A Waldorf salad, with a twist! Candied Orange Waldorf Salad has a dressing with a hint of cream cheese, and added to the typical apples and celery are canned mandarin oranges, golden raisins and candied nuts.
This is one of my original recipe creations! I wrote this recipe in 2011: Candied Orange Waldorf Salad, for a Philadelphia Cream Cheese Contest. It's a modern twist on the classic.
Then & Now
This recipe has a peculiar beginning. I created it for a Philadelpia Cream Cheese Contest.
The contest was for promoting a new product called Philadelphia Cooking Creme. A “creamy and spoonable” version of cream cheese to be added to dishes. I really liked that product so it was easy to create a recipe for it. They ended up discontinuing the product. Now, I'm using a different set of ingredients to bring it back to life. I called it "Candied" because it is sweeter than an original Waldorf.
The cooking creme has NOW become whipped cream cheese and mayonnaise. NOTE: Technically, for it to be considered a "Waldorf Salad", it must contain apples, mayonnaise and celery. See the original 1896 recipe come to life in this post. The First Waldorf Salad.
Originally I used fresh oranges and stuffed the orange rinds but I think mandarin oranges are more appropriate for this recipe as a vintage salad. When using fresh oranges, it was hit or miss depending on the sweetness of the oranges. Canned mandarin oranges are very predictable.
Ingredients for Orange Waldorf Salad
- Whipped Style Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Whipped Topping, AKA a tub of Cool Whip
- Sweet Red Apples
- Mandarin Oranges
- Celery
- Golden Raisins
- Glazed Pecans or Candied Walnuts (also can be called frosted)
Easy To Make
Tips
- Sweet, crisp red apples of your choice like a Red Delicious or Ambrosia. Peel the skin on the apples, it makes it easier to eat.
- Be generous with your whisking. Creamy is good.
Best served the day you make it.
Candied Orange Waldorf Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Whipped Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- (4 ozs.) ½ tub whipped topping, thawed (such as Cool Whip)
- 3 firm sweet red apples (about 3 cups)
- ½ cup glazed, frosted, or candied pecans or walnuts
- 1 - (15 oz.) can Mandarin Oranges in Light Syrup (may use heavy syrup type)
- ⅓ cup finely diced celery
- ½ cup golden raisins
Instructions
To Prepare the Salad
- In a large bowl, whisk the cream cheese and mayo together until creamy. Fold in the whipped topping until smooth. Set aside.
- Wash, peel, core and dice apples into small ¼ inch cubes. Add to the creamy mixture and coat the apples.
- Chop or break the nuts.
- Add the well-drained orange segments, celery, raisins, and ¾ of the nuts. Stir gently to mix, being careful not to break up too much of the oranges.
- Scoop into serving dish and sprinkle on top the remaining nuts.
Michelle says
I made these sat for our cookout and everybody loved it. Thank you Lanie! very very easy and good
cook2book says
Lanie, your video made me cry my eyes out. I used to have coffee w/ my Gramma too. Good videos yu should bring her back again.