This Gluten-Free Macaroni Salad is creamy, tangy, and made for summer BBQs. With sweet apple, lots of crunch, and a dairy-free dressing, it’s an easy pasta salad that doesn't turn dry or clump when stored, and everyone enjoys
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ⏲️Ready In: 20 minutes prep time + chilling
- 👪Serves: 9 cups
- 🍽 Calories and Protein: 258 kcals and 3 grams of protein
- 📋Main Ingredients: Quinoa pasta, celery, apple, pickles, spicy mustard, and avocado oil mayo.
- 📖 Dietary Notes: Dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian, can also be made vegan.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: This dairy-free macaroni salad keeps all the nostalgic summer BBQ vibes but in an allergy-friendly way.
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If you need an easy side dish that won’t stress you out, this dairy-free, gluten-free macaroni salad is my go-to for summer BBQs, potlucks, and “please bring something” gatherings. I’ve brought it to everything from family get-togethers to last-minute backyard hangs, usually alongside this quinoa balsamic salad and a strawberry daiquiri mocktail for the full summer vibe.
The best part? It’s quick to whip up and it actually gets better after a chill in the fridge just like this quinoa salad wrap (hello, make-ahead win). The sweet-and-tangy combo of apples + pickles is weirdly addictive, and it goes with basically any grilled main.
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💭Why You'll Love This Recipe
Flavorful: It's the balance of creamy, sweet, and tangy, thanks to a secret ingredient.
Meal prep: Just like classic pasta salad, you can make this recipe in advance to save yourself time in the kitchen.
Perfect pasta salad: This dairy-free pasta salad uses quinoa noodles that, once coated, don't stick together when chilled.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Quinoa macaroni noodles: You specifically want to go with quinoa pasta to make this dairy-free pasta salad. This is because quinoa noodles are most similar to "regular" noodles and one of the only gluten-free variations that don't stick together once chilled! Other pastas like chickpeas and brown rice turn to mush.
- Apples: We enjoy using a sweeter apple like Honey Crisp or Gala for this recipe.
- Pickles: Hear me out, adding pickles to pasta salad gives a wonderful flavor burst and is my secret ingredient when mayonnaise is involved, like these tuna salad stuffed peppers.
- Paleo mayo: If you want a healthy mayo, Primal Kitchen is the way to go. Their mayo is avocado oil-based, making it a great switch from traditional canola oil mayonnaise. You could use homemade mayonnaise as well, which is a great, healthy option too. makes the perfect addition to a picnic (and check out these cutest picnic ideas!)
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Cooked ham: My step-mother used to do this. Anytime we had leftover ham she'd cube it and make a ham and macaroni salad. You'd need about 1-2 cups of cubed ham.
Vegan: The only thing you need to make this a vegan macaroni salad is to use a vegan mayo as the base.
Onion: Adding ¼ cup of chopped red onion to the macaroni salad is great if it's being served to adults, as it gives it a mild spice and crisp texture.
How To Make Gluten-Free Macaroni Salad
Step 1: Prep your veggies.
Step 2: Cook the noodles until just soft.
Step 3: Whip together the dressing.
Step 4: Add it all together and mix well before letting it chill in the fridge.
Expert Tips To Make It
Quinoa-based, gluten-free elbow macaroni noodles is what ensures that your salad won't clump or turn mushy once chilled.
How to keep it creamy after chilling: Gluten-free noodles tend to absorb liquid, so if possible, reserve some of the dressing (about ⅛ cup) to stir into the pasta salad right before serving. Another way to regain the creaminess of the salad is to add a splash of apple cider vinegar to it before serving and give it a good stir.
Store leftover dairy-free macaroni salad in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Make sure to give it a good stir before re-serving.
How To Serve It
Serve this classic gluten-free macaroni salad alongside teriyaki chicken skewers, or a tasty dinner like Traeger smoked turkey or Smoked turkey legs. This Italian potato salad pairs well too.
It works as a mini meal in itself or as a side dish to something like Smoked Tomahawk Steak or Chicken Kabobs on Blackstone Griddle. Of course, bringing it to a potluck along with green hummus and crackers works also!
Gluten-Free Macaroni Salad FAQs
If you have the time, chill your ingredients (everything except the dressing) in the fridge prior to mixing with the dressing. This makes it so that the noodles don't absorb the mayonnaise as much. Thus, your salad will end up creamier. While this isn't necessary, it does make a tastier salad. However, you can also mix the pasta salad with the dressing, but reserve a little bit to stir in just before serving.
The only swap you need to make this recipe a vegan macaroni salad is to ensure you purchase a vegan mayo (preferably one that's avocado oil-based!).
The best gluten-free pasta for macaroni salad is quinoa noodles. These noodles hold their structure when mixed (they don't clump as much or turn mushy) and provide a classic pasta salad texture.
More Dairy-Free Recipes You'll Love
If you tried this Gluten-Free Macaroni Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!
Classic Gluten-Free Macaroni Salad
Video
Equipment
- Salad tongs
Ingredients
- 3 cups quinoa pasta
- 4 stalks celery diced
- 1 apple diced,
- 6 pickles sliced in half and diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- ½ cup avocado oil dairy free mayo
- 2 tbs avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain, rinse and cool in the fridge.
- Add in all the diced veggies and mix.
- Whisk together the mayo and mustard and mix into the pasta.
- Mix very, very well until everything is combined.
- Let set in the fridge overnight or at least 6 hours,
Notes
- If you have time, mix all the ingredients for the macaroni salad except the dressing and chill briefly (30 minutes to one hour) in the fridge. Add in the dressing afterward and return to the fridge. This makes for a creamier pasta salad as the mayonnaise does not absorb the dressing as much.
- Chop your apples into smaller pieces than normal so that every bite of pasta salad has some sweetness.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container. It should last 3-4 days. Make sure to stir it before serving again.
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Shelby S says
The apple and pickle combo is the best kind of sweet and salty.