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Honey Dijon Dressing is a delicious alternative to creamy honey mustard dressing. Once you taste it, you’ll want to eat salads more often!

honey dijon vinaigrette dripping off a spoon into a jar.

If you’re stuck in a salad rut, this honey-dijon vinaigrette will add a burst of flavor to your regular routine. 

You can stir it together in just minutes and drizzle it over your favorite salad ingredients. It also makes a delicious dipping sauce for baked chicken nuggets, pretzels, and more. (Try the creamy variation for a thicker sauce!)

Ingredients You’ll Need

honey dijon dressing ingredients labeled in glass bowls.

The star of this show is Dijon mustard, which pairs perfectly with extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and honey. If you need a vegan recipe, swap the honey for maple syrup, instead. 

While it may seem like an unlikely combination, adding a touch of fresh ginger to this salad dressing warms up the flavor and will make eating salads more appealing, even when it’s cold outside. I’d say this ingredient is optional, but it really adds a “wow” factor to the flavor, so I hope you’ll try it.

Adding a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to this dressing will brighten things up, but if you don’t have lemons on hand, it will still be delicious without it.

How to Make Honey Dijon Dressing

In a 12-ounce mason jar add the extra-virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, and salt.

Use a spoon or whisk to stir the dressing until it looks evenly mixed. (Or secure the lid on the jar and shake well.)

honey dijon dressing mixed together in a glass jar.

Taste the dressing and make any adjustments, as needed. You can add a pinch of black pepper for extra spice, or a little more honey if you like a sweeter dressing. 

Serve the dressing right away over a bowl of your favorite greens, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This recipe makes a little over a 1/2 cup of dressing, so feel free to double it if you plan on eating lots of salad this week.

The dressing will thicken when chilled, but it will become runny again as it comes to room temperature. (Run the sealed jar under hot water if you want it to warm up quickly again.)

honey dijon salad dressing in a glass jar with a spoon next to it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I make this dressing creamy?

For a creamy honey mustard dressing, whisk in a 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt. It thickens up the dressing to make it more of a dipping sauce, and the flavor is still perfect!

Can I use a different vinegar?

Yes, white wine vinegar would be the most similar swap, but feel free to experiment with others. 

Looking for more salad dressing recipes? Try Creamy Tahini Dressing, Apple Cider Vinaigrette, Champagne Vinaigrette, or Pesto Salad Dressing for more ideas.

honey dijon vinaigrette dripping off a spoon into a jar.

Honey Dijon Dressing

4.95 from 17 votes
Honey Dijon Dressing is a delicious alternative to creamy honey mustard dressing and takes just minutes to stir together. Once you taste it, you'll be craving more salads!
prep5 mins cook0 mins total5 mins
Servings:5

Ingredients
 
 

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 garlic clove , minced
  • ½ inch fresh ginger , minced
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

  • In a 12-ounce mason jar, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, honey, garlic, ginger, and salt. Use a spoon to stir until well mixed, or secure the lid on the jar and shake well.
  • Taste the dressing and make any adjustments, as needed. For a sweeter dressing, add more honey, and for a more tangy dressing, add a little more Dijon mustard.
  • Secure the lid on the jar and store it in the fridge until you're ready to use it. It will keep well for up to 5 days when chilled. This dressing may thicken when cold, but it will become runny again if you let it come to room temperature again. Run the sealed jar under warm tap water to speed the process if you're in a hurry.

Notes

Nutrition information is for roughly 2 tablespoons of dressing. This information is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
Creamy Variation: Add a 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt to the jar and whisk well to combine. This creamy version makes a perfect dip for chicken nuggets, pretzels, and more.
Update Note: This recipe was updated in October 2023 to taste better. If you prefer the original recipe, which calls for more Dijon mustard, you can find that here.

Nutrition

Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.3g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: honey dijon dressing

If you try this Honey Dijon Dressing recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.

Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. I create healthy recipes made with simple ingredients to make your life easier.

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Comments

  1. I can’t have citrus and I’m not really supposed to have vinegar, so I rarely have salads. But when I realized that I had a ton of produce that needed to be eaten, I decided to give it a go and was excited to find a dressing that didn’t have too much vinegar. I really loved this dressing. I am hoping that it will thicken up overnight as the recipe says as it’s a little thin, but the flavor is perfect.Will definitely make this dressing again.

  2. This dressing was a game changer for me too! I’m a honey mustard girl and I have been lamenting the loss of this dressing ever since I have been eating healthier. This dressing of yours has brought a huge smile to my face! Thank you!

    1. I think the standard ratio for substituting dried for fresh is 1:3, so I’d try using 1 teaspoon of dried ginger to replace the 1 tablespoon of fresh minced ginger. However, since dried can be super-concentrated in flavor, you might even start off with less and add more to taste as you go– maybe start with a 1/2 teaspoon?

  3. Very good! made this tonight. skipped the salt, subbed in maple syrup and used it on a wrap with goat cheese, avocado, sunflower seeds, red peppers, mixed greens and cucumbers. Excellent!

  4. My wife and I have been making a similar dressing, but with raw, organic Maple Syrup. I started using Maple Syrup on my salads, because it has a lot of nutrients, and is easily available (New England), and I used it initially to help the spices “stick” to my salad (lettuce, kale, etc.) before mixing in the vinegar and oil. Then we added some dijon-horseradish mustard to the vinegar & oil for an extra little kick. Then we evolved to putting everything together and using a whisk — never thought of using a blender (Immersion or regular), though. …