This creamy homemade balsamic vinaigrette recipe is a little sweet, a little tangy, and incredibly tasty.
The best thing is, it can be whipped up in 5 minutes with very little effort!
"Delicious!! Made it in less than two minutes & wouldn't change a thing!"
★★★★★ -Michelle
This truly is the best balsamic vinaigrette recipe. It creates a rich, flavorful, creamy dressing. Throw a hand full of ingredients into a blender or food processor and BAM, it is done!
Store-bought dressings have added sugar, preservatives, and cheap oils. Therefore, scrap your store-bought salad dressing and make your own dressing.
Follow these steps and tips below to learn how to make this creamy balsamic dressing recipe! Enjoy! Xoxo ~Katie.
Jump to:
Ingredient notes and substitutions
To make this homemade balsamic dressing, you will need the following basic ingredients.
- balsamic vinegar- Use a high quality aged balsamic vinegar for a thicker texture. A lower quality balsamic will be more acidic.
- olive oil- Extra virgin olive oil adds flavor and texture. Do not substitute with canola oil or vegetable oil.
- mayonnaise- Makes the dressing creamy. It also thickens it.
- honey-Adds a perfect balance of sweetness without adding sugar. It also thickens the dressing. For a twist in flavor, you can substitute with pure maple syrup.
- dijon mustard- Do not substitute with yellow mustard. A touch of dijon mustard adds a tangy flavor, a bit of sweetness, and thickens the dressing. You can substitute with a good quality stone ground mustard, however, it will add an additional acidic bite.
- garlic clove- Fresh is best for this recipe, but you can substitute with garlic powder.
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
*Full recipe with ingredient measurements is located at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Steps
Making creamy homemade balsamic vinaigrette is so easy! Follow these simple steps.
- Add balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mayonnaise, honey, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic into a blender or food processor.
- Blend until creamy and smooth.
Important Tip
It is important to use a food processor or blender. This will ensure the dressing will emulsify. If you mix it by hand, the ingredients will notcorrectly blend together creating an unappealing result.
Watch how to make
How long does balsamic dressing last?
The creamy balsamic salad dressing will last in the refrigerator 5-7 days. To store dressing, place in an airtight container or glass jar, and refrigerate. If dressing has began to separate, stir with a spoon to give it a good mix when ready to serve.
Why add mayonnaise and mustard?
This is not your particular homemade balsamic vinaigrette. The typical basic recipe for balsamic vinaigrettes use vinegar and oil only. This recipe adds mayonnaise and mustard.
Why? Both mayonnaise and mustard act like additional emulsifying agents. This keeps the dressing that rich thickness without separating apart like a true vinegar and oil dressing.
In addition, the mayonnaise offers a creamy rich texture and the mustard offers a tangy flavor. The combination of the two with the balsamic and olive oil is PERFECTION! The result is a creamy balsamic dressing that you will LOVE!
Uses for the vinaigrette
This balsamic vinaigrette can be used SO MANY WAYS! Here are a few ideas:
- Use this homemade balsamic dressing for your favorite salads such as garden salad, simple green salad, spinach salad, goat cheese salad, and chef salad.
- It is the star of the show drizzled on tomatoes and mozzarella for a Caprese salad.
- It adds great flavor to an Italian pasta salad.
- Also, try it as a marinade on chicken or pork.
- Use it as a marinade for grilled or roasted eggplant, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, and red peppers. It gives the vegetables an incredible flavor.
- This classic balsamic vinaigrette is a great topping for a gourmet sandwich or sub.
For more homemade salad dressings, try:
- Homemade Chunky Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
- Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing
- French Dressing
- Greek Salad Dressing
- Creamy Parmesan Salad Dressing
- Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix
Please leave me a comment below if you make this balsamic dressing, and tell me what you think about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.
Also post your picture of your salad dressing on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
📖 Recipe
Best Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe-Easy to Make
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup balsamic
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon ground pepper
- 1 garlic clove
Instructions
- Add balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mayonnaise, honey, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic clove into a blender or food processor.⅓ cup balsamic , ¾ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoon mayonnaise, 2 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard, ½ tablespoon salt, ½ tablespoon ground pepper, 1 garlic clove
- Blend until creamy and smooth.
M q says
Loved the flavors but started with 1 tblsp mayo and that was too thick. I ended up adding more water to get it to the right consistency. Made it in my bullet.
Katie Crenshaw says
Oh wow, I'm sorry to hear it only hit 3 stars for you, but I truly appreciate your feed back. This recipe is a creamier take on vinaigrette compared to the classice balsamic and olive oil version, and most people love it this way. That said, I understand the thicker texture is not for everyone. The mayonnaise is mainly there to help emulsify, so starting with just a teaspoon or two and adjusting from there can give a thinner consistency. Adding water, like you did, is also a perfect adjustment. Sometimes the better quality olive oils will also create a heavier, c thicker dressing. I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but for a milder flavor and a lighter consistency, you may want to use virgin olive oil. I am happy to hear you enjoyed the flavor and hope your dressing turns out perfect the next time.
LJ says
Restaurant quality dressing, absolutely delicious. Made exactly to recipe, somebody said they could drink it with a straw!!!
Danielle Rosen says
Easy, delicious & a crowd pleaser!
Anjali Mathewson says
Have been looking for a go-to balsamic dressing that was flavorful with a great creamy consistency without being too heavy. Love this recipe! I will definitely be keeping a jar of this handy at all times. So good. I used Avocado Mayo to keep it even healthier. One could reduce the salt too depending on the contents of salad. Thank you for the great recipe. I will be exploring your website for more. Need to experiment using this dressing as a marinade next!
Eileen Landy says
This is the best balsamic dressing recipe! And so easy to make. Definitely a keeper.