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Front view of small glass jar containing poppy seed dressing and yellow spoon.
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4.33 from 297 votes

Poppy Seed Dressing

This creamy poppy seed dressing is sweet, tangy, and it has the best little crunch from the poppy seeds! I share two ways to make it, a traditional version with mayo and a lighter version with Greek yogurt.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Salad Dressings & Toppings
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 (makes ¾ cup)
Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

  • ½ cup mayonnaise (see notes for recipe made with yogurt and honey)
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. The dressing should be smooth and creamy. I use a small whisk but a fork will work, too.
    ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons poppy seeds, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Taste the dressing and, if necessary, tweak it to your preferences. If you are accustomed to store-bought dressing, you may want to add more sugar. This recipe isn't as sweet as popular brands which are heavily sweetened. If your dressing has a thinner consistency than you'd like, add another spoonful of mayonnaise. When testing this recipe, we found that store brand mayonnaise made a thinner dressing.
  • Use immediately, or store in a small jar with a lid, or a covered container. Makes ¾ cup, Whisk again before serving, if the dressing has separated. (The yogurt version tends to separate more quickly.)

Video

Notes

  • One dressing/two recipes: Both of these poppy seed dressing recipes are excellent. If you're looking for a poppy seed dressing that most closely mimics store-bought, I would recommend the mayonnaise recipe. If you're interested in a dressing with more natural ingredients, try the yogurt-based recipe, which is slightly more tangy.
  • Yogurt-based recipe: ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons poppy seeds, ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk together until well-blended. 
  • Storing poppy seeds: You can usually find poppy seeds in the baking aisle of the grocery store in the spices section. Because they are a seed with natural oils, they tend to get rancid if stored too long. I always store mine in the refrigerator so they keep longer. If you open the container and it has a chemical smell, they are most likely rancid, and should be discarded. They should smell lightly nutty. 
This recipe has been retested and revised 1/2026. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 313mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.1mg

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