Vegetarian Recipes

Easy Creamy Coleslaw

I never knew I was a coleslaw person until I made it myself. I had eaten it plenty of times at restaurants, never once having been impressed, and always wondered what the appeal was. But then I decided to make a quick batch of creamy coleslaw to go on a sandwich one day, and it totally stole the show. Something about that creamy-crunchy combo made me keep coming back for more, and I’ve been making it on the reg ever since.

Overhead view of a bowl of coleslaw with a wooden spoon.

“I love this recipe! I’ve used this recipe (which was posted on the BBQ bean sandwiches forever ago) for years! I’ve had people even ask for (and use!!) it so many times! This is the only slaw I ever make. Trust me, you will not be disappointed with this one!! (Just a preference thing- I usually don’t bother with the green onions, but I’ve had no luck changing anything else about it. It just works!!)”

Elle

Easy Recipe for Creamy Coleslaw

The super simple dressing for my creamy coleslaw is made with a few pantry staples, including a little Dijon mustard for tang and a dab of honey for sweetness. Then the dressing is just tossed with shredded cabbage, carrots, and sliced green onions, and you’re done! It’s creamy crunchy heaven ready to be piled onto a sandwich or taco, stuffed into a wrap, or enjoyed as is.

I rarely need a ton of slaw at once, so I made this recipe a “small batch.” It’s about two cups total once done, or just enough for about four sandwiches. (Or two sandwiches and four mouthfuls, LOL).

I used pre-shredded bagged “coleslaw mix” (shredded cabbage and carrots) for this recipe because I think it’s one of the few times using pre-chopped vegetables is cost-effective. And then you’re not left with half a cabbage in your fridge, wondering what to do with it. Because no matter how small a cabbage is, it always seems to be too much.

BUT, if you happen to have that half head of cabbage and want to make this with it, you’ll need about 3 cups finely shredded cabbage and about one medium carrot, shredded.

Overhead view of a bowl of creamy coleslaw.

Print
Add to Collection Go to Collections

Easy Creamy Coleslaw

This classic sweet and tangy homemade Creamy Coleslaw Recipe is perfect for piling onto pulled pork sandwiches or serving as a side with dinner.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Total Cost $3.19 recipe / $0.79 serving

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings (1/2 cup each)

Calories 158.6kcal

Author Beth Moncel

Equipment

Small Bowl
Large Bowl

Ingredients

Dressing

1/3 cup mayonnaise $0.55
1/2 Tbsp honey $0.06
1 tsp Dijon mustard $0.03
1 tsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, $0.02
1/4 tsp salt $0.02
black pepper freshly cracked, $0.03

Vegetables

1/2 14 oz. bag coleslaw mix shredded cabbage and carrots, $2.18*
3 green onions $0.30

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing (mayonnaise, honey, Dijon, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper).
Slice the green onions. Add the coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots) to a large bowl with the green onions, then pour the dressing over top. Stir until the cabbage is evenly coated in dressing. Serve immediately.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*You can also use 3 cups finely shredded cabbage and 1 shredded medium carrot.

Nutrition

How to Make Classic Creamy Coleslaw Step-by-Step Photos

Gather all of your ingredients.

Mayonnaise, honey, Dijon, red wine vinegar, and seasonings in a bowl.

Make the dressing: Stir together 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 5 cranks of a pepper mill) in a small bowl.

Coleslaw mix with green onions in a bowl.

Prep the veggies: Add 1/2 of a 14 oz. bag of coleslaw mix (shredded green cabbage and carrots) to a large bowl. Slice three green onions and add them to the bowl as well.

The homemade dressing being poured over shredded cabbage, carrots, and green onions to make coleslaw.

Make the slaw: Pour the prepared dressing over top of the cabbage mixture…

And then, stir until all the cabbage is coated in dressing.

Then dig in (or put it on your sandwich or taco, stuff it into your wrap, or serve it on the side with your ribs)!

I don’t often stray too far away from the classic coleslaw ingredients whenever I make this recipe, but when I do, it’s always delicious! Here are some fun add-in ideas to try (with some suggestions from our readers included!):

Celery seeds
Dried cranberries
Pomegranate seeds
Use a broccoli slaw mix instead of a cabbage-based one
Pickled red onions (drained well)
Chopped walnuts or almonds
Cooked macaroni (for a twist on classic macaroni salad)

Serving Suggestions

Creamy coleslaw is absolutely perfect with anything BBQ or anything with buffalo sauce. That cool, tangy crunch balances out the sweet smokiness of BBQ and the fiery heat of buffalo like nothing else.

One of the first recipes I paired it with was my BBQ bean sliders, and it’s still a favorite of mine for summer. I also love it with Sloppy Joes, as it’s just what I need to cut through the saucy sandwich filling. It’s great on tacos, too, like my blackened shrimp tacos, where the slaw adds freshness and crunch, or alongside spicy dishes like Nashville hot chicken or Buffalo cauliflower wings for game days, cookouts, midweek dinners, and everything in between.

Storage Instructions

Part of what makes cabbage so crunchy is that it contains a lot of water. Over time, the salt in the dressing pulls the water out of the cabbage, leaving water in the bottom of your bowl and your cabbage a little less crisp. The only way to prevent this from happening is to store your dressing separately from the shredded vegetables. So, if you don’t plan to eat the whole batch right away, make sure you only add dressing to the portion you plan to eat.

However, if you don’t mind a thinner dressing, you can store this homemade coleslaw in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Apple Slaw

$6.46 recipe / $0.65 serving

Mediterranean Coleslaw

$7.21 recipe / $1.20 serving

This super simple three-ingredient cabbage salad is huge on flavor and is the perfect side for all of your summer grilling. This Vinaigrette slaw with Feta will become your easy go-to side dish. BudgetBytes.com

Vinaigrette Slaw with Feta

$5.93 recipe / $0.74 serving

Sesame Slaw

$5.08 recipe / $0.64 per cup

Our Creamy Coleslaw recipe was originally published 1/14/20. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 6/18/25.

The post Easy Creamy Coleslaw appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Vegetarian Recipes

Cherry Blondies

Whenever I’m craving something sweet, but I’m sick of the same old same old, I whip up a batch of these fudgy, chewy, fragrant Cherry Blondies! The creamy white chocolate, tart cherries, and crunchy almonds make this recipe stand out. This is not your typical blondie! I don’t use almond extract too often, but pairing its flavor with cherries and white chocolate is just a no-brainer to me. (But a little goes a long way, so use it sparingly!)

Easy Recipe for Cherry Blondies

Blondies are like brownies, just without the cocoa. Instead, they’re made with brown sugar and vanilla, and have the BEST buttery flavor and chewy texture.

For these cherry blondies, I mix in canned cherry pie filling (it adds a sweet-tart cherry flavor without a lot of fuss or cost), slivered almonds, and white chocolate chips. I also brown the butter first to bring out a nutty, almost toffee-like richness that’s totally worth the extra few minutes. A mix of brown and white sugar strikes the perfect balance of moisture and structure, while a splash of almond extract adds a frangipane-style flavor. Bake them once, and you’ll see why I keep coming back to this combo. 😋

Print
Add to Collection Go to Collections

Cherry Blondies

These easy Cherry Blondies are loaded with white chocolate, almonds, and cherry pie filling for a sweet treat that’s simple to make and hard to resist.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $5.82 recipe / $0.64 serving

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Chill Time 20

Total Time 1 30

Servings slices

Calories 429kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

8×8” Baking Dish
Parchment Paper
3 Mixing Bowls
Sauce Pan
Hand Mixer

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour $0.28
½ tsp baking powder $0.02
¼ tsp salt $0.01
1 large egg $0.29
1 tsp vanilla extract $0.47
½ tsp almond extract $0.15
½ cup cherry pie filling $0.73*
1½ sticks salted butter cut into cubes, $1.48
½ cup granulated sugar $0.19
1 cup brown sugar $0.91
¼ cup white chocolate chips $0.42
¼ cup slivered almonds $0.87

Instructions

Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350℉.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, almond extract, and cherry pie filling. Mix together and set aside.
Cube the butter and melt over medium heat until frothy, whisking once in a while to make sure the milk solids don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
Once butter is browned, it will have a nutty aroma and darken in color. (Babysit it! Don’t let it burn!) Remove from heat.
Combine browned butter with granulated and brown sugar.
Mix with a hand mixer on low until combined. Then, add the wet cherry mixture and continue to mix until combined.
Finally, gently mix in the dry flour mixture little by little until a batter forms.
Fold in white chocolate and almond slivers.
Transfer batter to greased and line baking dish and add some extra white chocolate and almonds on top, if you have them.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting. The interior may still be a little gooey. These are chewier than your typical brownie! Enjoy.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*The ingredients in a can of cherry pie filling are pretty simple, but I have found the Duncan Hines Comstock brand “Simply Cherry” in a can to have fewer ingredients and no added coloring, so if you see it next to the regular cherry pie filling, you may want to spring for that can instead. You could try making these with fresh cherries, which I skipped because I couldn’t find any at my local grocery store, just make sure you pit them first!

Nutrition

how to make Cherry Blondies step-by-step photos

The ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Gather all of your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350℉. Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper. Set this aside for now.

Flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients: Add 1¾ cups flour, ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt to a mixing bowl and combine. Set this aside.

Cherry pie filling, egg, and vanilla extract in a bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients: In a different mixing bowl, combine 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp almond extract, and ½ cup of cherry pie filling. Set this aside for now as well.

Brown the butter: Add 1½ sticks of cubed salted butter to a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter until frothy, being sure to whisk it once in a while to avoid the milk solids from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan. Babysit it, and don’t let it burn! It typically takes about 5-8 minutes for butter to brown.

When the butter is browned, it’ll smell nutty and be darker in color. There will also be flecks of brown throughout (those are toasted milk solids, and they’re full of flavor). Remove it from the heat once done.

Brown and white sugar added to a bowl of browned butter.

Make the batter: Pour the browned butter into a mixing bowl and add ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar.

The wet ingredients for cherry blondies added to the creamed butter and sugar.

Use a hand mixer on low to combine the browned butter and sugars. Once mixed, add the wet cherry pie filling mixture and keep mixing until thoroughly combined.

Dry ingredients added to the wet ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Now, gently fold in the dry flour mixture a little at a time until a thick batter forms.

Slivered almonds added to the batter for cherry blondies.

Finally, fold in ¼ cup white chocolate chips and ¼ cup slivered almonds.

The batter for cherry blondies in a lined baking dish.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. If you have any extra, top the batter with a few white chocolate chips and slivered almonds to make it look extra pretty.

Finished homemade cherry blondies in a baking dish.

Bake: Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes. They’re done once a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let your homemade cherry blondies cool for 20 minutes before cutting for the best results. They may still be a little gooey! They’re definitely chewier than your average brownie but just as delicious. Enjoy!

Overhead view of a baking dish of cherry blondies with one missing.

Tips for Browning Butter

I brown the butter in this cherry dessert recipe because it gives the blondies the most amazing, deep, nutty flavor that plain melted butter can’t match. You could skip this step and just melt it, but it definitely wouldn’t taste the same.

It’s honestly so easy to brown butter, and only takes about 5-8 minutes from start to finish! Here’s how to do it right (we also have a step-by-step breakdown with photos on how to brown butter you can check out, too!):

Use a light-colored pan if you have one. It makes it easier to see the color change.
Watch it closely. Browning happens fast, and it can burn before you know it. Stay nearby and use medium heat.
It’ll start to froth. That’s normal. Just keep gently stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Look for brown flecks. Those are the milk solids toasting, which is exactly what you want.
Pull it off the heat right away. As soon as it smells nutty and the color deepens, about 5 minutes, take it off the heat! It’s ready to use.

You can even make a big batch of browned butter and keep it in the fridge for 1-2 weeks and use it in future recipes. It’s obviously delicious in my cherry blondies recipe, but it’s also amazing tossed with plain pasta, drizzled over roasted veggies, or mixed into oatmeal.

Line your pan with parchment paper. It makes it way easier to lift the blondies out and slice them cleanly once they’ve cooled.
Let them cool in the pan. As good as they smell fresh out of the oven, I let my blondies cool for at least 20 minutes to help them set up properly. They’ll slice neater, and the texture will be just right.
Check for doneness with a toothpick. You’re looking for a mostly clean toothpick when inserted into your white chocolate cherry blondies. If you hit a cherry or a melty white chocolate chip, it might smear a bit, so try a second spot! Don’t forget, they may still be a little gooey on the inside rather than cakey.

Storage Instructions

Personally, I enjoy these cherry pie blondies cold! I like to keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and grab one whenever I need a sweet pick-me-up. They’ll be good for up to 3-4 days when stored this way. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.