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Home Recipes by Type Salads Salad Dressings & Toppings
GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free VG Vegetarian 5I 5 ingredients or less

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

4.36
/5
5 minutes mins
39 Comments
Jump to Recipe Video
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 03/22/2023Updated: 04/08/2023

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Dressing, text reads "honey mustard vinaigrette - so good!"
Dressing, text reads "delicious honey mustard vinaigrette."
Dressing, text reads "amazing honey mustard vinaigrette."
Dressing, text reads "easy honey mustard vinaigrette."
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette - no more store-bought dressings! Get the easy recipe on RachelCooks.com!

Sweet and tangy honey mustard vinaigrette has become my go-to salad dressing. It comes together quickly with household staples and is a major crowd-pleaser!

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Homemade vinaigrettes taste great, they are easy to make, and are more economical than store bought dressings.

How long it takes: just 5 minutes!
Equipment you’ll need: small jar with lid OR small bowl and whisk
Servings: makes just over 1 cup of dressing

Honey mustard vinaigrette dressing dripping down side of jar.
Table of Contents
open
  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 About This Recipe
  • 3 What You’ll Need
  • 4 How To Make It
  • 5 Storage Tips
  • 6 Make-Your-Own Vinaigrettes
  • 7 Get the Recipe: Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Recipe

Salads are my go-to lunch. I often have lunch with my neighbor and it’s usually a joint effort. I’ll text her and say, I have salad and dressing. She comes over armed with feta and pita chips to top the salad. It’s a pretty awesome arrangement if you think about it.

I always tell her I hit the neighbor jackpot, and I did.

The first time I made this salad dressing, she practically begged me to blog about it. Problem is, the first time I made it, I didn’t measure any of the ingredients or write down the recipe. Since then, I’ve made this vinaigrette more times than I can count and I think this recipe is pretty close to what we had the first time.

In fact, I have a jar of honey mustard vinaigrette in my refrigerator right now (I pretty much always do). My friends tease me because my fridge is void of dressings such as ranch, Italian, Thousand Island which are staples in many fridges, I’ve come to learn.

It’s just so easy to make your own salad dressing. I find myself throwing away pre-made dressings when I buy them because I never finish the bottle. It’s much easier to reach for my olive oil and dressing jar and shake up my own concoction.

About This Recipe

This honey mustard vinaigrette goes great on a fresh green salad and since it’s on the sweet side, it works well for salads that include fruit, too. I love it on warm salads or bowls made with grains and roasted vegetables, like this roasted cauliflower salad with arugula & sweet potato, warm kale salad with roasted root vegetables, or kale quinoa salad with walnuts, cranberries, and feta.

To make this dressing, you only need 4 simple ingredients, plus salt and pepper. You probably have all the ingredients you need right in your pantry and fridge. Easy peasy.

Once you try homemade vinaigrettes, you’ll never go back to store-bought. In fact, just for grins, I took a look at the ingredient list for a popular brand of honey mustard dressing. It’s pretty grim. Let’s just say that the first ingredient is water, the second is soybean oil, and it gets worse from there.

Start your salad dressing adventure with this honey mustard vinaigrette recipe! You won’t be sorry. And don’t worry, I have lots more recipes for you to try so be sure to check out my list of easy salad dressing recipes.

Vinaigrette being poured on a green salad.

For the specifics (measurements, nutrition information, etc.), scroll on down to the recipe card.

What You’ll Need

  • Olive Oil: Choose a good quality olive oil for vinaigrettes since it’s a pretty major component. Did you know that olive oil has healthy benefits? It’s high in monounsaturated fats (the good kind of fat), and contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. No soybean oil here.
  • White Balsamic Vinegar: You may be more familiar with regular dark balsamic vinegar. White balsamic vinegar is made from light colored grapes so it’s a beautiful golden color. It’s lightly sweet and tangy. If you prefer, apple cider vinegar can be substituted.
  • Dijon Mustard: I usually choose a smooth Dijon although sometimes I mix it up with a grainier mustard. Both are great. This is not the place for plain yellow mustard.
  • Honey: If your honey happens to be stiff or crystallized, put it very briefly in the microwave to loosen it up. The vinaigrette has a fair amount of honey so it’s on the sweet side. While the photos have it styled with a fresh green vegetable salad, it goes well with salads that contain fruit, too.
  • Salt and Pepper: Season the vinaigrette, to taste.
Ingredients needed for recipe.

How To Make It

Put all of the ingredients in a small clean jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake the jar vigorously until the the vinaigrette is blended.

Unmixed dressing.

Alternatively, you can put the ingredients into a small bowl, and then slowly add the oil while whisking until the vinaigrette comes together. This method is best for emulsifying the vinaigrette.

Dressing mixed up in small jar.

Check the seasoning before you serve the dressing. Add more salt and pepper, if needed.

P.S. If you prefer a creamier honey mustard dressing instead of a vinaigrette, try my honey mustard dressing! It’s great for dipping, too.

Storage Tips

Store the vinaigrette in the refrigerator for up to a week. You may notice that the oil congeals because of the cold temperature. Let the vinaigrette set at room temperature for 15 minutes or so before you use it. A faster method is to remove the lid of the jar and microwave the vinaigrette for 10 to 15 seconds, replace the cover, and shake.

Two tossed salads with honey mustard vinaigrette.

Make-Your-Own Vinaigrettes

Apricot Vinaigrette Dressing (easy recipe!)

Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

Red Wine Vinaigrette Recipe

Lemon Basil Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Honey mustard vinaigrette with a spoon.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Recipe

4.36 from 65 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 5 minutes mins
9 servings
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Tangy honey mustard vinaigrette has become my go-to salad dressing. It comes together quickly with household staples and is a major crowd-pleaser!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Add olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper to a small jar or container with tightly fitting lid. Shake well to combine.
  • Alternate method: Measure the vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper into a small bowl or measuring cup. Add olive oil slowly while whisking until dressing emulsifies.
  • Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes

  • Vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. If the olive oil congeals because of the cold temperature, allow the vinaigrette to come to room temperature (15 minutes), and shake well. Another method is to remove the lid, microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, replace the lid, and shake well.
  • Makes a bit more than a cup of dressing.
  • Recipe revised 10/13/2022.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 143kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 0.2g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Sodium: 71mg, Potassium: 18mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 3IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 0.2mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
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  1. REENA MUKHERJEE says

    January 5, 2019 at 4:49 am

    Loved the Recipe. I was looking for a sweet & tangy dressing for my Kale & apple Salad. I made this and OMG!! super duper. Thanks Rachel.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      January 6, 2019 at 10:25 am

      So glad you liked this recipe, Reena! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!

      Reply
  2. Elizabeth says

    January 1, 2019 at 4:06 pm

    This dressing is like liquid gold! It was so quick and easy to make. Looking forward to healthy lunches this week!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      January 1, 2019 at 4:19 pm

      So happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! Happy lunching!

      Reply
  3. Jamie says

    December 26, 2018 at 12:00 pm

    It was a really nice recipe but I added around 1/4 cup more balsamic vinegar because the family prefers a more acidic flavour rather than too sweet! This way, it matched more with the flavours in the salad x

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 28, 2018 at 5:25 pm

      Glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

      Reply
  4. Roxy says

    December 2, 2018 at 10:17 am

    Love it!!!!!!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 2, 2018 at 10:57 am

      I’m so glad! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment, Roxy!

      Reply
  5. Jasmine says

    July 17, 2018 at 3:35 am

    Could I use regular balsamic vinegar in this? 

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      July 17, 2018 at 10:44 am

      For sure! It will change the color and flavor slightly, but it will still taste great!

      Reply
    • Armandas says

      February 28, 2021 at 5:10 pm

      This is by far my favorite salad dressing! The only thing I do differently is the white wine or apple cider vinegar instead if white balsamic because I usually don’t have it on hand. And a few cloves of garlic tastes really good in this dressing! I also used half wholegrain and half Dijon the other day and it was fantastic too!

      Reply
      • Rachel Gurk says

        March 4, 2021 at 9:15 pm

        It’s my favorite too! Love the addition of garlic!

        Reply
  6. Linda McCalpin says

    March 14, 2018 at 5:04 pm

    YOU CAN BUY THOSE LITTLE JARS AT WALL MART ARE WHERE THEY SELL CANNING JARS

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      March 16, 2018 at 6:36 am

      Awesome, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  7. Athena says

    March 9, 2018 at 5:33 pm

    I LOVE that little jar you have. Where could I find something similar? I’ve tried a different type of jar for making dressings and it leaked everywhere. :(

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      March 9, 2018 at 5:38 pm

      Oh man, I don’t remember where I got that one. I did a Amazon search and these look similar. Hope that helps!

      Reply
    • SW says

      February 27, 2020 at 9:54 pm

      I bought a salad dressing shaker by oxo on Amazon and it is fabulous. It has measurements on the side and a pour spout that when closed does not leak anywhere. Totally work the money

      Reply
      • Rachel Gurk says

        March 1, 2020 at 8:39 pm

        Awesome! I haven’t found one of those that I like…I’ll have to check out OXO’s version.

        Reply
  8. Albert Bevia says

    February 28, 2018 at 11:41 am

    I also enjoy eating salads for lunch, they are healthy and light, I have been looking for the perfect honey mustard vinaigrette…and this is it!!! I just made it (just swapped out the honey for agave syrup) and it is so amazingly good! thanks for the recipe :)

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      March 1, 2018 at 10:05 am

      I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!

      Reply
  9. Alice says

    January 29, 2018 at 3:34 pm

    How long will it keep in frig?

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      January 29, 2018 at 8:27 pm

      It should keep about a week to a week and a half. Enjoy!

      Reply
  10. Amy says

    March 18, 2017 at 8:42 am

    Is there a substitute for the vinegar?

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      March 18, 2017 at 1:55 pm

      In this vinaigrette, the vinegar really plays an important role in the flavor and result. If you were going to substitute something, I would suggest fresh lemon juice but it will change the taste significantly.

      Reply
  11. Jenny says

    September 26, 2016 at 9:55 am

    I made this for dinner last night, wow crazy good!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      September 27, 2016 at 5:30 pm

      So happy to hear that you liked it! It’s my go-to salad dressing.

      Reply
  12. lisa carpenter says

    March 28, 2016 at 12:10 pm

    I don’t see the calorie count.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      March 28, 2016 at 3:22 pm

      Hi! I’m going through the very long and slow process of adding nutritional information to my recipes. I just calculated this one and added a label. 169 calories for 2 tablespoons of dressing but please remember numbers may vary depending on brands of products used, etc.

      Reply
  13. Natalie | Paper & Birch says

    July 22, 2015 at 12:02 pm

    One of my favorite combos. Definitely trying this – sounds delish!

    Reply
  14. Katie Cavuto says

    July 16, 2015 at 10:47 am

    This looks so simple yet delicious! That tiny mason jar is too cute!

    Reply
  15. Christina says

    July 15, 2015 at 4:33 pm

    Once you start making your own salad dressing, you can’t go back. Even my husband, the Hidden Valley ranch addict doesn’t like the store-bought stuff anymore. My “go-to” is very similar to yours- it doesn’t take much for a really gorgeous salad dressing!

    Reply
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