This is a quick, easy and healthier recipe for Hawaiian macaroni salad. This salad is so creamy, tangy and sweet you won’t believe it’s actually good for you!
Healthier Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Who doesn’t like a creamy macaroni salad! Tangy, creamy and with a slight crunch from carrots and some times celery, they make a delicious side to fried chicken (KFC’s macaroni salad – I must confess I have a weakness for it) or anything that goes on an outdoor barbecue grill. The only downside to creamy macaroni salads is that they are usually high in fat and bad for the waistline.
Why does fat have to taste so good!
I went online looking for a healthy Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe because I love the tangy and sweet combo of the dressing. But I couldn’t find anything I liked; most of the recipes contained lots of mayonnaise, whole milk and sugar.
Eek!
This gave me the idea to create a healthier Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe that I can enjoy without feeling like my waistline is expanding after every bite.
I used a combination of half light mayonnaise, 2% Greek yogurt and 2% milk and the result was just as creamy as a full fat mayo and whole milk macaroni salad. Isn’t it great that you can have a bowl of Hawaiian macaroni salad that’s lower in fat but retains the same amount of creaminess and flavor?
Not only that but you get a boost of probiotics, calcium and vitamin B from the Greek yogurt. All good things to keep your body functioning well and protecting your tummy from viruses.
We like!
This Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe serves six to eight people and can keep in the fridge for about a week.
Serve this tangy Hawaiian macaroni salad with grilled marinated shrimps, salmon croquettes with sriracha dill sauce or baby back ribs.
Did you like this Healthier Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
PrintHealthier Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
This is a healthier recipe for Hawaiian macaroni salad. This salad is so creamy, tangy and sweet you won’t believe it’s actually good for you!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 people 1x
- Category: Salads
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound dry elbow macaroni
- 1 small carrot (shredded)
- 5 stalks scallions (finely chopped)
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup 2% greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup 2% milk
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook elbow macaroni until al dente, according to directions on the package. Drain and rinse under cold water until the macaroni is room temperature. Drain well.
- Put all the ingredients for the Hawaiian macaroni salad in a bowl and stir until all the ingredients are mixed and macaroni is evenly coated.
- Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve cold.
Notes
Look for the word Gluten-Free for mayonnaise. Some brands like Hampton Creek’s Just Mayo, Heinz Light Mayonnaise, Vegenaise or Trader Joe’s Mayonnaise.
This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe Is:
Low in cholesterol
High in selenium
High in vitamin A
Keywords: recipe, appetizer, side dish, barbecue, pot luck
Françoise says
June 27, 2019 at 1:54 pmI added two chopped imitation crab sticks, celery (as suggested in an earlier post), & just a splish of chile piquín-infused vinegar, which adds an itty-bitty bit of heat. Thanks, Carolyn & Hawai’i, for another great summer dish.
Caroline Phelps says
June 27, 2019 at 4:16 pmThank you Francoise! 🙂
Auntie Doni says
January 4, 2019 at 8:00 pmMy Macaroni Salad isn’t exactly health-ful, but us folks from Hawaii love our Mac Salad served on the side of just about everything. Try it with some Brown Gravy poured over it too 😉
I like to add finely chopped Celery; maybe a can of drained Tuna or if I’m feeling flush, some cooked Shrimp. Oh, and sliced Black Olives are Ono too… MMM!
And my I say that adding Pineapple to a dish doesn’t make it “Hawaiian”. Actually, Pineapple originates from South America, just sayin’
Aloha Y’all
Marivic Pinedo says
July 20, 2017 at 7:31 pmThis is super yummy. Hawaiian macaroni salad can be one of my downfalls! So a healthy recipe had to be tried. Now… I didn’t use light mayo, but used less of regular mayo and more yogurt. And I’m not sure if using wheat macaroni changes noodle-to-stuff ration, but I made more noodles, as it turned out a little more creamy than I preferred. I also added some shredded chicken… because I like chicken in my macaroni salad. That all said, the flavors are super good. the apple cider vinegar-honey-olive oil combo is delicious. The scallions and carrots add a lovely crunchy texture to it, too.
Tobius says
September 6, 2016 at 7:45 amI have to admit I was wrong, when I saw the word Hawaiian, I thought to myself, well this is not something I will be able to eat, it will have pineapple in it (deathly allergic to it).
But I went ahead and read the ingredients list and to my surprise no pineapple! 🙂
So I made it, and it was sooo good, so thank you.
★★★★★
Caroline Phelps says
September 6, 2016 at 8:31 amThe word Hawaiian can definitely be misleading :)! Thank you Tobius, I’m glad you liked it!