This vegan Autumn Broccoli Slaw captures the essence of the season in one simple bowl. It’s a no-mayo slaw that gets its bright flavor from an apple cider and pure maple syrup dressing. Ready in 25 minutes, it’s a great choice for weeknight dinners or holiday gatherings.
Why You’ll Love This Autumn Slaw
- No-Mayo Dressing: This slaw is light, tangy, and fresh. It gets its flavor from an apple cider vinaigrette instead of a heavy mayonnaise base.
- The Perfect Fall Flavors: Itโs loaded with the best of the seasonโcrisp apples, sweet dried cranberries, and crunchy toasted pecans.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: This is the perfect potluck or holiday side dish. You can prep the dressing and the slaw mix in advance and toss them together right before serving.
- Vegan & Gluten-Free: It’s a healthy, simple side dish that everyone at the table can enjoy.
What You Will Need:
- 2-12 ounce bags of broccoli slaw
- 1 medium red onion sliced thin
- 2 cups of toasted pecans (or your favorite nut)
- 1 cup of dried cranberries
- 2 apples (Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith) sliced into matchsticks
- ยฝ cup of avocado oil
- ยผ cup of apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons of Sugar or pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon of sea salt

Options for Your Broccoli Slaw Ingredients
The slaw can be changed up very easily. The first option is to change the type of roasted nuts you add or the nuts can be omitted completely if you like. I used pistachios and pecans when I was trying out this recipe. Walnuts would be delicious also. Avocado oil is used because it is flavorless and lighter than olive oil. The flavors of the slaw are more pronounced. To get the onions really this you can use a mandoline if you like. There are many options with the apples. Tart, sweet, or a mixture of both will add to the Autumn Broccoli Slaw. The apples really bring out the fall flavors of the slaw.
Bringing the Easy Broccoli Slaw Together
First, put the broccoli slaw, onions, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and apples into a large bowl. To make the Autumn slaw dressing, add the avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, sea salt, and pepper into a bowl. The pure maple syrup is not pancake syrup. If you can’t find the pure maple syrup you can use sugar. Whisk the dressing together until combined and put over the broccoli mixture. Combine well. I used tongs to combine. They seemed to work the easiest.
If you like this recipe you will love my broccoli ramen slaw and my apple Swiss salad!
This slaw would go great with my slow roasted pork shoulder recipe!
FAQ’s
Yes, you can prepare this slaw a few hours ahead. For the best crunch, combine the slaw ingredients in one bowl and keep the dressing in a separate container. Toss them together just before serving.
Once the dressing is added, the slaw will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The slaw will soften over time but will still be delicious.
This recipe is very flexible. You can easily substitute the pecans with toasted walnuts, slivered almonds, or even roasted pumpkin seeds for a different flavor and crunch. For a nut-free version, simply omit them.
This slaw pairs wonderfully with roasted meats like my slow-roasted pork shoulder, grilled chicken, or baked salmon. It’s also a fantastic side for sandwiches or burgers.
Absolutely. While I use avocado oil for its neutral flavor, you could also use a light olive oil or another neutral-flavored oil like grapeseed oil.

Easy No-Mayo Autumn Slaw
Ingredients
- 2-12 ounce bags of broccoli slaw
- 1 medium red onion sliced thin
- 2 cups of toasted pecans or your favorite nut
- 1 cup of dried cranberries
- 2 apples Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith sliced into matchsticks
- ยฝ cup of avocado oil
- ยผ cup of apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons of Sugar or pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon of sea salt
Method
- Combine slaw, onions, pecans, cranberries, and apples in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the avocado oil, vinegar, sugar, pepper and salt.
- Add and combine the oil mixture to the slaw mixture and serve.
Nutrition
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Key Takeaways
- The Autumn Broccoli Slaw is a no-mayo recipe featuring a dressing made with apple cider and pure maple syrup.
- It takes only 25 minutes to prepare and is perfect for weeknight dinners or holiday gatherings.
- You can customize ingredients like nuts and apples to enhance flavor and crunch.
- Store the slaw without dressing for freshness, combining it just before serving, and enjoy it with roasted meats.
- This slaw pairs well with various main dishes and can be made ahead of time for convenience.

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