This Apple Cider Vinaigrette is one of the best homemade salad dressings you’ll ever try. Once you taste it, you’ll want to pour it on everything!
What is apple cider vinegar? Apple cider vinegar is made from crushed apples that are exposed to yeast. The fermentation process turns the natural sugar in the apples into alcohol, and then the alcohol continues to ferment into acetic acid.
This gives apple cider vinegar its sour smell and flavor.
Wondering how to use it? Try this apple cider vinegar dressing on my favorite Beet Salad, Kale Salad, or my go-to holiday salad, which is always a hit with a crowd.
Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
Raw apple cider vinegar, which is unfiltered, also contains something called mother (look for a label that says “with mother” on the bottle) that gives the vinegar a cloudy appearance.
You may see stringy strands at the bottom, which are thought to include helpful enzymes and friendly bacteria.
Here are some potential health benefits:
- Apple cider vinegar may help to kill bacteria. This explains why vinegar is so often used for cleaning!
- It may also act as a food preservative, since it can inhibit the growth of bacteria, like E. coli.
- Consuming apple cider vinegar during a meal may help with blood sugar control, particularly for those with Type 2 Diabetes.
- Adding vinegar to a meal may also help to lower blood sugar spikes after a meal.
- The acetic acid found in vinegar may help to lower cholesterol levels, according to animal studies.
- Vinegar may also help to lower blood pressure levels, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.
With its tangy flavor, apple cider vinegar is also the perfect addition to this salad dressing recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What is apple cider vinaigrette made of?
- Apple cider vinegar
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Honey
- Garlic
- Mustard
- Salt & black pepper
You can get creative with extra seasonings if you’d like to, but this combination is perfect over a number of salad combinations. You can also use it as a marinade for chicken breasts.
Note: The lemon juice is optional here, but I love the extra bright layer of flavor that it adds. You can use orange juice instead, or just leave it out and use only apple cider vinegar in this dressing.
Wondering how to thicken dressing? The mustard and honey act as emulsifiers in this recipe, to help the consistency thicken up. You can use spicy brown mustard, or Dijon mustard if you don’t need a vegan recipe.
How to Make Apple Cider Vinaigrette
1. Combine. Add the ingredients to a bowl or glass mason jar with a lid. I typically use a 12-ounce jar, so there’s room to stir everything together.
For extra-finely minced garlic, try scraping it over a microplane. That way you won’t have any large chunks in the final dressing.
You can start with only 1 tablespoon of honey if you like a more tart dressing, but I usually add 2 tablespoons in total.
2. Mix. Use a whisk to stir the ingredients together smoothly, or attach the lid to your jar and shake well.
Alternatively, you can add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Either way works.
3. Enjoy! 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 it over your favorite veggies, and add any extra toppings you like. I think this delicious dressing goes well over a Fall salad, particularly with cranberries and pecans on top.
This apple cider vinegar salad dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It’s normal to see it separate in the fridge, so be sure to shake it again before using.
Note: Extra-virgin olive oil may thicken when chilled, so don’t be alarmed if your dressing becomes very thick when you store it. You can run the jar under hot tap water until it thins out again, or let it come to room temperature on the counter before you plan on serving it again.
Frequently Asked Questions & Substitutions
Is this recipe vegan? This apple cider dressing isn’t vegan since it calls for honey, but you can make it vegan by using maple syrup instead.
Does apple cider vinegar need to be refrigerated? No, once you open a bottle of apple cider vinegar, it can be stored sealed in a dark pantry. You do need to keep the apple cider vinaigrette dressing refrigerated, though, for the best shelf life.
Can I use dried spices? Yes, you can replace the fresh clove of garlic with a 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, if you prefer.
Can I add fresh herbs? Of course! I think fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary are particularly nice with this flavor combination.
Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 2 tablespoons honey , or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 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
If you try this Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
So good! I could drink this!
Very good and easy to make.
Love this. It’s exactly how I make it!
Where is the orange juice that is shown on your Pinterest post?
Sorry, that’s not my post on Pinterest, but for some reason that person linked to my recipe. I actually tried the orange juice version, but in my opinion, this recipe here tastes better! Hope you’ll enjoy it.
the recipe doesn’t match the picture.. no orange juice listed in the ingredients.. but listed on the picture?
Sorry, I don’t know why someone made that pin and linked to my recipe! I tried that one with the orange juice, and I actually prefer this one, so let me know if you end up trying it!
This is literally one of my favorite recipes/dressings!!! So yummy over an autumn salad with fresh apples!!
Thank you so much! This dressing is fantastic and will definitely become a staple in my kitchen for a long time!! Can’t wait to try it with different veggie mixes and dishes!
I am not a fan of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). Yuck! I have tried all types of recipes because ACV offers so many healthy benefits. This recipe is amazing! It’s exactly what I wanted – all the flavor with out the powerful vinegar flavor.
I hope someone else like me is daring enough to try this recipe. It is simple fresh and tastes amazing!
This has become my go-to dressing; easy, light and works perfectly in any green salad. Thank you!
LOVE this dressing! Thank you so much. My stomach feels better, too.
Excellent
What is the serving size for this recipe?
I absolutely love this recipe!!! I will make this dressing from here on out!!! The only complaint is that it’s very runny.
Why does the jar show ingredients of Orange juice, and when I go to print recipe, there is no orange juice listed, and measurements are different than from on jar?
Sorry, that photo on Pinterest is not mine. I’m not sure why someone decided to have it link to my recipe. But I hope you’ll try this one and enjoy it!
this says lemon juice when it should say orange in the ingredients. This recipe is DELICIOUS!
My favorite dressing. Actually have the recipe printed out on the inside of my kitchen cabinet door. So, I can quickly reference it. Although, I make it so often I should have it memorized 😉
I made this recipe tonight and was absolutely delicious! I used limes since I didn’t have any lemons but still tasted amazing. Even my kids loved it. I blended everything in my vitamix and it came out so creamy and perfect. Can’t wait to have it again tomorrow. It’s so good!
I agree that this is one of the best salad dressings. It is delicious! Also, it is so easy to make that I made it while talking on a phone. I make all my salad dressings in a mason jar.
Omgoodness this is delicious! I always make your hemp seed ranch but this is even more fabulous!! Thank you for your winderful recipes! I love your cookbooks as well. Everything is delicious!
Was delicious! And so quick and easy!
This dressing was easy as pie to make. Mmmm pie.. anyway I added one more garlic clove cause I’m not a vampire and put everything into my magic bullet. I put one tbls of honey at first cause I’m sweet enough, but it definitely needed the two tbls recommended. I give this dressing two thumbs up!
I make it now and then and always enjoy it with mixed greens, mushroom, avocado or beets, orange and spinach mix.
We really like this recipe. I used only 1/2 of the lemon juice because I thought it would be too tart and it turned out perfectly.
What can I use instead of honey (but not something sweet); something that will cut down on acidity without having to use honey…?
Another delicious salad dressing! Love this one – I’ll switch it up with your honey balsamic dressing (which I adore) for variety. Thanks for the recipe.
This is my go-to salad dressing! So easy, so healthy, and so good!
Have you been able to freeze portions of this dressing? If I make this recipe, I won’t be able to eat it all before it loses freshness.
This is a great recipe but I like skipping the mustard
I was looking for ways to use Apple Cider Vinegar “with mother,” because it has healthy benefits. This apple cider vinaigrette was so easy to make; I already had all of the ingredients in my pantry. It is delicious and promises so many variations, depending on where I will use it.
Awesome, delicious and easy to make!
Omitted the honey for dietary reasons and it was delicious!!
Doing clean eating and so I am using apple cider vinegar. Found your recipe. It was delicious. May I print out the recipe?
Of course! You can use the print button in the recipe card. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Deliciously different dressing. It’s a must try!!! I LOVE it!!!
This recipe is simple and delish!! I make it all the time now
My daughter introduced me to this recipe and I absolutely love it. I just made a double batch And not sure how it will react in the cold refrigerator… Like it said I may have to soften the oil before using it… But my goodness I wanted enough for the week! So good!
Good, but after tasting the original, I added another tbl of pple cider vinegar, some orange zest and half a minced french shallot, and more than a pinch of salt. I think it needed a little more something. Thanks for the recipe, much appreciated.
Hands down this is the best salad dressing ever! I make it all the time. Thanks!
It was good except that the olive oil taste was a bit too strong. I’m not a huge fan of the olive oil taste. Although I do use it to cook, I don’t notice that olive oil taste in my food. I added a little bit more salt and pepper and ACV. I think next time though I’ll use a more neutral oil like Corn or Avocado oil
I LOVE this dressing. Started making it for my coworkers and they request it as often as I can make it
I thought this was ok. Not a lot of flavor and quite bitter. I wouldn’t make it again.
I just made this dressing and I will look no further. It’s delicious. Could this be used for pasta salad also?
Yes, I think this could be delicious tossed with pasta and veggies! Let me know if you give it a try.
My go-to recipe for dressing. Delicious & a crowd pleaser.
Nice blend of flavors
Does it need to be refrigerated?