6 Healthy Homemade Salad Dressings

6 HEALTHY homemade salad dressings that are super easy to make — from a basic balsamic vinaigrette to peanut, honey mustard and cilantro lime, these delicious dressings will take your salads to the next level. All dressings are gluten-free, vegan-friendly and paleo-friendly. 

Regular readers know that I could practically live on salads because I love them so much. They’re such an easy option for healthy eating because you can literally toss a protein and healthy fat over a bed of greens with a ton of veggies or a whole grain and you’ve got yourself a delicious meal. (Check out my tips here –> how to build a meal-sized salad.)

And honestly Salads are all about the toppings! Yes, the greens are important, but if you have a ton of flavorful toppings you might not even need a dressing. A drizzle of good balsamic vinegar, a scoop of hummus or even hot sauce will do the trick. Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but I put hot sauce on everything… even salad.

That said, there are definitely times when I’m in the mood for a salad with actual dressing. For times like this I like to whip up one of my favorite healthy homemade salad dressings. The six I’m sharing are my go-tos. I make them all the time, but they’ve never really been featured on the blog because they’re all hidden within different salad recipes. Now they’re all are in one spot for easy reference.

Why make your own salad dressing? Many store-bought dressings are loaded with processed ingredients, preservatives and sugar so making your own dressing is much healthier. Plus, it’s cheaper! And once you get started making your own you’ll figure out what ratios you like best and it becomes so easy to whip up different variations.

As you’ll notice most of these healthy homemade salad dressings I’m sharing have recurring ingredients — garlic, apple cider vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, sea salt and pepper. So once you have these items in your pantry/fridge you can make a bunch of different dressings!

All of the dressings are made with whole ingredients and yield about 3/4 cup, which is about 12 Tablespoons and 6 servings. Each serving size is 2 Tablespoons. Oh, and if you’re looking for  sugar-free options, check out the zesty tahini and the apple cider vinegar dressings.

 Zesty Tahini Dressing

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4  Tablespoons low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined.

Use it: Garlicky Kale Salad

Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt + more if needed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more if needed

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined or add to a mason jar and shake to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Nutrition per serving: 163 calories, 18g fat, 1g carbs, 0g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g protein

Use it: Brussels Sprout Chopped Salad, as a marinade for grilled chicken

 Cilantro Lime Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• ½-1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Nutrition per serving: 87 calories, 9g fat, 2g carbs, 1g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g protein

Use it: Deconstructed Guacamole Salad, as a marinade for grilled shrimp

Basic Balsamic Dressing

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon dijon
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• fresh or dried herbs (optional)

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined or add to a mason jar and shake to combine.

Nutrition per serving: 103 calories, 9g fat, 5g carbs, 4g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g protein

Use it: Detox Salad, Salad in a Jar

Honey Mustard Dressing

• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons honey (or maple syrup for a vegan version)
• 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined or add to a mason jar and shake to combine.

Nutrition per serving: 106 calories, 9g fat, 7g carbs, 6g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g protein

Use it: As a dipping sauce for baked paleo chicken tenders

 Peanut Dressing

• ¼ cup peanut butter
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
• water, to thin

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined. Add water to thin.

Nutrition per serving: 107 calories, 7g fat, 13g carbs, 7g sugar, 0g fiber, 3g protein

Use it: Kale Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing, Kale Sweet Potato Brown Rice Bowls, as a dipping sauce for fresh spring rolls

Do you make your own salad dressings? If so, what you are your favorite healthy homemade salad dressings?