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If you could only use one salad dressing for the rest of your life, this is the recipe I would choose. It has a perfectly balanced flavor that’s lightly sweet and tangy, without being too oily.
I’ve been tweaking this apple cider vinaigrette recipe for the last 10 years, and discovered that I like it best when I add a little lemon juice. It eliminates the harshness that can result from using vinegar alone. (But also, it’s flexible enough that you can use what you have on hand.)
Best of all, it takes just 5 minutes to stir together. No blender is required!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“Hands down this is the best salad dressing ever! I make it all the time. Thanks!” – Colleen
Apple cider vinaigrette Ingredients
- Apple cider vinegar. Use raw apple cider vinegar, which is unfiltered and contains something called mother (look for a label that says “with mother” on the bottle). The “mother” is the stringy strands at the bottom, which are thought to include helpful enzymes and friendly bacteria.
- Honey. This natural sweetener balances out the acidity of the vinegar and helps thicken the dressing.
- Lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. This brightens the dressing, without the same harsh acidity that vinegar offers.
- Olive oil. This recipe doesn’t follow the traditional 3-to-1 ratio of oil to vinegar. I’ve reversed it, so the olive oil flavor isn’t overwhelming, and as a result, the dressing is also lower in calories.
- Mustard. I use spicy brown, stone ground, or Dijon mustard to add depth of flavor and help the dressing emulsify. (Yellow mustard is not recommended.)
- Garlic. Fresh garlic adds a burst of spicy flavor, making this dressing taste restaurant-quality. Use a microplane to mince it into the jar finely so that you won’t see large chunks later.
- Salt + Pepper. Don’t be tempted to skip these simple pantry spices. They boost the flavor, and your salad will taste bland without them.
How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
Step 1:
To get started, you’ll need a glass mason jar with a lid. I typically use a 12-ounce or larger jar, which provides sufficient room to stir everything together.
Add the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and black pepper to the jar. Use a microplane (as shown below) to finely mince the garlic directly into the jar.
Step 2:
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Use a small whisk or spoon to stir the ingredients together. Or, attach the lid to your jar and shake well. The honey will sink to the bottom, so don’t stop mixing until you see that it’s dissolved.
Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Blended dressing tends to become thicker (thanks to the high-powered mixing) if you prefer that consistency.
Step 3:
Taste the dressing and adjust any seasoning to taste. You can add more sweetness by adding extra honey, or add more mustard or vinegar to make it taste more tangy.
Serve this vinaigrette immediately, or store it tightly sealed in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing Storage Tips
This salad dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It’s normal for it to separate in the refrigerator, so be sure to shake it again before using.
Extra-virgin olive oil may thicken when chilled, so don’t be alarmed if your dressing becomes very thick when stored. You can place the jar in a bowl of hot tap water for 10 minutes, until it thins out again, or let it come to room temperature on the counter before serving it again.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 2 tablespoons honey , or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, honey, salt and pepper to a glass jar with a lid. Whisk well to combine, or secure a lid on the jar and shake well.
- Taste the dressing and make any adjustments you like, such as adding a little more honey for sweetness, or a little more mustard or vinegar to make it taste more tangy. Serve right away, or store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Leftover dressing may thicken in the fridge. You can run the jar under warm tap water to help it thin out again, or let it sit on the counter at room temperature until it's runny in consistency.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
If you try this Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below to let me know how you like it.
This is my new favorited dressing, can’t get enough 🙂 thank you!
Love this recipe! I made it without the honey and it was delicious. Thanks!
I tried making it without the honey too and it had a very strong bitter taste to it. Maybe its because of the apple cider vinegar I used? Did you add anything to yours to help combat the bitterness or do you have any suggestions?
Hi all,
I have the same recipe for salad dressing (the Dijon is wonderful
in it) most delicious !
Also, I most always make my own dressing to take to restaurants.
OR I bring EVOO in a small bottle, a fresh lemon, and small
vials of sea salt. All fit into my purse and I love doing this!
Good blog Megan… 🙂
This is a delicious dressing! My 2 year old daughter even approves! Apparently she loves mama’s kale, spinach, avocado, beet, cucumber and goat cheese salad. The whole time I ate my salad she was jumping up and down and asking for bites.
Thank you!
Denise, That salad sounds heavenly. Would you mind posting the recipe or at least a link? . We get plenty of kale, spinach and beets in our garden and that salad combo sounds fantastic. Thanks!
One of my favorite dressings that is super easy to make:
equal parts of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and real maple syrup–goes great over a salad that has apple in it.
Nice how, when we are forced to “make do”
Without certain electrical conveniences we can see how unnecessary they are for certain things(salad dressing, in this instance). Small thing, I know, but how can we ask corporations to make more environmentally-friendly decisions if we are not willing to do the same?
I have blood sugar issues as well and I react to honey, maple, white, date sugars also. I have found I don’t react at all to palm or coconut sugar and it apparently is low on glycemic index so Camille, you might try that. Regular stores won’t have it but health food stores will or Whole Foods, and where I live in the southwest U.S., Vitamin Cottage or Sprouts carries it.
Can’t wait to try this simple dressing. I like to have them made up in small containers to take to restaurants so I can enjoy the salad that most likely will have salad dressings I can’t have!
this sound great to can’t wait to make do you have a cookbook ?
I was wanting to find a good dressing and here it is!! I just love your site, always find new things to try and new ideas. I am tired of bottled dressings at the store and all the junk they seem to have in them, so am going to give this a try today. Thank you for all the great recipes!!!!!
This is my favorite dressing I make sure I always have some made. Even my 2 year old loves this dressing!
I absolutely love making apple cider dressings. So simple and so flavorful! I already know I will love your version 🙂