A tasty tuna salad loaded with dried cranberries, celery, onion, simple spices, lemon juice & a touch of mayo! These cranberry apple tuna salad bites are so much fun & make a quick & easy lunch!

A honeycrisp apple slice topped with cranberry tuna salad sitting on a wood cutting board

I feel like tuna salad is one of those things where you either love it or hate it…or are super picky and only eat it a certain way. (That last one used to be me!) But these cranberry apple tuna salad bites have me singing a different tune! The tuna salad itself is sweet, tart, crunchy, savory and a little salty – all the things you want in a yummy tuna salad! It’s then scooped up and served over crisp apple slices that take it to a whole other level! Plus they’re so much fun to eat too! It’s perfect for grab and go lunches, after school snacks or anytime you just don’t feel like cooking!

I originally made these little bites for a client and decided they were so good – they had to go on the blog!

Ingredients used to make cranberry apple tuna salad bites

Ingredients For Your Tuna Salad Bites

Canned tuna: Use your favorite canned tuna brand.
Dried cranberries: Add as little or as much as you want!
Celery: Gives your tuna salad some added crunch!
Green onion: Use the green AND white parts of the onion for maximum flavor!
Mayonnaise: A must for tuna salad (in my opinion😉)! You won’t need a lot, just enough to “coat” the tuna.
Lemon juice: Adds moisture and more flavoring! (You’ll only need about half a lemon – roughly 1½ teaspoons.)
Spices: We’re keeping it simple with just some salt and black pepper to taste!
Apples: The perfect vessel for your tuna salad! Crisp sweet apples like Honeycrisp or Fuji apples work the best for this recipe!

A shallow mixing bowl filled with canned tuna, dried cranberries, chopped celery, sliced green onion, mayonnaise, salt and black pepper

A shallow mixing bowl filled with cranberry tuna salad surrounded by a small bowl of diced celery and lemon wedges

How To Make Cranberry Apple Tuna Salad Bites

1. Prepare your ingredients. Drain your tuna and mash it with a fork in a shallow bowl. Then chop your celery and slice your green onion.

2. Mix. Add your celery, onion, dried cranberries, mayonnaise and lemon juice to the bowl with your tuna and give it a good mix. Then season it with salt and pepper to taste. (Adjust seasonings accordingly.)

3. Cut your apple. Then cut your apple into thin slices and remove the core from each slice.

4. Serve! Scoop a spoonful of your tuna salad onto each apple slice and serve!

Apple slices topped with cranberry tuna salad sitting on a wood cutting board surrounded by lemon wedges and a small bowl of diced celery

Storing Your Cranberry Tuna Salad

Tuna salad is amazing when it comes to leftovers or “make-ahead” meals! To store it, simply place your tuna salad in an air tight container and keep it chilled in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat. It should stay good for 3-5 days if stored properly.

A can of Wild Planet albacore tuna sitting on a wood cutting board next to apple slices topped with cranberry tuna salad

FAQ’s

What brand of tuna do you use? We love using Wild Planet Albacore Tuna. It’s hand packed, dolphin safe and canned in it’s own natural juices.

I love carbs! What else can I serve my cranberry tuna salad with? We love it with sea salt or whole wheat crackers or sandwiched between bread slices! (Sometimes I’ll add a little chopped apple to my salad if I serve it this way.😉)

How do I core my apple slices? Take a spoon and scoop out the center of each slice. Or you can use a knife to cut out the center in a little box shape.

Why you’ll love this tuna salad recipe!

Inexpensive! No fancy or mile long list of ingredients here! Just simple every day ingredients that most of you already have at home!
Low carb & packed with protein! Sliced apples make the perfect vessel for your tuna salad & the tuna itself is already packed with protein!
Perfect for the kiddos! These little bites are so fun to eat & make a great after school snack or easy lunch option! (They’re fun for the kid in all of us!😉)
Sweet & savory! Tart cranberries & sweet apples add the perfect amount of sweetness to counter your naturally salty tuna!

Need it gluten free? Great news, it already is!

Need it dairy free? Great news, it already is! (Mayo is dairy free but not vegan.)

More recipes you might like:

[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments. I love seeing what you create!]

Print Recipe Pin It!