Looking for a creamy salad dressing you can make quickly and with minimal effort? Get some mayo and a mason jar, and get shaking.
Those of you who’ve been around TNB for a while know that the only sauces permissible in my kitchen are of the homemade variety. This is doubly true for salad dressings. At the risk of sounding too harsh, I find store-bought dressings to be… gross.
I don’t mean to yuck someone’s yum, or to sound like a snob, but they’re just something I’ve never gotten onboard with. Bottled dressings’ goopy texture, slick mouthfeel, and artificial-tasting flavors (even if they’re dubbed “natural” on the label) are the fastest way to ruin a salad, if you ask me. Also, I can almost always taste the unpleasant chemical flavor of the crappy oil they’re made with (which is, after all, the main ingredient of vinaigrette).
Making DIY salad dressing in a jar is a technique I picked up a while ago and it’s nothing short of a game-changer for – fine, I’ll admit it – dressing snobs like me. You basically put all the ingredients in a jar and shake them up until emulsified. Forget the nervous whisking, the separation of oil and vinegar, and the dirtying of multiple dishes in order to make a basic dressing. Once you try this mayo-based technique, you’ll never go back.
What’s In This Creamy Salad Dressing
This homemade vinaigrette is made up of the classic components: olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and maple syrup (or honey). What makes it creamy and ensures that the oil will not separate out is adding a bit of mayonnaise to the mixture.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The flavor of whatever oil you use will come through in the dressing. Use the best quality you can get your hands on. I recommend California Olive Ranch as a tasty and affordable supermarket option.
- Vinegar: You can use balsamic or any other mild vinegar, like white wine, champagne, or apple cider. I’m not a huge fan of distilled white vinegar here since it can be overpowering.
- Mayo: Makes the dressing creamy and helps it emulsify.
- Mustard: Use brown, Dijon, or whole grain mustard.
- Maple Syrup: My go-to sweetener for sauces. You can sub with honey.
How to Make Creamy Salad Dressing in a Jar
Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- Combine the Ingredients. Measure out all the ingredients and combine them in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Shake to Emulsify. Shake the jar vigorously until everything comes together and a creamy dressing forms.
How to Use Homemade Vinaigrette
This creamy mayo-based dressing works on any and all salads (see: this meal prep lunch salad, avocado BLT salad, Thanksgiving salad). You can also use it for massaging kale, on pasta salad, and even on salmon (if you eat fish).
FAQ’s
This recipe makes about 3/4 cup dressing, which means if you use 2 tablespoons per salad, this amount will last for 6 salads (yay math!). Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it’ll keep for up to 1 month.
Yep! Start with 1 medium clove and work your way up if you want more garlicky flavor. I recommend grating the clove on a microplane, or crushing it, for even distribution.
Sure thing. Your dressing will just be less creamy. You can also try substituting it with equal amounts of Greek yogurt or sour cream; be mindful that adding dairy will shorten the shelf life of your dressing, though.
More Homemade Sauces…
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
The Full Recipe
Print
Creamy Salad Dressing
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: About 3/4 cup 1x
- Category: Sauces
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Looking for a creamy salad dressing you can make quickly and with minimal effort? Find yourself a mason jar and get shaking.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup vinegar (balsamic, white wine, champagne, or apple cider)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (traditional or vegan)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon, brown, or whole grain mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a jar, close tightly with a lid, and shake until creamy and homogenous. Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to incorporate. Store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 1.7 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 10.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
Susan says
Could I adapt this recipe to
make a creamy lemon vinaigrette?
Alexandra Shytsman says
Hi Susan! Yep. Just swap the vinegar for fresh lemon juice. Note that it won’t last as long though – you’ll probably need to use it up within 5 days or so.
Nancy bergoine says
Can I leave mustard out of recipe?
Alexandra Shytsman says
Hi Nancy! You can but the dressing might feel a bit out of balance. Be sure to taste it before serving so you can adjust the other flavors to your liking 🙂
Susan Berkery says
My first homemade dressing! Yummy! Thank you.
Alexandra Shytsman says
Woo! Glad you liked it, Susan 🙂
Kris says
This is a very simple technique that makes a versatile creamy dressing. Thank you!
Larry Murphy says
Outstanding. I need a little more honey and mayo. Otherwise wow. So so so good
Alexandra Shytsman says
So glad you liked it, Larry! Thank you for the feedback 🙂
Jan says
Can you use a home made cashew mayo? Or coconut Greek yoghurt? I guess it will mean you’d have to use it in a week max tho yeah?
Alexandra Shytsman says
Hi Jan. I’ve never tried homemade cashew mayo, so I can’t comment on it. Coconut yogurt should work! And yes, you’d have to note the expiration date of the yogurt. All vegan yogurts are slightly different, though, so if you have trouble getting the dressing totally smooth, you can always pop the mixture in the blender. Hope this helps!