Classic Coleslaw Recipe (Easy Creamy Homemade Coleslaw)

Classic coleslaw is basically just shredded cabbage and carrots in a little bit sweet and a little bit tangy homemade dressing! It’s an easy recipe for a delicious homemade coleslaw which is the perfect side dish to go with pork sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, fish, chicken and more at the next backyard barbecue.

Simple + Easy Coleslaw Recipe – Homemade from Scratch!

Ok, I admit it. I’m a sucker for a simple side of coleslaw from Kentucky Fried Chicken. Crispy fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and coleslaw go well together. Oh, and a biscuit. Can’t forget those!

Well, we eat at KFC maybe once a year? Not super often. And it’s actually not that hard to make those very dishes at home; not to mention, they are much better when they’re homemade! (Check out our recipe for the best mashed potatoes and homemade gravy!)

Cabbage is a cool weather crop, so every spring I like to grow a few plants in my garden before summer’s heat hits. We don’t really care for sauerkraut, so naturally I think of coleslaw. Roasted or fried cabbage is ok too, though I think coleslaw would have to be my favorite way to eat cabbage!

This homemade coleslaw recipe is fairly quick and easy to make with basic ingredients. Classic creamy coleslaw is a great salad to pair with a wide variety of main dishes!

Ingredients

• Cabbage – a head of cabbage – the main ingredient. Today I used only green (because that’s what I had) but it is very pretty to use a blend of green and purple cabbage! Or you can even buy the pre-shredded cabbage, or a bag of coleslaw mix from the grocery store. As long as you have around eight cups of shredded cabbage, it shouldn’t really matter what kind or color.
  
• Carrot – shredded carrots add more color and flavor to the coleslaw.

For the creamy dressing:

• Mayonnaise – and it really needs to be real mayonnaise in this mayo-based dressing; we definitely don’t recommend substituting with something like Miracle Whip. I haven’t gotten into making my own homemade mayonnaise yet, so I use Hellman’s or a generic brand of mayo.
  
• Buttermilk – the surprise secret ingredient! It adds a slightly tangy creaminess. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use regular milk or even half and half!
  
• Vinegar – I prefer white vinegar since I don’t care for the flavor of apple cider vinegar in my coleslaw.
  
• Lemon juice – together with the vinegar, lemon juice adds the classic tang to coleslaw.
  
• Sugar – balance out the tanginess with – you guessed it – granulated white sugar.
  
• Salt 
  
• Celery seed – adds a bunch of flavor to the coleslaw, and it’s important, in my opinion; however, my husband doesn’t care for the flavor of celery seeds, so I shall mark it “optional”. What’s your opinion: add the celery seeds or skip it?

Find the full recipe on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!

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Supplies 

• Peeler – to peel the carrot.
  
• Food processor – we usually use this thing to chop cabbage for coleslaw, but you can also hand shred it with a box grater or chop it coarsely with a sharp knife.
  
• Large bowl – for mixing
  
• Blender – you can totally use a small bowl and whisk to mix up the dressing, but I find it does work wonderfully to use the little Magic Bullet blender to quickly blend the dressing!
  
• Measuring cups and spoons
  
• A spatula or two

How to make our Classic Coleslaw Recipe

Chop the cabbage into small pieces. (You can chop it by hand with a knife and cutting board or use a grater or electric food processor.)

Peel and grate the carrot.

Mix the dressing together (we used a blender for this) then toss everything all together in a large mixing bowl.

Chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!

How to store Classic Coleslaw

Coleslaw is best the day it’s made! Store any leftover coleslaw in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 

Tips, Tricks + Notes 

Taste before you toss. One great habit to get into while cooking is to taste your food while you’re making it. After making the homemade coleslaw dressing, give it a taste! Too tangy? Add a little more mayo. Too bland? Add a little more salt. Too sweet? Add another splash of lemon juice or vinegar. And just know, coleslaw is one of those dishes where everyone is going to have a slightly different opinion, so you probably won’t please everyone!

Eat it the day it’s made. You can prep everything ahead a couple of days but wait to mix the coleslaw together with the dressing until the day you want to serve it! Another great way of doing it, store the dressing and the shredded cabbage separately in the fridge, then only mix up the amount you need for your family for dinner! That way, you can have fresh coleslaw again the next day.

Don’t over-shred. If you’re using a food processor, be careful! It’s rather easy to shred that cabbage to a pulp before you realize it. (Don’t ask me how I know! lol) I find that it works best to chop the cabbage very coarsely with a knife first, then don’t fill the food processor very full and carefully pulse a little at a time.

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Did you try our traditional coleslaw recipe?

How did it go for you? Leave a comment below!

As always…

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’til next time,

We love you and we’ll be praying for you,

Julie