Creamy Homemade Coleslaw

Classic creamy coleslaw- Shredded cabbage, light mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar,  sugar and red onions are just some of the dressing ingredients.  For a healthier option feel free to omit the sugar or use a natural sweetener. This dreamy coleslaw will be the star of your BBQ. Everyone will be begging for the recipe.

Back in the day, I used to be one of the millions of people that didn’t care for coleslaw.  I know why too. Most store-bought coleslaw isn’t that great. It’s not made with love. The flavors are not balanced out, bland, and the cabbage wasn’t very crunchy because it sat too long in it’s dressing. But now that I make mine homemade, I absolutely love it!

Try to make this coleslaw, you’ll notice that it’s creamier and way better than store bought coleslaw.  I always end up giving out my coleslaw recipe at BBQ’s.  People normally say it’s the best coleslaw they’ve ever tasted. I remember one woman at a BBQ walked towards me to tell me how good the coleslaw was. Her exact words were, “Mmm, mmm…mmm!” She said that she couldn’t put into words how good the coleslaw was. She loved it.

For the coleslaw haters, this recipe might just change the way you feel.  I can’t even put into words how good it is! I also get asked for my strawberry pepperoncini salad recipe too but that’s another story.  I’ll talk about when I get around to posting the recipe. It’s so good.

WHAT IS GOOD WITH HOMEMADE COLESLAW

Coleslaw is usually eaten as a side dish with barbequed meats or even fried chicken. I like to eat mine a bit differently. By different, I mean, I love it topped on my fish tacos, pulled bbq chicken/brisket or bbq chicken sliders or on top of sandwiches. Have you tried Reuben sandwiches topped with coleslaw? Man, It’s dangerously delicious. I grew up eating Reuben sandwiches. I miss those days. If you haven’t tried a Reuben sandwich before please add it to your to-do list.

Coleslaw perks up any food and it’s best topped on bbq chicken sliders with homemade bbq sauce .

HOW TO MAKE COLESLAW?

When I make coleslaw I do several things differently. First and foremost, this recipe uses red onions.  Red onions have a mildly sweet flavor that will add a great depth of flavor to the coleslaw.

Secondly, I don’t use sour cream or full-fat mayonnaise or half mayonnaise and half sour cream. I only use light mayonnaise. On one of my shopping trips, I thought I picked up full-fat mayo but as soon as I made it home, I realized I bought Duke’s low-fat mayonnaise instead. I just knew my coleslaw or anything I add light mayo to would be subpar. But nope. To my surprise, everything tasted great.  I didn’t even miss the full-fat mayo! Only 50 calories too.  Winning. Long story short, don’t knock low-fat mayo until you try it.

Third, I also use low-fat buttermilk. I always have low-fat buttermilk on hand and that’s because it’s the only buttermilk I can find. Full fat buttermilk is hard to find in my area. Buttermilk coleslaw is delicious but if you don’t have buttermilk, you can make it homemade fast. Kitchn has a great post on how to make it.

The last thing I do differently is I add a couple pinches of celery salt. The celery salt really gives the coleslaw a POW factor. A SMALL pinch or two is ALL you need. I think this is the best coleslaw ever because it’s low in fat and calories.

If you need something to bring to your friend’s or family BBQ don’t fret. This easy coleslaw has you covered. Basically, all you need is a bowl big enough for the coleslaw. Add all the coleslaw ingredients into a bowl and mix well then serve immediately. See notes below for more tips and how to make coleslaw ahead of time the right way.

HOW TO SERVE COLESLAW AND QUICK TIPS:

Make ahead dressing:  Don’t mix the coleslaw dressing with the cabbage and veggies. Instead, it’s best to make the dressing ahead of time and store covered in the fridge for a couple of hours or until you need it. Stored and covered dressing can be refrigerated for a couple weeks. When you are ready to serve, add the dressing a bit to your vegetables at a time because you may not need to use it all.

• Make ahead coleslaw:  If you make the coleslaw ahead of time (with all the ingredients combined), it will become a bit watery, as you can see in my second pic above and last pic below.  It was still good but if you take a look at my coleslaw in the smaller bowls its a lot creamier with no excess liquid because I didn’t let it chill. I served it right away. (FYI, the pics look a bit different because I didn’t make them the same day).
• Leftover dressing:  Use leftover dressing on hot dogs and again, you can top tacos, and bbq meats with coleslaw or serve it on the side.
• Shortcut Coleslaw: No need to shred a head of cabbage. Bagged coleslaw is quicker and easier. You can usually find bagged coleslaw in 10 to 16 oz bags.
• For a small family, use half a bag of coleslaw and save the rest for the following day to make a vinaigrette based coleslaw to serve with grilled chicken. I plan on posting a vinaigrette coleslaw too. Subscribe so you don’t miss it!

WHY THIS COLESLAW RECIPE WORKS?

• This coleslaw recipe is a bit healthier, creamy but not gloppy thanks to the light mayonnaise.
• It a gorgeous easy dish that’s bursting with crunch with a sweet and tangy flavor AND it’s a huge crowd pleaser.
• It will attract your guests because it’s bright and colorful and creamy.
• The coleslaw’s contrasting colors makes it fun to look at. I’ll say it again. It’s gawjus (in my Jersey accent).
• This coleslaw has the creaminess of traditional coleslaw but it’s not gloppy since it contains light mayonnaise.
• The apple cider vinegar and buttermilk makes coleslaw bright and tangy.
• The sugar balance out the flavors. The sweetness of dressing will have guests coming back for seconds and thirds.
• I’ve made this with sugar and without. I enjoy them both I’m happy without sugar but my husband really likes his on the sweeter side. Feel free to omit the sugar if the cabbage is great without it.

WATCH HOW I MAKE IT

5 from 6 votes

Print

COLESLAW

Prep Time

5 mins

Total Time

5 mins

 

Traditional creamy coleslaw that's not gloppy made with shredded cabbage, light mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar,  sugar & red onions are just some of the ingredients.  For a healthier option feel free to omit the sugar and replace it with a natural sweetener. I used this recipe for my BBQ chicken sliders

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern American

Keyword: BBQ food, game day food

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 137 kcal

Author: April

Ingredients

• 1 16 oz coleslaw
• 3 tbsp red onions finely diced
• 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 2/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise plus 2 tbsp
• 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 1/2 tbsp sugar optional
• 2-4 pinches celery salt very small pinches
• 4 pinches onion powder very small pinches

Instructions

1. To a medium sized bowl add the cabbage then the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.  Serve immediately *See notes for tips to make ahead and store.  

Recipe Notes

Make ahead dressing:  For the best coleslaw, don't mix the coleslaw dressing with the cabbage and vegetable mix. Instead, make the coleslaw dressing ahead of time and store covered in the fridge for a couple of hours or until you need it. Stored and covered dressing can be refrigerated for a couple weeks. When you are ready to serve, don't add all the coleslaw at once. Add a bit at a time then add more if you want the slaw creamier.

• Make ahead:  If you make the coleslaw ahead of time (with all the ingredients combined), it will become a bit watery.
• Leftover dressing:  Use the leftover dressing on hot dogs and again, you can top tacos, and bbq meats with coleslaw or serve it on the side. 
• Shortcut Coleslaw: No need to shred a head of cabbage. Bagged coleslaw is quicker and easier.
• For a small family, use half of a bag of coleslaw and save the rest for the next day to make a vinaigrette based coleslaw to serve with grilled chicken. I plan on posting a vinaigrette coleslaw too. Subscribe so you don't miss it!
• Vegan: to make this a vegan coleslaw, use your choice of vegan mayonnaise (egg free) and vegan (plant-based) milk. 
• Coleslaw variations:  Add sliced green onions, add thin slices of green or red peppers, as a mentioned in the post. Add jalapenos for a touch of heat. 
• If you want to try something different, you can also try this with bagged broccoli and veggie slaw. It's tasty as well. 
• If you are on a special diet use a natural sweetener instead of sugar, honey is a good option. If you have milk allergies you can omit the buttermilk. 
• Use half sour cream and half regular mayonnaise or light mayonnaise for an even healthier option. 

Okay, this post made me REALL hungry. I’m in the mood for some BBQ now.  Do you like coleslaw?  What do you put in yours?  I hope you can try it out. If you liked this post I would love if you could save it to your Pinterest Board or share to your Facebook to save this recipe! Let’s be friends on Pinterest . I love sharing mouthwatering delicious food.  See ya there!