I can’t get enough of this creamy coleslaw. This easy recipe is officially my all-time favorite and the creamy dressing is so delicious. Trust me, you’ll love this homemade coleslaw recipe!
My favorite coleslaw is incredibly crunchy and tangy, with the most delicious creamy dressing. I love the dressing so much that I also use it on my broccoli slaw!
This slaw is fantastic, served with our pulled pork or served next to these amazing ribs. It’s also the perfect complement to other summery sides like our potato salad, corn salad, and pasta salad.
Key Ingredients
- Cabbage: I love using red and green cabbage (it looks so pretty), but you can use just one variety. Green, red, savoy, or Napa cabbage all work wonderfully. I’ve also used broccoli to make this recipe. See our broccoli slaw to see how I do it. If you’re short on time, try using a bag of pre-shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix.
- Carrots: Adds color, a little sweetness, and flavor. I use a box grater to shred my carrots, but you can also buy them pre-shredded if that is easier.
- Parsley: Adds color and fresh flavor.
- Homemade coleslaw dressing: Made with mayonnaise (try homemade mayo), vinegar, mustard, and celery seeds. For a vinegar-based dressing, see our mayo-free coleslaw.
How to Make the Best Coleslaw
I start with a head of cabbage. To prepare cabbage for coleslaw, remove any damaged outer leaves and cut the head into quarters. This will make it easier to slice the core at an angle.
Then, create the perfect coleslaw shreds by slicing the cabbage thinly (I cut cabbage the same way when making our homemade sauerkraut). Remember, you can combine red and green cabbage (like in our photos). This means you will have some leftover, but you can use it to make my favorite roasted cabbage or our bacon fried cabbage (yum).
I grate a few carrots, and chop fresh parsley (I love the extra pop of color they add), then toss everything with my favorite creamy coleslaw dressing. I’ve tried many coleslaw recipes, and this is the best creamy coleslaw dressing. It’s the perfect blend of creamy, zesty, and fresh.
To make my favorite coleslaw dressing, stir mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and celery seeds. Season with salt and pepper, and add it to your cabbage. I don’t add sugar to my coleslaw dressing, but if you prefer a sweeter dressing, feel free to add a teaspoon or two of sugar or honey.
After tossing the veggies with the dressing, you can serve the coleslaw straight away or slide it into the fridge for an hour, which helps the flavors meld a bit.
What to Serve with Coleslaw
Serve this coleslaw with just about anything. It’s perfect for summer cookouts. I love it with burgers, turkey burgers, pork ribs, and grilled chicken. It’s also excellent served on top of sandwiches. Try this pulled pork sandwich or BBQ chicken sandwich. I also love it served next to crab cakes and lobster rolls!
Easy Creamy Coleslaw Recipe
- PREP
- TOTAL
Here’s how I make my favorite creamy coleslaw! The dressing is super simple but so delicious. I don’t add sugar to the dressing and love it without. To make this a sweeter coleslaw, add a teaspoon or two of sugar (or honey) to the dressing before mixing with the cabbage and carrots.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 medium cabbage, about 2 pounds, outer leaves removed
3 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup (225g) mayonnaise, try homemade mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard or coarse ground mustard
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar or honey, optional, add for a sweeter coleslaw
Directions
1Quarter the cabbage through the core, and then cut out the core. Cut each quarter crosswise in half and finely shred. Place the shredded cabbage in a very large bowl (you will have 6 to 8 cups).
2Add the shredded carrot and parsley to the cabbage and toss to mix.
3In a separate bowl, stir the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, celery seeds, salt, and pepper together. Taste for acidity and seasoning, then adjust as desired. If the dressing tastes too tart and you prefer a sweeter coleslaw, stir in the optional sugar.
4Pour two-thirds of the dressing over the cabbage and carrot, then mix well. (Clean hands are the quickest tool).
5If the coleslaw seems dry, add a little more of the dressing. Eat immediately or let it sit in the refrigerator for about an hour to let the flavors mingle and the cabbage softens.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Cabbage: Use green, red, savoy, or Napa cabbage. For a multi-colored or multi-textured coleslaw, use a combination of two varieties.
- Store-bought bagged coleslaw mix: You can buy pre-shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix. 1 large (16-ounce) bag should do the trick.
- Storing: Coleslaw keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Past that, the cabbage becomes floppy and less crunchy.
- Make ahead: Shred veggies a day or two in advance and keep them in a resealable bag in the fridge. Make the dressing up to 2 weeks in advance. Combine the cabbage, carrots, and dressing the night before or the day of serving.
- Leftover dressing: This can be used as a spread for sandwiches, dip for vegetables, served alongside the coleslaw, or with grilled or roasted vegetables, chicken, or meats.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have omitted salt and sugar.
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Good job
Great base recipe for coleslaw, and easy to make. Went really well with a pork roast. This is going to be on regluar rotation this Summer!
Never tried making coleslaw as I always thought that onions were essential, so glad I found this recipe 😋 it is amazing! This is now a firm presence on our table. Thank you!!!
Excellent! I made your recipe today. I only had the red cabbage and mustard powder instead of dijon– but I had everything else. I don’t add sweetener. I make my own vegan mayo, so I used that. I had two small radishes, and decided to grate them in. I have always used onions, but I am liking it more without. This is the best coleslaw I ever made, and it will be a staple. Thank You!
Love your personal changes and we are thrilled you loved it 🙂
I loved the coleslaw and it was a big hit at a family gathering, even though my husband added a bit more sugar to his portion. I do have a question about the nutritional values per portion. I’m watching calories and carbs and this recipes seems great, but what is considered a portion–1/2 cup maybe?
Hi Diane, The nutritional info assumes 10 servings. While I would need to make it and then measure it out again, I would imagine 1/2 cup would be close.
I loved this recipe, and I think it was the most delicious recipe I’ve ever made. I also made it myself, and added a little more than the recipe called for. We printed out the recipe for more enjoyment too. P.S. no wonder it has 5 stars.
That’s wonderful, Riley. We are so happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Thanks for the recipe. It was waaay too sour for me . One T of vinegar would have sufficed. It needed several tsp. of sugar to balance out the flavors.
Hi Kathy, Thanks for coming back and letting us know. We don’t lean towards sweeter coleslaw, so that’s why our dressing is more punchy. I’m glad you were able to sweeten it to your tastes!
Just wanted to say that if you are using store bought mayonnaise, you might not want to add any salt to the dressing. On my mayonnaise jar, it says that 1 T. contains 75mg of sodium, so I advise only adding salt to taste after it’s all mixed together. I never add salt to my potato salad now because the first time I made it, I followed the recipe and added the mayo and salt as listed, and it was much too salty. So, now I just let everyone add their own salt if they think it’s needed. I do love all your recipes and videos! Your instructions are very easy to follow. Keep up the good work.
the recipe was good l liked it