6 healthy homemade salad dressing recipes 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.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY SALAD DRESSING:

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 out one of my homemade salad dressing recipes. 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 homemade salad dressings? 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.

Oil-Free Zesty Tahini Dressing

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4  cup 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.

Nutrition per 2 Tablespoons: 84 calories, 5g fat, 5g carbs, 0g sugar, 2g fiber, 6g protein

Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing

My go-to apple cider vinegar salad dressing recipe. If EBF has a house dressing, this would be it! Get all the health benefits of apple cider vinegar with this delicious dressing! Use it for this Brussels Sprout Chopped Salad or as a marinade for grilled chicken.

• 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 2 Tablespoons: 163 calories, 18g fat, 1g carbs, 0g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g protein

 Cilantro Lime Dressing

One of my favorite zesty dressings to use for Mexican themed salads. Try it on my Deconstructed Guacamole Salad or as a marinade for grilled shrimp.

• 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 2 Tablespoons: 87 calories, 9g fat, 2g carbs, 1g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g protein

Basic Balsamic Dressing

Everyone needs a go-to balsamic vinegar dressing and this one is absolutely delicious and works on just about any salad imaginable. Try it on my Detox Salad or for a Salad in a Jar.

• 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 2 Tablespoons: 103 calories, 9g fat, 5g carbs, 4g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g protein

Honey Mustard Dressing

One of my favorite salad dressings growing up was honey mustard and I still love it to this day. This version is lighter than regular honey mustard but still just as flavorful! Try it as a dipping sauce for my Baked Paleo Chicken Tenders.

• 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 2 Tablespoons: 106 calories, 9g fat, 7g carbs, 6g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g protein

Peanut Dressing

The most amazing peanut dressing to use for Asian salads! Try it on my Kale Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing, Kale Sweet Potato Brown Rice Bowls and as a dipping sauce for fresh spring rolls.

• 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 2 Tablespoons: 107 calories, 7g fat, 13g carbs, 6g sugar, 0g fiber, 3g protein

Want more healthy salad dressing recipes?

• Mexican Goddess Dressing
• Maple Dressing
• Avocado Ranch Dressing
• Lemon Vinaigrette
• Turmeric Tahini Dressing
• Avocado Caesar Dressing
• Chili Almond Dressing

Try some of my favorite salad recipes!

• My favorite Kale Salad
• Easy and tasty Pear Salad
• Quinoa Salad
• Easy Pasta Salad

No time to make your own dressing?

Check out my favorite healthy store-bought salad dressings.

If you try one of these healthy homemade salad dressings please leave me a comment letting me know how it turned out! I’d also love to know what salad you tried it on. 🙂