If you loved the discontinued Chick-fil-A Carrot Salad, then you’re going to love this copycat Chick-Fil-A Carrot Salad recipe! Just as delicious as the original, the best part is that it’s really easy to make!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
This copycat Chick-Fil-A carrot salad is a quick and easy side dish that is perfect for busy weeknights! This salad only takes minutes to prepare and can be made ahead of time.
The best part is, it’s healthy and delicious! Even your kiddos will be love this shredded carrot, raisin, and pineapple salad with it's creamy, tangy-sweet dressing. It's just like old fashioned carrot raisin salad my mom used to make when I was a kid.
Oh, and it's not really a copycat recipe! Chick-Fil-A provided the actual recipe ingredients, portions, and instructions after they discontinued the carrot raisin salad from their menu.
Is Chick-Fil-A Carrot Salad Really Discontinued?
In most parts of the country, yes, the Chick Fil A Carrot Raisin salad is not on the menu. I was so disappointed when Chick Fil A discontinued it.
However, the founder of Chick Fil A, Cathy Truett, has a separate restaurant in the Atlanta, GA area, called Truett's Grill and Dwarf House. This Chick Fil A Carrot Salad IS served there! That's because Kathy Truett created the carrot raisin salad for Chick Fil A!
What Is The Secret to Chick-Fil-A's Carrot Raisin Salad?
The coarseness of the grated carrots! That is the secret! Instead of using the main or regular grate on a box grater or food processor, use the finer grate disc or box grater side.
This makes for a denser, more compact carrot raisin salad texture.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Is Chick-Fil-A Carrot Salad Really Discontinued?
- What Is The Secret to Chick-Fil-A's Carrot Raisin Salad?
- Ingredients
- How to Make Chick-Fil-A Carrot Salad
- Serving Suggestions
- Related Recipes
- Substitutions and Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Food Safety
- Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
- 📖 Recipe
- Connect with Smells Like Delish!
Ingredients
Carrot salad with raisins and pineapple is a pretty simple recipe. But for it to be like Chick-Fil-A's, you have to grate the carrots a little finer.
- Carrots - Grated on the fine side of the box grater, or the finer food processor disc.
- Pineapple - Crushed pineapple, undrained.
- Raisins - Regular black raisins.
- Mayonnaise - It's got to be Dukes, as the Chick-Fil-A Carrot salad is a Southern recipe, and Duke's is 'the' Southern mayo! Seriously though, any brand of mayonnaise will be great.
- Sugar - regular granulated sugar, or honey if you prefer.
- Lemon Juice - Fresh squeezed lemon juice.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Chick-Fil-A Carrot Salad
Don't purchase shredded carrots, go ahead an actually grate whole carrots for the most authentic Chick-Fil-A carrot salad.
Peel The Carrots
- Cut tops off and peel carrots. Get the freshest carrots you can, as they are the juiciest and have the best flavor!
PRO TIP: Don't use pre shredded carrots! They are too dry.
Grate The Carrots
- Shred or grate the carrots using a food processor fine blade disc, or with a box grater's finer side. Do not drain off any carrot juice, it's full of vitamins, and the raisins will soak it up.
PRO TIP: You will need about 2 medium carrots to make one cup of grated or shredded carrots.
Make The Dressing
- In a small bowl, mix together the pineapple, raisins, mayonnaise, sugar, and lemon juice. Mix well and then toss with the shredded carrots. Serve and enjoy!
PRO TIP: This Chick-Fil-A Carrot Salad gets even tastier if you let it chill for about 30 minutes! The raisins soften up a little from the dressing.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Chick-Fil-A Carrot salad with our Air Fryer Dinosaur Nuggets to your kiddos for a rounded out meal they'll approve of. This old fashioned carrot and raisin salad is healthy, and good at any barbecue also.
It's a perfect pairing for our Air Fryer Pork Chops (no breading) or Country Style Boneless Pork Ribs.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Related Recipes
Substitutions and Variations
I often substitute the white sugar with some honey, simply because it's a little healthier. You can use pineapple tidbits instead of crushed pineapple also.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some modern and timeless equipment that make creating this old fashioned carrot raisin salad easier.
Storage
Cover and store any leftover Chick-Fil-A Carrot salad in the refrigerator. DO NOT FREEZE, as mayonnaise separates when frozen.
Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. This is a perfect salad to make ahead 24 hours before a barbecue!
Tips for Success
- Use the finer shredding disc of the food processor, or the finer grating side of the box grater.
- Letting this old fashioned carrot raisin salad chill for 30 minutes to an hour let all the flavors marry.
- You can make this salad up to 24 hours ahead of a gathering and it will be one less last minute detail!
Frequently Asked Questions
You will need 1 lb of whole carrots to obtain 4 to 4 ½ cups of shredded carrots. Calculate 2 medium carrots for each cup of shredded carrots.
Chick Fil A discontinued their old fashioned carrot raisin salad in 2013. It's still served at Cathy Truett's Truett's Grill and Dwarf House though in Atlanta, GA.
To make way for new menu items, specifically the Chick-Fil-A Kale Crunch Salad.
You could, but you will need to omit the sugar, and maybe the lemon juice, as Miracle Whip is sweeter and tangier than mayonnaise.
No, don't do that. 'Baby' carrots are not really mini carrots, but large carrots sanded down and cut into 'baby' carrots. They've had a lot of the nutrition soaked and washed out of them, and will grate up dryer than fresh carrots.
No, the carrot juice from grating the carrots, and the pineapple juice in the undrained crushed pineapple will plump up the raisins quickly.
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
📖 Recipe
Chick-Fil-A Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 4½ cup carrots about 9 medium carrots
- 8 oz pineapple crushed
- ¾ cup raisins black
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sugar or ¼ cup honey
- 1¼ tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
Instructions
- Cut tops off and peel carrots. Get the freshest carrots you can, as they are the juiciest and have the best flavor!PRO TIP: Don't use pre shredded carrots! They are too dry.4½ cup carrots
- Shred or grate the carrots using a food processor fine blade disc, or with a box grater's finer side. Do not drain off any carrot juice, it's full of vitamins, and the raisins will soak it up.PRO TIP: You will need about 2 medium carrots to make one cup of grated or shredded carrots.
- In a small bowl, mix together the pineapple, raisins, mayonnaise, sugar, and lemon juice. Mix well and then toss with the shredded carrots. Serve and enjoy!PRO TIP: This Chick-Fil-A Carrot Salad gets even tastier if you let it chill for about 30 minutes! The raisins soften up a little from the dressing.8 oz pineapple, ¾ cup raisins, ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sugar, 1¼ tablespoon lemon juice
Notes
- Use the finer shredding disc of the food processor, or the finer grating side of the box grater.
- Letting this old fashioned carrot raisin salad chill for 30 minutes to an hour let all the flavors marry.
- You can make this salad up to 24 hours ahead of a gathering and it will be one less last minute detail!
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