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Carrot and Raisin Salad – A Manno Tradition

I didn’t grow up with a lot of family traditions. Especially around cooking. In fact, one of my favorite holiday traditions growing up was ordering Chinese food on Christmas Eve. Ha! Growing up, my family was much more about takeout than family recipes. My grandmother had a few that I cherish, but I can’t even tell you how much joy it brings me to be passed down some Manno family recipes from my mother-in-law!

Carrot and Raisin Salad

As many of you know, we’ve been staying with my in-laws for the past month in Indiana. Over the last four weeks the kids have gotten so much amazing quality time with their grandparents and these are memories we will truly cherish forever! The other day I came home from the grocery store with Sun-Maid Raisins, a staple in our home— they keep Riley regular if ya know what I mean ;), and when Kevin’s mom saw them she told me about this carrot raisin salad and how it was a Manno family tradition that has been passed down in their family. Plus, I knew it would be a huge hit with Molly and Riley because they’re both obsessed with Sun-Maid Raisins and carrots!

Carrots are full of vitamins and great for their eyes and Sun-Maid Raisins are whole fruit that provide sweetness with 0 g of added sugars. Made with nothing but grapes and California sunshine, Sun-Maid Raisins’ timeless and trusted goodness have been a healthy snack for kids and grown-up kids alike since 1912. They are also incredibly versatile and easy to add into recipes or eat as a stand-alone snack.

Heck yes, mom win!

And I’ll just start right off the bat by saying both Molly and Riley love this recipe! We served it at Thanksgiving and will be serving it with our Christmas dinner as well! Plus, I just think it’s a really great nutritious snack to make in advance and keep in the fridge.

I’m telling you, if you have a picky eater on your hands like I do with Riley, this might be a huge hit with them! The sweetness from the raisins and the carrots go over really well with Riley because he usually won’t eat anything unless it’s sweet. But these are ingredients I can feel good about giving him!

And last thing I’ll say before I get into how you make it is that it is so easy! You could whip this up in about five minutes! Another mom win. So here’s how you make it.

THE RECIPE

We made ours vegan so that Kevin could eat some as well, so I will provide both options of the recipe below!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups of shredded carrots
  • 3/4 to 1 1/2 cups raisins – We use Sun-Maid Raisins. I love that they are whole fruit and add sweetness to the recipe that Riley loves.
  • 1/4 cup vegan mayo (or regular mayo)
  • 1 tablespoon of honey (or 2 tablespoons sugar)
  • 2-3 tablespoons of nut milk (or 2% regular milk)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. First, you peel the carrots and then shred or chop them up. We used a food processor to make it super easy!
  2. Then in a large bowl, add the chopped carrots and mix in your Sun-Maid Raisins.
  3. The final step is to add your vegan mayo, honey, and nut milk. Mix it all up really good.

That’s it!

Well there you have it! Easy peasy! Could that not have been easier or what?! I hope you guys give this a try we truly love it and who knows maybe we’ve just passed on our new family tradition to some of you! I’ve always said sometimes when you don’t have family traditions until you start your own for your kids and generations to come!

33 Thoughts

33 thoughts on “Carrot and Raisin Salad – A Manno Tradition”

  7. I’m so excited to try this as I’m always looking for something healthy to snack on to stay away from sweets.
    Thank you for sharing

    Reply

  8. Great recipe! You MIL is so pretty, I totally see Molly looking like her! Enjoy your special family time together

    Reply

  9. I love that recipe goes nicely w most main courses!

    It would also mix with a fun shape pasta for a pasta salad … I know U all love pasta..

    Reply

  10. I’m going to get ingredients on my next grocery store run. Sounds tasty, can be made vegan and looks quick and easy to make.

    Reply

  12. Mimi is a cutie patootie too! You guys will always be able to look back on this time together. What a gift for all of you!

    Reply

  13. Can’t wait to try this! How does Kevin’s mom make it you added in the vegan and nut milk option. But for those of us not vegan is it better with milk, sugar and regular Mayo? I assume so because it sounds so much less healthy. Lol

    Reply

  16. Just wondering & I probably missed the answer along the way, BUT….is Kevin VEGAN by choice or a reason he eats VEGAN & you cook VEGAN?❤️

    Reply

  18. What a blessing it is that your family is staying with Kevin’s parents! Especially during the holidays! I have fond memories of staying with my grandparents and I will always cherish the relationship we had!

    Reply

  20. I grew up with this salad. It became a favorite of my daughter and husband. Super easy; super good, plus nutritious.

    Reply

  21. How awesome is this! I love family traditions. We make cannoli shells every year together and look forward to it. Unfortunately, due to COVID we couldn’t this year but hopefully next year! Cherish every moment

    Reply

  26. My grandson is allergic to eggs, so my daughter is a very careful cook. Any great Vegan recipes, feel free to share! Thanks for the carrot / raisin one. Is that a parsnip your mil is putting in the food processor?

    Reply

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