Quick and Easy Creamy Coleslaw

Prep: 12 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 12 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

This easy coleslaw recipe uses a packaged shredded cabbage mixture for expedience but includes a homemade coleslaw dressing to impart a fresh and natural taste. The combination of mayonnaise, cider vinegar, sugar, and celery seed creates a creamy coleslaw with a bit of sweetness and tang. Feel free to adjust the sugar to suit your taste. (A sugar substitute can be used to sweeten the dressing as well.) Although optional, consider adding the sliced green onion as they provide some nice color and flavor.

This delicious creamy coleslaw is ideal served with a grilled meal, pulled pork, fried fish, and chicken and is great alongside (or on) a sandwich and is a nice companion to a dish of baked beans. Make this creamy coleslaw for a family meal or take it along to your next cookout or potluck dinner.

Quick and easy creamy coleslaw in an orange bowl

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Ingredients

  • 1 (1-pound package) shredded coleslaw mixture

  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced, optional

  • 1 to 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise

  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, or to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Salt, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for creamy coleslaw gathered

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  2. In a large bowl, toss the shredded coleslaw mixture with green onions, if using.

    Coleslaw ingredients tossed and mixed together in a bowl

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  3. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of mayonnaise with the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of sugar, the celery seeds, and the ground black pepper.

    Mayo and vinegar being whisked together in a white bowl

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  4. Add to the coleslaw mixture, and stir to blend thoroughly.

    Dressing mixture being poured on the coleslaw

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  5. Add more mayonnaise and sugar if desired. Add salt, to taste.

    Dressing and coleslaw mixed together in a glass bowl

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  6. Refrigerate until serving time.

Tips

  • When purchasing the packaged coleslaw cabbage mixture, keep in mind that too much purple cabbage will turn your coleslaw pink over time. If this is not the look you are going for, keep the purple cabbage to a minimum.
  • Also, look for other varieties of coleslaw mixtures, such as broccoli slaw or kale slaw; they will provide the same texture and appearance as cabbage coleslaw but pack in a few extra nutrients. No matter which type of bagged mixture you buy, feel free to toss in some additional julienned vegetables—such as carrots, celery, bell pepper, or cucumbers—for added color and crunch.
  • Of course, if you are so inclined, you can buy the whole vegetables and cut them up yourself. If you are using fresh green cabbage, shred and toss it with a few teaspoons of salt. Let it sit for about 20 to 30 minutes, then drain and toss with the remaining ingredients. A mandoline is a great tool for shredding cabbage, as is your food processor, but if you prefer to do it by hand first cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Slice each quarter into wedges and then shred.
  • For best flavor, allow the coleslaw at least a few hours in the refrigerator, or even better, make it a day in advance.

Recipe Variations

  • Add a few strips of cooked and crumbled bacon to the slaw.
  • Add some chopped drained pineapple to the coleslaw; reduce the sugar, as needed.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
350 Calories
32g Fat
14g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 350
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g 42%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 417mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 8mg 39%
Calcium 25mg 2%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 102mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)