
Cozy fall nights are made for roasting, braising, and glazing. But all those hot, belly-warming fall plates need an autumn-inspired side dish to cool things down, while still packing a punch.
Enter this Honey Mustard Cole Slaw that is loaded with seasonal flavors. It’s made with apples and bacon – which I’m convinced can up the game on literally any dish you add them to. And it’s coated in a jazzed up honey mustard sauce that is the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Scallions, garlic and a hint of maple also help spice up this side dish.
Bring all these ingredients together and the result is a crispy, crunchy slaw that is sweet, a little tart and pickly, while being smooth and creamy all at the same time. The fat from the bacon, the bite of acidity from vinegar and mustard, combined with the smooth sweetness of the honey and maple syrup… it’s like they were made to find each other.
This slaw makes an amazing complement to so many roasted or barbecued meats… including my Apple Cider Roasted Chicken recipe. You could also throw it over some greens, top with some protein add have an autumn-inspired lunch. Keep scrolling for the easy steps to make this side dish that you’ll keep coming back to all season long.

Making Honey Mustard Cole Slaw
This simple slaw recipe has three quick steps to bring it together. Make bacon, make sauce, toss everything together with the veggies. Bam, done. Doesn’t get much easier than that.
The first thing you want to do is make your crispy bacon bits. Get some bacon going in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook until its browned and most of the fat is rendered out. I like to cut my bacon into little pieces using kitchen scissors before tossing them into the pan to cook. You can also cook the bacon in strips and chop it up afterwards. Either way, just make sure you get it on to a plate to drain off the grease before you use it.
For the veggie base of this slaw, use a basic mix of green and red cabbage plus shredded carrots. You can find bags of slaw mix pre-chopped and ready to go at the grocery store.
To spruce it up from there, add to the mix a handful of thinly sliced apple. I recommend slicing the apple, and then chopping the slices into thin little strips. Thinly slice about half a red onion and add that as well, along with about 3 chopped green onions.
PRO TIP: If your veggies are all relatively the same size and shape, it helps everything distribute evenly, so you get a fork full of all the ingredients in every bite.
Finally, mix together the quick Honey Mustard sauce. It starts with – you guessed it, equal parts honey and Dijon mustard. To that, throw in a little bit of maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, plus a pinch of garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk everything together until the dressing is smooth, and pour it all over the Cole slaw mix.
Toss everything together to coat and your Cole slaw is ready to go. For best results, I recommend popping in the fridge to chill for at least half an hour before serving.
This slaw can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days.


Let me know if you give thIs Honey Mustard Cole Slaw a try! I love to hear from you in the comments, or tag me on instagram @eat.think.live and let me see your creation! Plus, you can check out the rest of my recipes HERE.

Honey Mustard Cole Slaw
Ingredients
For the Cole Slaw
- 4 Strips Bacon Cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 Cups Shredded Cabbage & Carrots Mix
- 1/2 Cup Apples Thinly sliced
- 1/2 Red Onion Thinly sliced
- 3 Green Onions Chopped
For the Honey Mustard Dressing
- 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tsp Maple Syrup
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- In a small skillet, cook the bacon over medium high heat until it has browned and most of the fat is rendered out. Then place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until smooth, and add a generous pinch of salt & pepper.
- Once the bacon has cooled, add all the slaw ingredients to a salad bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and toss until everything is coated.
- Suggested: chill in the fridge for at least half and hour before serving.
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