Prolific author Nicholas Sparks has made a fruitful career out of penning romance novels that have been made into big screen adaptations. He’s just churned out a new tale, Counting Miracles, that Amazon is already making into a movie. To promote his 22nd book, Sparks had a little piece in The New York Times, which ended up breaking news over his chicken salad recipe. What, pray tell, could be controversial about chicken salad, arguably the blandest of all deli salads? Adding 8 packets of Splenda to it, that’s what! I guess we really shouldn’t be surprised: the man writes overly saccharine stories, why should his salads be any different? Still, people are startled by this sacrilege to the salad arts:
The bestselling author behind The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, The Last Song and Dear John — all of which were later adapted into feature films — shared his personal spin on the culinary classic, which typically includes a combination of chicken, mayonnaise and various fruits and vegetables.
While Sparks’ variation included notable customizations like jalapenos and cayenne pepper, he also revealed that his recipe called for one particularly eye-catching ingredient: 16 packets of Splenda sweetener, equivalent to ⅔ cup of sugar.
“You can use real sugar,” the romance novelist — whose new book Counting Miracles is available now — told the New York Times in a profile published Sept. 24, “but why throw sugar in if you can use Splenda?”
The low-carb modification quickly sparked a wave of strong reactions on social media, ranging from intrigued to bewildered. One X (formerly Twitter) user wrote, “Some recipes really leave you questioning everything about a person.”
“As a true chicken salad connoisseur,” another wrote, “this is sociopathy.”
While another user called the amount of Splenda in the recipe “wild,” they were more concerned with the logistics of using individual packets to prepare the dish.
“At that point why are you still using individual packets of Splenda?” the user wondered. “Invest in a full box! Nicholas Sparks is wasting so much time fiddling around ripping each packet open!”
Sparks, 58, eventually caught wind of the social media reaction to his recipe and posted a video response to the “hubbub” on Instagram Sept. 27. In the video, the author stood by his controversial recipe, pointing out that the sweetener makes up for his use of a sugar-free mayonnaise.
“Why put sugar in stuff if you don’t need it?” he wondered. “The depth of flavor in this chicken salad is truly out of this world.”
He added, “All those who are picking on my Splenda-sweetened chicken salad, you’re missing out.”
Reading his clapback is one thing, but when I actually watched Sparks’ response on Instagram he came off more like Nicholas Snarks. [Pause for laughter] And it’s not just the tone of his voice — he spends the video eating his chicken salad out of a wine glass!! With packets of Splenda artfully placed in the foreground, likely by a food stylist who worked diligently to make it look casual. My personal favorite comment on his post was someone who said, “this is why other nations hate us!” And though I’m loath to throw him a (wish)bone, I do feel compelled to note that Sparks includes the full recipe in the same Insta post, and he claims to use only 8 packets of Splenda, as opposed to the 16 the NY Times printed. I think the logical assumption is that he must have been whipping up a double batch when the NY Times was there? Still, I have to agree with those in an uproar about him using packets instead of a larger container. So unless and until he offers an explanation to the contrary, I choose to believe (and loudly spread the rumor) that Sparks is stealing his entire supply of the sugar substitute from diners and coffee shops. Prove me wrong, Nick!
Like the person quoted in the article, I consider myself a chicken salad connoisseur – its not bland at all (you take that back Kismet!) but I do think its hard for a lot of places to get the ratio right – too much mayo, too little, chicken in too large of chunks, etc. And curried chicken salad is an entirely different conversation (I love it, but talk about trying to get the ratio right!)
So the idea of adding splenda is just gag worthy to me, but the one break I’m willing to give him is that he says he’s using sugar free mayo, so maybe this is just about trying to control the sugar content more? But I can’t believe there is 2/3 cup of sugar (or more) in the mayo he uses unless he really is making this in huge quantities?
I think if this is was a matter of “I make my own mayo without sugar and then throw in some sugar as needed to sweeten it up” I could understand it more.
I just looked at the back of my bottle of Duke’s mayonnaise. There is no sugar listed among the ingredients.
I use Hellman’s and it does use sugar. Also, a lot of mayos use corn syrup instead.
If he’s trying to avoid soybeans (which a lot of people do), then he’s not going to use Duke’s.
Or maybe he uses Duke’s and doesn’t think its sweet enough so adds his own sugar.
So basically what I said about him trying to control the sugar content stands.
And to be clear I would never ever add sugar to chicken salad, lol. i’m just looking at it within the context of his comment about sugar free mayo.
This reminds me of the potato salad question on Black Jeopardy, with T’Challa saying “I sense this woman does not season her food…and she would probably add something unnecessary like raisins…”
Maybe I’m a heretic, but I find only mayonnaise to be too heavy and oily, so I use half mayo and half full-fat Greek yoghurt.
Yup. T’Challa’s comment was my second thought.
My first thought was: Yuck — to the Splenda. What even is the point of chicken salad without a few shakes of Old Bay? (I also use chopped hard boiled eggs, chopped sweet onions, and capers. It’s bougie — but it’s good.). My stance in the mayonnaise wars is that Whole Foods brand (not the organic one) tastes like Hellmann’s used to taste before they wrecked it. If I don’t have WF mayonnaise, I won’t make chicken salad. I’ll do a salad with chicken instead.
I sort of get that some people like sweet dressings, and even like Splenda, but all of those packets seem kinda of extreme. I haven’t tried it, and probably won’t, but different strokes…. I wonder what he does to his potato salad?
I do like half mayo and half Greek yogurt. Something about Greek yogurt is very dry to me so I don’t like chicken salads that are all GY but I do like mixing it with mayo.
I have never seen a potato salad with raisins but I know its a thing for some people.
and despite being from Maryland, I never put Old Bay in my chicken salad. Thats for shrimp salad, lol (which I am also super picky about, people really tend to use too much dressing for that.)
He’s making shit up. Hellman’s is not overtly sweet, and sugar is the 6th ingredient after salt, there’s no way Hellman’s would taste as sweet as a cup of Duke + a quarter cup of sugar (the IG ratio.)
Ew, that’s certainly not my chicken salad lol.
Why is this acceptable? Sugar +chicken =salad?
This is vomit inducing.
I am not a cook, and even I know this recipe is utter garbage. I would tell my mother, who is a cook, about this recipe. However, I don’t want to get cussed out by her, nor send her to an early grave. Telling her about this recipe would surely make her die from despair and shock.
Dude has apparently never heard of Miracle Whip.
I have never heard of Miracle Whip.
How do you make cold salads without Miracle Whip? It’s my MIL’s must have! lol
No, I like chicken salad. Usually it’s mayo grapes and chopped pecans. If I make it myself I go light on the mayo. There’s a chain of restaurants, chicken salad chick, out of Alabama that my cousin from Opp Alabama introduced me too. And they have one called fancy Nancy that I like. And that one’s gonna have more mayo but it’s pretty good. But they have like 10 or more different chicken salad flavors and recipes. It’s kind of wild. Anyways yea, I’m grossed out about him using Splenda. However, I never really thought about mayo having sugar. But does it have that much?
He’s Southern, isn’t he? It seems like white Southerners want to put sugar in everything. Every time we visit my in-laws in Alabama, I feel the need to come home and schedule an intensive teeth cleaning.
No chicken deserves to be treated like this when herbs and spices beyond salt and pepper do exist.
Inquiring mind (me) wants to know though how that vile stuff is dissolved and folded into the mayo — on second thoughts no, I rather don’t.
Please don’t tell me more about this horror! Poor chickens die and then he tortures them.
I’m far more afraid of his filler-fulled face. That is not a good face.
And chicken salad like most things can use a pinch – a pinch! – of sugar to balance out the acid and the salt. I adore chicken salad made correctly. But packets of Splenda….(shakes head sadly)
also “this is why other nations hate us!” HAHAHAHAHA
I think I just threw up a little in my mouth Uugh that is vile. I loathe stuff that is super sweet and omg no
His dressing is essentially Cole slaw dressing, although i don’t really sweeten my slaw either, so…I think i understand his reasoning but dont approve. Add some everything bagel seasoning to chicken salad is 🔥 though.
He’s a terrible writer so not surprised he is a terrible cook. Sorry to anyone who loves his books but I read just one, The Last Song, and could not understand why people loved his books so much. It was so terribly written, the plot was terrible, the characters were terrible. He also is so full of himself in interviews, I’ll never forget the one where he was all “I write love stories, NOT romance novels!” As if he was in a category all by himself and invented a whole new genre. No dude, your love stories are romance novels.
I haven’t read Colleen Hoover books but I just get the sense he’s the male Colleen Hoover.
It’s not as bad as aspartame but it still destroys your good gut bacteria; it’s made using chlorine in part. He’s a fool.
I was thinking he might put raisins in his chicken salad, given The NY Times writer’s ‘various fruits and vegetables’ comment; but no. There’s no fruit in this. There’s apple cider vinegar, which makes me doubt the Times’ writer’s reading comprehension skills. Or listening skills. As for the sugar/Splenda, my mom would add sugar to things that made no sense to me. She may well have done that with chicken salad. 🤷♀️
There’s a difference. The packets are just sucralose. Sucralose is approx 600 times sweeter than sugar so the bulk spoonable Splenda includes dextrose and maltodextrin to bulk it up so that one spoonful tastes the same sweetness as one spoonful of sugar.
Okay. No. This is awful!
I really like Aldi’s chicken salads. I have a jar of curry powder, and I just sprinkle a little on my sandwich. When I make it for my daughter and me, I use Miracle Whip ( I was raised on it) and add grapes, celery, and a touch of curry. When I’m making it for my son, it’s just Duke’s and celery.