Lime (2025)

Table of Contents

Carrot Salad How Do You Shred Carrots For Carrot Salad? What Is The Difference Between Grated And Shredded Carrots? Can I Shave My Carrots Into Ribbons? How Do You Keep Shredded Carrots From Turning Brown? Carrot Salad Ingredients How To Make Carrot Salad Can I Use Something Other Than Apple Cider Vinegar? Does This Recipe Use Mayo? Can I Make It With No Mayo? What Goes With Raw Carrots? Optional Adaptations Keep In Touch Salad Recipes Ingredients Instructions Nutrition Information: Serving Size: DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? 9 thoughts on “Carrot Salad Recipe” Leave a Comment FAQs

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August 1, 2021

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Grandma’s Carrot Salad with Raisins recipe is a popular side dish that everyone loves! This easy recipe is perfect for picnics, holidays, or anytime you have an abundance of carrots.

Carrot Salad

If you used to love Chick-fil-A’s carrot raisin salad, this is the copycat recipe for you. This is by far one of my favorite easy salads. People always ask for seconds when I make it, and it’s a delicious way to get some extra veggies into a meal.

I love that this salad doesn’t use many ingredients. Plus, they’re all pantry-friendly staples, and you most likely have all the ingredients at home already.

Grandma's Old-Fashioned Carrot Salad Recipe {with Raisins} - Key To My Lime (1)

How Do You Shred Carrots For Carrot Salad?

The easiest and most accessible way to shred carrots for a carrot salad is with a box grater. A food processor is even easier, but I find that it’s harder to get the perfect medium length shreds when using a food processor.

You can also cut the carrots into julienned carrot strips. If you want to julienne your carrots, here’s a video tutorial showing you how.

What Is The Difference Between Grated And Shredded Carrots?

Shredding makes strips, which is what you want for carrot salad. Grated carrots are much smaller pieces than shredded carrots, almost like a powder.

Can I Shave My Carrots Into Ribbons?

I’d recommend staying clear of ribbons, because shredded carrots are more authentic to this dish. Carrot ribbons are gorgeous, but they’re a lot harder to eat – especially in a setting where people are standing around holding their plates at a BBQ.

this …

How Do You Keep Shredded Carrots From Turning Brown?

The best way to prevent your carrots from turning brown is to store them in an airtight container to reduce exposure to air.

Carrot Salad Ingredients

For this recipe, you’ll need: mayonnaise, honey, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, black pepper, carrots, and raisins.

Grandma's Old-Fashioned Carrot Salad Recipe {with Raisins} - Key To My Lime (3)

How To Make Carrot Salad

Start by mixing together the dressing ingredients, then pour the dressing over the grated carrots and raisins. Mix it all together, and serve. See the recipe card below for the full instructions, including ingredient amounts and helpful tips, etc.

Can I Use Something Other Than Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is my favorite acid to use in carrot salad, but you’re welcome to try swapping it for another one (like white wine vinegar, lemon juice, or lime juice) if you’d like.

Grandma's Old-Fashioned Carrot Salad Recipe {with Raisins} - Key To My Lime (4)

Does This Recipe Use Mayo?

Yes, this recipe calls for a 1/4 cup of mayonnaise. You could easily make this a vegan recipe simply by swapping the mayo for vegan mayo and using maple syrup instead of honey.

Can I Make It With No Mayo?

If you don’t want to use mayonnaise, you can try using refined coconut oil, olive oil (not EVOO), or a neutral tasting oil of your choice. It won’t be the same flavor or texture as mayonnaise, but if you don’t have any mayo or don’t like it, it’s definitely worth trying!

Grandma's Old-Fashioned Carrot Salad Recipe {with Raisins} - Key To My Lime (5)

What Goes With Raw Carrots?

Carrots can lend themselves to either savory or sweet dishes. Since they’re so versatile, they can be used in everything from cake to veggie platters with spicy ranch dressing.

Since this recipe is lightly sweet, it pairs really well with raisins. The apple cider vinegar and pepper both balance out the sweetness here.

Optional Adaptations

This is one of those perfected recipes that is hard to mess up. Try topping this delicious salad with a sprinkling of sunflower seeds, feta, or mint leaves. If you want a totally different flavor profile, you can play with trying some of these other ingredient ideas:

Garlic
Edamame
Ginger
Cumin
Nuts (Walnuts, Almonds, Peanuts)
Apple
Broccoli
Celery
Pineapple
Cinnamon
Yogurt Dressing

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Keep In Touch

I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram!@KeyToMyLime#KeyToMyLime

Click here to pin this recipe for later!

Grandma's Old-Fashioned Carrot Salad Recipe {with Raisins} - Key To My Lime (7)

Salad Recipes

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out our entire salad recipe section! Some reader favorites are:

5 Cup Salad (Ambrosia Salad)
Broccoli Cranberry Salad
Tropical Fruit Salad
Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Grandma’s Carrot Salad with Raisins recipe is a popular side dish that everyone loves! This easy recipe is perfect for picnics, holidays, or anytime you have an abundance of carrots.

Prep Time10 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Pinch fine sea salt
Pinch ground black pepper
4 cups shredded carrots
1 cup raisins (I use a mixture of regular and golden raisins)

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, honey, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Add the carrots and raisins. Stir to mix until the carrots are evenly coated.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1/4
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 264Total Fat: 10.7gCarbohydrates: 43.8gNet Carbohydrates: 39gFiber: 4.8gSugar: 33.3gProtein: 2.4g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Tag@KeyToMyLimeon Instagram so we can see your delicious meal!

The next time you’re looking for a delicious vegetable side dish recipe, try making this tasty carrot salad with raisins!

9 thoughts on “Carrot Salad Recipe”

Easy and delicious. Had all ingredients on hand. It’s a 10 !!👍
Reply
- Hi Angie, So happy to hear you enjoyed the carrot salad! Thanks for the feedback. -Alexa
  Reply
I make a similar carrot salad, but I also add chopped apple. Sometimes I use dried cranberries instead of raisins. I may also add chopped walnuts. Got the recipe from an old Polish friend. She was old enough to be my grandmother.
Reply
- Your version sounds delicious, Kathy! Thanks for sharing. -Alexa
  Reply
Alexa..can this delicious salad be made a couple days ahead? And, if so, how do you suggest I do it?
Reply
- Hi Donna, Carrot salad can be made up to 3 or 4 days in advance, but there’s a good chance that it will become a bit watery after a day or two (from the salt drawing water out of the carrots). You could try waiting to add the salt until just before serving. I hope that helps! -Alexa
  Reply
It is a bit bland, compared to others I have tried. Not poor, just not sweet enough. I recommend adding sugar or Splenda.
Reply
Really good. Made it last week. And right now I’m making it again:)
Reply
Loved this salad. I substituted Mike’s Hot Honey for honey and the flavor was delicious.
Reply

Grandma's Old-Fashioned Carrot Salad Recipe {with Raisins} - Key To My Lime (2025)

FAQs

How to keep grated carrots from turning brown? ›

How do you keep shredded carrots from turning brown? To keep carrots from turning brown or dehydrating, place them in an airtight container. This will slow the degradation process. Vinegar or lemon juice also helps preserve them.

Why eat raw carrot salad? ›

The original raw carrot salad was developed by Dr. Ray Peat to help support hormonal balance. According to Dr. Peats research, raw carrots contain a unique fiber that binds to endotoxins and excess estrogen to safely eliminate them from the body.

Explore More ›

Do you have to peel carrots for salad? ›

Because a carrot's skin isn't as thick as other root vegetables (like potatoes) or winter squashes, carrots are perfectly safe and delicious to eat without peeling so long as they are properly cleaned. When it comes down to it, peeling carrots or keeping the skin on is a matter of personal preference.

Learn More Now ›

What is the difference between grated carrots and shredded carrots? ›

The main difference between shredded and grated carrots is the size and appearance of the results. Shredded carrots typically look like long, thin strips while grated carrots are much smaller, almost crumb-like. This is due to a difference in blade size between a shredder and a grater.

Discover More ›

Should carrots be refrigerated? ›

With proper storage, carrots last anywhere from a few days to a month. Raw, unpeeled carrots can be stored between three and four weeks in the refrigerator, and peeled or cut carrots will last two to three weeks. Cooked carrots last up to five days in the refrigerator.

Find Out More ›

What happens if you freeze raw carrots? ›

Freezing carrots is such a great way to avoid waste. It will also make cooking them a little quicker from frozen. Like most vegetables, if frozen raw, the texture, taste, colour and nutritional value of carrots deteriorates. Make sure you blanch the veg to preserve these elements.

Keep Reading ›

Who should not eat raw carrots? ›

Too much beta carotene also may cause problems for people who can't change it to vitamin A, such as people who have hypothyroidism. For some people, eating carrots can make their mouths itch. That's called oral allergy syndrome or pollen food allergy syndrome (PFAS).

Keep Reading ›

What time of day should I eat raw carrot salad? ›

Dr. Peat found that estrogen levels can be reduced by consuming a simple carrot salad once or twice per day, ideally with breakfast and/or lunch. The carrot salad doesn't just detoxify estrogen, it also removes endotoxin from bad bugs and is antifungal.

Find Out More ›

What foods flush out excess estrogen? ›

Foods that lower and decrease and flush excess estrogen levels quickly include cruciferous vegetables, flaxseeds, soy, green tea, berries, and other foods. Estrogen is essential for the proper functioning of the female reproductive system, but having too much can lead to various issues.

View Details ›

What are the main ingredients in carrots? ›

The main plant compounds in carrots are: Beta carotene: Orange carrots are very high in beta carotene. The absorption is better if the carrots are cooked. Alpha-carotene: This is an antioxidant that, like beta-carotene, is partly converted into vitamin A in your body.

What is diced onion celery and carrot called? ›

The French flavor base called mirepoix is a combination of onion, carrot and celery generally cut to the same size. It's used in a ratio that's 2 parts onion to 1 part celery and carrot. Saute in Butter. Mirepoix is the start of many French dishes, such as coq au vin and lamb stew.

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What is the ingredient in black carrot? ›

Unlike "normal" carrots, which owe their color to their Carotene content, Black Carrots contain Anthocyanin compounds (primarily Cyanidin glycosides) which, after extraction, exhibit desirable red shades similar to FD&C Red 40.

Learn More Now ›

What is made of carrot? ›

Carrots are puréed and used as baby food, dehydrated to make chips, flakes, and powder, and thinly sliced and deep-fried, like potato chips. The sweetness of carrots allows the vegetable to be used in some fruit-like roles.