Perfectly sweet with a bit of tanginess, this honey mustard dressing is creamy, delicious and only takes 5 minutes to whip up!
Honey mustard dressing seems to be a staple dressing (or sauce) in many homes and it’s the same over here. I grew up on honey mustard sauce so it will always be a little nostalgic for me!
Traditional honey mustard is loaded with ingredients you can’t pronounce and that aren’t so great for you. So I took a stab at an Eating Bird Food version and it’s just as flavorful but made with much better ingredients!
Honey Mustard Dressing vs. Honey Mustard Sauce
Honestly, I use this recipe both ways, but the big difference is that honey mustard sauce is thicker and usually involves mayo whereas the dressing in thin enough to drizzle and includes oil.
Here’s a basic formula for traditional honey mustard dressing and sauce.
Honey mustard sauce: equal parts of honey, mustard and mayonnaise.
Honey mustard dressing: a blend of oil, vinegar, mustard and honey.
I added a few extra ingredients to bring this recipe to the next level!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make this sweet and tangy dressing.
olive oil – the perfect base to the rest of the ingredients.
lemon juice – lemon juice isn’t in the traditional recipe, but I find that a little lemon juice really brings out the flavors of the dressing!
honey – this is what gives the dressing the sweetness we all know and love. Feel free to use maple syrup for a vegan version.
mustard – can’t make honey mustard without mustard! I prefer using dijon mustard or stone-ground because the flavors are more robust, but traditional yellow mustard also works. Just know that yellow mustard does have more vinegar so you may want more honey or less apple cider vinegar to balance that out!
apple cider vinegar – apple cider vinegar is loaded with health benefits and I love the tang it brings to this dressing. Look for apple cider vinegar with “the mother” included. I like Bragg’s apple cider vinegar!
garlic clove – another ingredient that isn’t in traditional honey mustard, but minced garlic really brings this dressing to the next level! You can also used minced shallot instead of garlic for a milder flavor.
sea salt and ground pepper – key seasonings to bring the flavors of this dressing together.
What to Serve with this Dressing
Honey mustard is a staple dressing recipe! I like this on a variety of side salads and meal-sized salads. Here are some recipes that it would be great with:
I like to store my honey mustard dressing in a mason jar or a similar airtight container in the refrigerator. This honey mustard dressing should last up to a week in the fridge.
Blend: Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined or alternatively add all ingredients into a bowl and whisk until completely combined. Makes 3/4 cup.
Store: Store dressing in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
Vegan – use maple syrup instead of honey to make this dressing vegan.
Mustard – feel free to use stone-ground as a sub for Dijon. If you use yellow mustard, just know that it has more vinegar so you may want to add more honey or less apple cider vinegar to balance that out!
Made a big salad to use up farm box ingredients and then realized we were out of dressing. Found this recipe (love honey mustard) and now I don’t think I will ever buy salad dressing again! I used a combo of stone ground and yellow mustard and it turned out great! Thanks for a simple and delicious recipe.
I made a delicious hamburger salad tonight: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, broccoli, pickles, cheese burger (minus the bun,) and topped with your Honey Mustard Dressing. Your dressing made the salad DELICIOUS!
I made this recipe after I bought Primal Kitchen brand of honey mustard dressing. I looked for a recipe that had similar ingredients and found this one. This is the first time I have tried making salad dressing, and this definitely tastes like PK dressing. That brand is good, but it’s also expensive. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for this recipe!
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Just made this now to dress a salad and it’s super tasty!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this dressing, Raquel. Thanks for the review, I appreciate it!
Made a big salad to use up farm box ingredients and then realized we were out of dressing. Found this recipe (love honey mustard) and now I don’t think I will ever buy salad dressing again! I used a combo of stone ground and yellow mustard and it turned out great! Thanks for a simple and delicious recipe.
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear. So pumped you enjoyed this dressing, Frances. Thanks for the review. I appreciate it!
I made a delicious hamburger salad tonight: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, broccoli, pickles, cheese burger (minus the bun,) and topped with your Honey Mustard Dressing. Your dressing made the salad DELICIOUS!
Ahh yay!! So glad you loved the dressing, Julie. Thanks for making it and for the review. I appreciate it!
I made this recipe after I bought Primal Kitchen brand of honey mustard dressing. I looked for a recipe that had similar ingredients and found this one. This is the first time I have tried making salad dressing, and this definitely tastes like PK dressing. That brand is good, but it’s also expensive. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for this recipe!
I’m so glad this honey mustard was a hit, Mary! Thanks so much for making it and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
Are the garlic/shallots crucial?
It really takes this dressing up a notch in the flavor department so I wouldn’t recommend skipping it, but you can if you prefer.