A Classic Homemade Salad Dressing

The author pouring chickpeas from a colander.

This honey mustard dressing is what we use almost every day of the week, and one of the first recipes my mother taught me to make, to memorise, to use on almost any salad. With staple ingredients and a very simple method – simply shake until combined – it’s easy to replace store bought salad dressing and there are endless variations.

You’ll see an adaptation of this French vinaigrette on my quinoa carrot salad, with lemon juice, ginger, and warm spices; over apple salad, with maple syrup and cinnamon; on new potato salad with chopped herbs, and featuring in any number of recipes on Occasionally Eggs in some form.

A good honey mustard vinaigrette is a staple recipe everyone should know, and it’s easy to make and keep refrigerated so that you’ll always have it on hand. It takes seconds to prepare and you can adjust it to suit your exact preferences. The recipe card includes the standard recipe, but I’ve included several variations and additions below.

I first shared this recipe in 2023. It’s been updated with improvements to the recipe instructions, slight improvements to the recipe, and more helpful information. Note that vinaigrette and dressing are used interchangeably here.

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Ingredients You’ll Need and Why

There’s quite a bit of flexibility to a honey mustard dressing and as long as you follow the general amounts, you’ll end up with something delicious. It’s important to adjust to your personal taste. These are my notes from recipe testing and you can find the full recipe card with complete measurements and instructions below.

Mustard vinaigrette ingredients with labels.

Olive oil: the only non-negotiable element of the vinaigrette, extra virgin olive oil is the best choice no matter what. While some other oils – flax, walnut, and so on – make excellent dressings, they have much stronger flavours and should be treated differently.
Vinegar: this can be white wine vinegar, balsamic, apple cider, raspberry, really any type of vinegar. Substitute with citrus juice (see below).
Mustard: Dijon mustard is the most consistent choice and will give arguably the best flavour, but I sometimes use German mustard or grainy mustard in a pinch. Any middle-sharp mustard can be used, but in no circumstance should yellow hot dog mustard.
Spices: start with salt and pepper – season to taste – and add more if you’d like (see below).
Honey: sugar doesn’t dissolve readily enough, so a liquid sweetener is best. Honey also has a more complex taste most of the time and makes a more interesting dressing. For a fully vegan option, make this maple Dijon dressing instead.

How to Make Honey Dijon Dressing

I prefer to use a jar and shaking the dressing rather than whisking for a couple of reasons. You have a built-in storage container when mixing in a jar, it makes less dishes, and it can be faster. Of course you can also whisk if preferred but note that mixing with a fork probably won’t be enough to fully emulsify the vinaigrette (so you’ll have some separation and it won’t be as creamy).

Vinaigrette steps 1 and 2, before and after mixing.

Step 1: add all of the ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Alternatively, add to a mixing bowl if using a whisk instead.

Step 2: shake vigorously to combine. The dressing should be thickened, creamy, and a uniform colour. Make sure all of the honey has been incorporated, especially if using a thick creamed honey. Use immediately or store for later.

Expert Tips for the Best Vinaigrette

Don’t worry if it hardens: some olive oils will solidify in the refrigerator as they chill. Top top layer of your vinaigrette might harden as it separates during storage, and this is normal. Simply let it return to room temperature and give it a good shake before using.
Sweeten to taste: adjust the amount of added honey to suit your preference and the salad you’re adding this to. Some types of honey and maple syrup will be sweeter than others.
Keep the olive oil: the best and most familiar – not neutral, but expected – flavour, olive oil is the ideal choice for a simple vinaigrette.
Mix before serving: this will separate partly or fully when stored and it should be shaken or whisked again before use if you notice that the oil and vinegar have separated.

Variations

Vinegar: white wine, red wine, tarragon, and apple cider vinegar are stronger, and you’ll need slightly less if using them. White and red balsamic and fruit vinegars can be used in a higher quantity (2:4 vinegar to oil for the former, 3:4 for the latter). Citrus juice, like lemon or orange, can be used in equal quantities to oil. This will come down to taste.
Spices: add spices like cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, blends like ras el hanout, or any other spices that you think would match well with the salad you’re making.
Herbs: finely chopped soft herbs – dill, basil, chives – are easy to mix in and will be good with almost any salad. Woody herbs like rosemary and sage don’t work quite as well.
Other add-ins: try finely grated garlic, hot pepper (fresh or dried flakes), grated ginger, lemon or orange zest, and more.

More Salad Dressing Recipes

Pesto Vinaigrette – a fresh basil dressing that tastes like a bright, fresh pesto. This is very good with summer grain salads
White Balsamic Vinaigrette – with fresh chopped herbs and white balsamic vinegar
Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette – this recipe blends up a whole preserved lemon for a punchy citrus dressing
Summer Strawberry Dressing – with fresh strawberries and balsamic vinegar, my personal favourite

If you make this Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette or any other dips and sauces recipes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.

Vinaigrette in a small glass jar with a lid on a blue background.

5 from 1 vote

Honey Mustard Dressing

Author: Alexandra Daum

Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Servings:

Print Recipe

Description

A simple honey mustard dressing for any type of salad. This is a classic French vinaigrette with olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and honey.

Ingredients

▢ 50 ml (¼ cup) olive oil extra virgin
▢ 1 to 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar see notes
▢ 1 tablespoon honey to taste
▢ 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt to taste
▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper to taste

Metric – Cups

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until very well combined. The vinaigrette should be slightly thicker and a little bit creamy looking when it's mixed.
50 ml (¼ cup) olive oil, 1 to 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Use immediately or refrigerate for up to five days. The dressing will separate and may harden when chilled. Let it come back to room temperature and shake again before use.

Notes

This makes about 80 ml, or about ⅓ cup.

The type of vinegar you use and your preferences in terms of acidity will inform how much you want to add. Stronger vinegars – white wine, red wine, and apple cider – will need less, and sweeter vinegars – balsamic, berry – might need a bit more. Taste and adjust.

Storage: keep leftover vinaigrette in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to five days. Bring it back up to room temperature before use if it’s hardened.

Freezing: salad dressing can be frozen, but it’s not as good as fresh, and this simply doesn’t make enough to make it worthwhile.

Nutrition

Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.

About Alexandra Daum

Alexandra Daum is a professional recipe developer, food photographer, and cookbook author. She started sharing carefully tested vegetarian recipes in 2014 and has since published hundreds of recipes with seasonal ingredients and whole grains as the focus. Her work has been featured on CTV, in House & Home and Chatelaine, on popular websites like Buzzfeed and Best Health, and in countless other publications.