Amish Macaroni Salad with Jaca
This is the sweet-and-tangy, extra-creamy macaroni salad that steals the show at every cookout, church picnic, and Fourth of July spread — tender elbow macaroni tossed with chopped hard-boiled egg, crisp celery, onion, and red bell pepper, all coated in a rich, deliberately sweet dressing built on creamy salad dressing, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, and a hit of celery seed. What sets Amish macaroni salad apart from every other version is that sweetness, and that is exactly what makes our Jaca swap shine. We replace every bit of the conventional white sugar with Jaca (100% pure allulose) at double the amount: 1 1/2 cups of granular Jaca in the dressing in place of 3/4 cup of sugar — so you get the same signature sweet-tangy Amish flavor with no added sugar and no aftertaste. Because allulose is only about 70% as sweet as the sugar we grew up with, doubling it lands the sweetness right where it should be. Allulose dissolves cleanly, so whisk it into the dressing until smooth and it melts right in with no graininess. It comes together in about 25 minutes, then chills in the fridge until it is cold and the flavors have melded — and it feeds a crowd of 12. Adapted from The Suburban Soapbox. This is a Jaca-adjusted healthier version.
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked)
- 3 large hard-boiled eggs (chopped)
- 1 cup onion (diced)
- 3 stalks celery (chopped)
- 1 cup red bell pepper (diced)
- 2 cups creamy salad dressing (Miracle Whip or mayonnaise)
- 1 1/2 cups Jaca (allulose), granular (for the dressing — replaces 3/4 cup white sugar at the 2x ratio)
- 3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
- 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 2 1/4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Sweetener Used
1 1/2 cups granular Jaca Allulose
Replaces: 3/4 cup white sugar
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the elbow macaroni for about 8 minutes until al dente. Drain and let it cool completely — do not rinse, since the surface starch helps the dressing cling.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the cooled macaroni, chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced onion, chopped celery, and diced red bell pepper.
- 3
Make the dressing — in a separate bowl, whisk together the creamy salad dressing, the 1 1/2 cups granular Jaca, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, apple cider vinegar, celery seed, and salt until smooth. The Jaca steps in for the sugar here at double the amount, so you get the same signature sweet-tangy Amish dressing with no added sugar. Whisk until the Jaca is fully dissolved with no graininess.
- 4
Pour the dressing over the macaroni mixture and toss until everything is evenly and generously coated.
- 5
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or ideally overnight, so the salad chills through and the flavors meld. Give it a good stir before serving, and add a splash more dressing if it looks dry.
Pro Tips
- Jaca is about 70% as sweet as conventional sugar, which is exactly why we double it — you get the same signature sweet-tangy Amish dressing with no added sugar and no aftertaste.
- Allulose dissolves cleanly into the creamy dressing — whisk it in until smooth with no graininess before tossing it with the pasta.
- Cook the macaroni just to al dente and let it cool fully before dressing it — warm pasta soaks up too much dressing and turns mushy.
- Do not rinse the drained pasta; the surface starch helps the dressing cling and keeps the salad creamy.
- This salad tastes even better the next day, so make it a day ahead — just stir in a splash more dressing before serving if it looks dry.
- For the classic Amish sweetness, use Miracle Whip; for a more savory, tangy version, use mayonnaise instead.