We can’t get enough of this creamy coleslaw recipe. It’s officially our all-time favorite, and the dressing is so good. Trust us, you’re going to love it!
We’ve made this homemade coleslaw so many times, and we are always happy we did. It turns out incredibly fresh and crunchy, thanks to a dressing that hits the perfect balance of tangy and creamy. In fact, we love this coleslaw dressing so much that we use it for our popular broccoli slaw, too!
We first shared this recipe years ago, and we’ve since heard from so many of you that it’s the best coleslaw you’ve ever made (read the reviews below to see what we mean). It’s the perfect side dish for so many meals throughout the year. Based on your feedback, we know many of you love serving it alongside our baked ribs, pork burgers, and pulled pork (a combination we absolutely can’t blame you for!). If you’re looking for mayo-free slaw, we love this vinegar coleslaw!
Key Ingredients
- Cabbage: We 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. We’ve also used broccoli to make this recipe. See our broccoli slaw recipe to see how we cut broccoli for coleslaw. When we are short on time, we love the shortcut of using a bag of pre-shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix!
- Carrots: They add color, a little sweetness, and flavor. Use the large holes on a box grater to shred the carrots for this. Or, buy a bag of pre-shredded carrots.
- Parsley: We add fresh herbs to most of our salads and slaws and especially love parsley in this recipe.
- Homemade Coleslaw Dressing: We’ve tried many coleslaw recipes and are convinced our dressing is the best. Made with mayonnaise (try homemade mayo), vinegar, mustard, and celery seeds, it’s the perfect blend of creamy, zesty, and fresh. For a mayo-free dressing, see our cilantro lime slaw or this red wine vinegar slaw. We don’t add sugar to our dressing, but if you prefer a sweeter dressing, feel free to add a teaspoon or two of sugar or honey.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Coleslaw
Tip 1: Thinly shred the cabbage. To prepare cabbage for coleslaw, remove any damaged outer leaves. Cut the head of cabbage into quarters and slice out the core. Then, thinly slice the quarters to create perfect, fine shreds. Or, if you have a shredded attachment for your food processor, you can use it here. This same technique works great for making homemade sauerkraut!
→ To save some time, skip hand-shredding the cabbage and use bagged coleslaw mix.
Tip 2: Make our coleslaw dressing. To make our favorite coleslaw dressing, stir mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and celery seeds. Season with salt and pepper, then add it to your shredded cabbage.
Tip 3: Hold back a bit of the dressing. When you are ready to mix the coleslaw, start with two-thirds of the dressing. Toss well to coat, then add more as needed until you reach your perfect consistency. This simple step is the best way to prevent your coleslaw from getting soggy. If you have some dressing leftover, see my tips below the recipe for how to use it.
Tip 4: Let coleslaw rest. For the best flavor, refrigerate for one hour before serving. This resting period allows the flavors to meld and the cabbage to soften slightly, giving you a more delicious result. If you’re short on time, you can serve it immediately, but the flavor will be even better with a little rest.
What to Serve With Coleslaw
Serve this with just about anything. It’s the perfect side dish for summer potlucks and cookouts. I love it with hamburgers, turkey burgers, pork ribs, and grilled chicken. It’s also excellent served on top of sandwiches. Try this pulled pork on a sandwich or makes these BBQ chicken sandwiches. I also love it served next to crab cakes and lobster rolls!
If you are serving this alongside other potluck sides, consider adding a bowl of one of these easy salads:
- Creamy Potato Salad
- Creamy Macaroni Pasta Salad
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- Cucumber Salad
- No-Mayo Herb Potato Salad
More Cabbage Recipes
- Roasted Cabbage
- Asian Slaw
- Sautéed Cabbage
- Steamed Cabbage with Lime Butter
- Napa Cabbage Salad
- Vinegar Coleslaw
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
- or, see all of our Cabbage Recipes
Easy Creamy Coleslaw
- PREP
- TOTAL
Here’s how we make classic coleslaw! The dressing is super simple, but so delicious. We don’t add any sugar to this dressing and love it without. To make this a sweeter coleslaw, add a teaspoon or two of sugar to the dressing before mixing with the cabbage and carrots. When we have it in the kitchen, we love using homemade mayonnaise!
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 medium cabbage, about 2 pounds, outer leaves removed
3 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
½ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 cup (225 g) mayonnaise, see homemade mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard or coarse ground mustard
1 teaspoon celery seeds
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar or honey (optional 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 medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, celery seeds, salt, and pepper. 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. If it 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 soften.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Coleslaw keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Past that, the cabbage becomes floppy and less crunchy.
- Make ahead: Shred the 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.
- Store-bought coleslaw mix: You can buy pre-shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix. One large (16-ounce) bag should do the trick.
- Leftover dressing: Use it as a spread for sandwiches, a vegetable dip, 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.
Great receipe . I omitted the carrots ( they are mostly used as a filler and too sweet). Definitely the two coloured cabbages…and the rest of the recipe. Really great as is !
This is a great coleslaw! I was asked to bring it to a BBQ and didn’t want to make a “boring” slaw again. This one is definitely well flavored! I was afraid to add that much dijon, but did add 1 Tbs and then some finely chopped red onion, which I soaked for a bit in water first to give it less of a raw bite. The parsley was a nice surprise. My husband is picky about coleslaw, and enjoyed this one. Look forward to sharing it with my friends tonight. Thank you!
You are so welcome. We are so happy you loved the recipe 🙂
Love this recipe but 2 tbsp of mustard was too much……cut it back to 1tbsp…..if you have it a bit of freshly chopped dill brightens the flavor …..the celery seeds are what makes this recipe a big winner
I love creamy coleslaw! My husband “hates” it, yet loves this recipe. Go figure. So this has been my go to my coleslaw recipe for years. I think he doesn’t like the sweetness of other recipes. I just use a touch of honey and it’s perfect. I recently bought a cheap veggie shredder at Dollarama and it really makes it even better!
Love that Coleslaw! So yummy!
I’ve made this many times. Always a winner!! It’s so good! I add raisins which which adds a bit more sweetness and texture. I’ve added raw lightly salted pumpkins seeds too.
I enjoyed this coleslaw recipe very much. This is the second time preparing it. This time I had to make some substitutions as I did not have all the ingredients. It still resulted in a very creamy and tasty cole slaw. I used red cabbage and the stems of cilantro finely minced. Used maple syrup instead of sugar and carraway seeds to replace the celery seeds. I had all the other ingredients and used as suggested in the recipe. Very good.
Honestly – the dressing itself is like if Ranch and Ceaser had a beautiful baby. Only change was that used 1.5tsp celery salt instead of seeds and dropped the original salt listed…so overall very close to the same thing. May actualy be my new favorite salad dressing for any kind of salad.
Great dressing thank u.
I just stumbled upon your recipe and made it, with some substitutions, and one question. My cabinet was out of celery seeds however the Chinese Five Spice caught my eye and I thought it a reasonable substitute. It isn’t half bad!!! On the ACV I only have Braggs w/ honey cayenne. It also resulted in a very pleasant taste. So with that being said……
can ground celery seed be used instead of whole seeds and if so will the measurement remain the same? Thank you for this recipe,,,,, my functional medicine doctor wants me to begin eating more colors, particularly purple and I find this a delightful place to start.
It was pretty good. We found it a bit dry and added more mayo. We also used Trader Joe’s Dijon which I think has a much stronger flavor than Grey Poupon. It was a bit overpowering. We’ll adjust and try again.
I think 2 tbsp of any mustard is overpowering
Hi, I have always added shredded onion to my mix, is there a reason why you don’t? Thanks
Not my recipe but I just made it with my own twist- shred the onion first and let it stand in the ACV and salt whilst you prep everything else. Seriously the best. Also I used half a medium cabbage and one carrot to get 8 cups.
This has become my go-to dish whenever I am invited to a potluck. The first time I did, people were really enchated (I live in the French Caribbean so this is not a dish people are familiar with) and the host asked me for the recipes. I made it again the following time I was invited and the response was the same. Now, whenever I am invited at my cousin, they request I bring it. So, let’s just say that now I no longer get stuck about what to bring to a potluck. It’s always this dish and I know it will be well received, so thank you so much for that and wishing all the best creating wonderful recipes 🙂
You made our day with this review 🙂
OMG! Have been cooking well over 50 years. This is the best coleslaw I have ever made. Even made the homemade mayo. Everything is quick and easy. Will be trying more of your recipes. Thank you, boun appetito!
I’m going to try this for easter dinner. I know it will be great bc all the recipes I have tried from this site have been excellent!
Even after mixing in all the dressing, this isn’t creamy at all and just tastes like salted cabbage. I ended up doubling the dressing and adding a whole lot more vinegar and sugar to make it taste anything like coleslaw.
Hi Austin, I am sorry the coleslaw didn’t turn out well. It sounds like something happened, though, because we find this coleslaw well dressed with the dressing. Is it possible that you had more cabbage than what’s recommended in the recipe?
The best coleslaw on Earth, better than all the ones Ive eaten in restaurants (in Toronto.) A few tips : Use flat/ oval cabbage-Softer and creamy, sprinkle the salt onto the shredded cabbages instead of the sauce. Wait for about 1-2 hrs to sweat some liquid off of the cabbage. Discard the liquid. Use brown sugar for better taste and colour. Dissolve the sugar into the vinegar first before mixing in the remaining sauces, this way, there wouldn’t be any solid/sandy texture in the sauce.
Easy great taste for side dish
Tasty
Loved this! I also made your homemade mayo for it. I’m generally not a mayo based slaw fan, but this was still vinegar forward so it was perfect. But it’s the celery seeds that stole the show! Yummy!!
Hey guys! I just love all your recipes… They all always work out and are delicious! This coleslaw is the best I’ve ever made, especially with the homemade mayonnaise. Please keep updating your website, you are a great help to home cooks looking for new recipes! Much love from Brazil!!
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
Absolutely delicious..I used wholegrain mustard because I didn’t have Dijon to hand. We won’t be buying ready made coleslaw again!
I have always hated coleslaw because it’s so sweet. Who wants to eat sugar coated veggies?! Yuck! I’m glad I found this recipe. I used half the Dijon and it came out tasty. Thanks!
Just made a small batch of slaw with this dressing to accompany our dinner tonight. It’s delicious and you’re right about it not needing sugar/honey. I cut the recipe in half because the batch of slaw is small. Perfect!
Good recipe. I have never liked sweet coleslaw. I realize most fast food slaw and store slaw dressings have lots of sugar. Not a matter of diet. I just don’t like the taste. Most of the time I just use mayo and pickle juice. Another addition that works is a can of kidney beans like mom used to make.
I make lots of dressing for fresh veggies not just our coleslaw so what would you suggest for an expiration date, would you just go off of the expiration of the mayo?
Hi Mike, this dressing is wonderful on veggies. We usually keep some extra in our fridge for about a week.
I add minced fresh jalapenos and pineapple chunks to this recipe. try it. big seller
Absolutely delicious! Have added to my recipe binder. Note: I did salt, drain and rinse the green cabbage first.
Simply wow. Will leave 5 stars because I cannot leave 10. Just finished my Coleslaw now to serve with Brazilian style BBQ, boiled cauliflower and a big fresh salad for our summer lunch. Amazing recipe that went straight to my Paprika app. Following your social media channels in 3,2,1… Thanks a lot
So happy that you loved it Laila. Happy Cooking!