Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe (Dressing)
The Best Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe (Balsamic Dressing) – This tangy balsamic vinaigrette dressing will make your salads sparkle, and takes only 5 minutes to prepare!
Homemade Dressing
Is there anything more satisfying than skillfully whipping up your own dressing right at home? It makes you wonder why you ever bothered buying the bottled stuff at the store.
This recipe for the Best Balsamic Vinaigrette is one I’ve tweaked over the years to be perfectly tangy-sweet and silky in texture.
The tantalizing flavor is based on good quality aged balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, honey, a touch of dijon mustard, and herbs. It is fabulous over robust spinach and kale salads, romaine salads, and even over roasted vegetables!
And you can easily make larger batches of this balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and keep it in the refrigerator for several weeks.
What Ingredients You Need to Make the Best Vinaigrette Dressing
With just a handful of ingredients, you can make a vinaigrette that rivals any store-bought brand in both taste and cost.
Here’s all that you need:
- Aged balsamic vinegar – It’s important to buy very good aged balsamic vinegar. The longer the vinegar has been aged, the sweeter, milder, and richer it becomes.
- Extra virgin olive oil – My personal favorite for making vinaigrettes, but you can substitute it with avocado or any other light-flavored oil you prefer.
- Honey – You’ll need less honey in this recipe if you use an older vinegar and/or if you prefer a more savory and less sweet dressing.
- Dijon mustard – For that perfect tangy element that brings out the boldness of the balsamic.
- Dried thyme – This balances the sweet and zesty notes of the dressing with a mild earthy flavor.
- Minced garlic – Because every good vinaigrette needs garlic!
How To Make Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- Place all the ingredients in a jar and seal tightly.
- Shake vigorously. The mustard will help emulsify the vinaigrette and give it a thick luxurious quality.
That’s it. Seriously!
Get the Full (Printable) Best Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Can Balsamic Dressing Be Stored?
Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, this dressing will keep well for 2-3 weeks. Just give it a good shake before serving.
What Are Some Ways to Enjoy This Vinaigrette?
Balsamic vinaigrette dressing is delicious drizzled on cold salads loaded with fresh greens and veggies, and on warm salads with quinoa, chickpeas and/or cooked stone fruits like grilled peaches or poached pears.
It adds a wonderful depth and tanginess to hearty roasted veggies, such as carrots and Brussels sprouts, as a glaze after cooking.
And try a bit of balsamic vinaigrette with fruits like watermelon and strawberries for a terrifically savory and sweet treat!
Can I Substitute Ingredients in this Recipe?
You absolutely can. Use whatever mild flavor oil you prefer (like paleo-friendly avocado oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil), substitute maple syrup for the honey to make it vegan, and it’s perfectly ok to use other mustards like stone-ground or yellow mustard if you don’t have Dijon.
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The Best Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Pour the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, 2 tablespoons honey, Dijon mustard, dried thyme, and garlic clove in a jar. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously to combine. Once smooth, taste. Then add more honey or salt if needed.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Just made this today and it is wonderful. I used it on my salad from our local farm box that was delivered this morning. Super fresh veggies with this great tasting recipe.
I put only 2 T honey and a 1 1/2 t of the Dijon mustard and it was perfect for me!
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This was exactly the balsamic vinaigrette I was looking for! I like that it’s 1 part oil to 1 part vinegar. Most recipes are so oil heavy. This was just perfect…and I didn’t even put in the thyme. Thanks!!
Easy and delicious!!
I have tried a few different recipes for balsamic vinaigrette dressing, this is so delicious that I’m drinking it by the tablespoon.
Just made this tonight and OMG, it’s ah-mazing!! Way better than any store bought balsamic dressing. Definitely adding this to our spring and summer salad repertoire!
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Just made this recipe a couple of hours ago. I have yet to taste it, but I’m looking forward to trying it once it cools. It’s simple and I like the ingredients, particularly the olive oil in place of the more common canola and soybean oil. I used a basil infused olive oil because it’s what I had, so I’m expecting a bit of a different taste, and I subbed a tablespoon of mild molasses for 1 of the tablespoons of honey because of an article I read in Cook’s Illustrated that stated that it helped to keep the oil and vinegar from separating. After about 3 hours in the refrigerator it appears to be doing just that. Even if I’m not overwhelmed by the flavor of this first batch, I will continue to use this basic recipe as my template because I really like the bones. I won’t stray too far from these ingredients.
Really fantastic- best dressing I’ve ever made 😍
So much better than store bought and so easy to prepare.
We really enjoyed this. It’s a beautiful blend of flavors and no one flavor over powers the others. I did leave out the fresh garlic but added a bit of ground. Thanks for the recipe.
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Delicious! The next time I’d pull back to maybe 1 to a 1/2 tablespoon of honey as it was a little too sweet to my taste.
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I’m surprised as the 1-1 Oil to Vinegar ratio, generally dressings are 2-1 or 3-1. Does this end up quite tart?
I love this dressing but i make it 1 qt at a time. It stores just fine in the cupboard for weeks. I often mess up and sometimes just guess at the measurements of the ingredients. Would you please provide the measurements of ingredients for 1 quart? It would certainly be appreciated.
Thank you
Dave
Hi Dave,
I’m so glad you like the dressing so much! This will get you close to a quart…
1 1/4 cups aged balsamic vinegar
1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
10-15 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 teaspoons dried thyme
5 cloves garlic, minced
I made this recipe for our dinner salad and to avoid soybean oil. I was pleasantly surprised at how absolutely delicious the dressing turned out. I am making a larger batch to keep for other meals. Thank you for sharing.
I really like this recipe. But I’m wondering out these nutrional numbers are correct. It looks to make 10 or at most 11 Tablespoons of dressing. I’m thinking 8 servings of 2 TBSP is not possible. Bummer. I wanted the liw calorie option.
I have lost count how many times I have made this. It is ALWAYS my go to dressing. So easy and delicious.
this is DELICIOUS!!! Reminds me of my mothers’ original French garlic dressing
My go-to Balsamic Vinaigrette, wish I found your wonderful recipe sooner! Perfect on any salad.
Hands down, winner!! The honey took it to another level!! Brilliant!!
Very tasty!
I just made this for my dinner salad today and it was awesome! I love garlic so I used two cloves rather than one. Also, instead of shaking the ingredients I threw them all into a food processor and it was perfect. Thank you!
Omg, this was so delicious!! I’ll never buy it from the store again!
Made a big salad with romaine lettuce, spinach, alpha sprouts, cucumbers, tomato, celery, carrots, and sunflower seeds. Made this dressing for it. Followed the recipe but at first only added 2 tablespoons honey but after a quick taste added another tablespoon for dinner tonight. So awesome can’t wait for dinner!
Amazinnnnng! I will no longer be visiting Sweetgreen!
Should have started making this years ago- best salad I have ever made just by using this dressing! I heavily recommend this recipe!
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Very good dressing. My wife loves it.
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my sister severed this at a family gathering this weekend, and it was delicious. 5 stars! She emailed me the link to the recipe here. I don’t know where she went with the 2-3 tsp of honey, but I have a very tiny sweet tooth and will probably start with 1 when I make this. Balsamic already has some sweetness and more isn’t needed in my opinion.
So good! We loved this dressing! After I mixed it and tasted I immediately doubled the batch : D
Easy. Delicious. Perfecto.
I substituted Honey Mustard that I had on hand for the honey and the Dijon. Also sub’d garlic salt for the garlic and salt. Just made a small batch.
Thank you.
Will never buy a balsamic vinaigrette again , so easy and delicious.
It’s so good I’ve made it twice in 3 days!
WHAT brands of vinegar, honey, mustard did you use?
Hi Terisa!
I don’t always use the same brand for all these ingredients, but I do usually buy DeLallo aged balsamic vinegar. For the other ingredients, just go with your best judgment.
This is now my go to Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe! Delicious!!
Easy, delicious, and healthier than store bought! Family loved it! Exactly what I was looking for for my spinach, raspberry, red onion, goat cheese salad.
Tossed with mixed greens, feta, candied pecans, homemade croutons and craisins. EVERYONE at dinner party raved about the salad. Thanks so much for a quick, easy and affordable salad dressing. My go-to from now on!!
dressing it good BUT keeping it in refrigerator solidifies the olive oil making it useless.
I’ve made this…and yes it may solidify a bit in the refrigerator. I will mic it for a few seconds…literally…before using.
Yum!
Really good!
my go to thank you
So good!
Just had this for dinner. I am an avid salad person and this really is one of the best dressings I have had! Thank you!
I was wanting a nice balsamic vinaigrette for the salad I was making for lunch. I needed a quick recipe and I found this one. I was so impressed. It was perfect. I definitely will be using this recipe again. The combination of flavours and the easy instructions made this recipe a keeper!
I made this for the first time for a small dinner party and it was a big hit. This is my new dressing. So easy to make.
So delicious. Perfect combo of sweet and tangy. I blended this in my smoothie blender and my 1 year old son saw and thought it was a smoothie and proceeded to freak out because I didn’t give him any. So after I pour it on our salads I let him sip it and he just…kept sipping! Needless to say he liked it too 😂
Super good! I made a pasta salad to use up some veggies and made this dressing… outstanding!! Thank you!
My new fave dressing. Thanks! God bless!
So delicious I could drink it.
It’s addicting.
Very good dressing, how I would usually make it but, for some reason I never added garlic and I love and add it to most things I make. Thanks M.E.
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It was tasty
I made this last minute when I was setting the table and realized we had run out of dressing. It was fantastic and my guests raved! Thanks for saving dinner!
Oh. My. Stars. I don’t think I’ll ever need another dressing. I could probably eat this every day for the rest of my life. And that 2T actually does the trick where normally I’d want more. Bless you sweet recipe blogger!!!
This is my go to balsamic vinaigrette dressing recipe. Fantastic
The very best – aromatic, thick and relatively low in calories. Must use a very high quality balsamic vinegar for best results. I use Acropolis Organics Mousto Balsamic Vinegar. Guests comment on how good the salad smells as I’m bringing it to the table!
Very aptly named. This is literally the best balsamic vinaigrette I’ve ever had.
Awesome dressing. (Although I use less honey than the recommended amount.) I never thought I would become such a huge salad freak.
Some helpful tips that I’ve discovered:
1) I first purée the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, and garlic right there in the measuring cup. For this I use an awesome KitchenAid corded hand blender that I recently purchased. Then I add the thyme, salt, and pepper—and whisk. Besides distributing the ingredients evenly throughout, puréeing helps minimize the separation that occurs while stored in the fridge.
2) I use an 8 oz. condiment squeeze bottle for easy pouring. You will need to clip the tip of the nozzle, in order to create a bigger spout for the dressing to flow through easily. (A heavy-duty garden shear might be needed.) Use a little more than double the ingredient amounts this recipe calls for and you should come close to filling the entire 8 oz. condiment bottle.
Excellent recipe, I used one heaping tablespoon coconut sugar instead of honey and it came out perfect. Poured it over a simple salad with spring greens, roasted beet and toasted walnut pieces. Delish!
Fantastic!! Thank you so much!
Great recipe, I recommend sticking with 2 tbs of honey. I used 2.5/3 and it was tad too sweet.
I will never buy balsamic dressing again!! This is amazing, healthier (in my opinion) and soooo easy!! Thank you for sharing this. :)
Outstanding! ❤️
AMAZING!!!! I used fresh thyme because I prefer it and honestly don’t keep dry thyme on hand. came out AWESOME! Couldn’t be more pleased- don’t think I’ll be buying any dressing ever again!!!!
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I can’t stop making this, it’s absolutely delicious!!!!! Didn’t change a thing, thanks for sharing!
I love this recipe. The only thing I change is I use gusto della vita’s shallot olive oil and their garlic balsamic vinegar. I omit the minced shallot and garlic. I get the flavors without the bite.
I did few times , is delicious !!
Seriously the best dressing I’ve ever made!
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I hate vinegar. But I wanted to get into a more healthy salad dressing. I bought an authentic Italian balsamic vinegar to use in dressings. After looking at many different recipes I tried this one first. I am hooked. Even my spouse gobbles down whatever I put it on or marinate it with. This recipe changed 2 vinegar haters into vinegar lovers! Thanks for sharing!
This dressing is fantastic and very easy. I made a few small tweaks to make it even healthier. I used good quality balsamic vinegar, so I could omit the honey. I used more garlic and allowed the minced garlic to sit 10 minutes which triggers an enzyme reaction that boosts the healthy compounds. I also used ground thyme which incorporates extraordinary flavor without the hard twiggy little pieces of dried thyme most commonly sold. I also halved the thyme since ground thyme is more robust. Even without my small changes, this recipe is great.
This is a fantastic recipe and so easy. I doubled the recipe and glad I did.
I’m assuming based on the raw garlic and dijon mustard it should be refrigerated, correct? Since the EVOO always congeals in the fridge & I have to wait to pour it from the bottle I use, it would be nice not to have to keep it in the fridge. Please let me know if that’s necessary if I use it within a week. Thanks!
This recipe right here! Bomb.com! Soo good. And so easy to make! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This is by far my favorite recipe I’ve found online!!! I absolutely love it and I’m not usually a huge balsamic vinaigrette fan by itself….I like to mix it with ranch, however, this will never be mixed with ranch!!!!! I love it and my son loves it and even my non salad eating hubby liked it!! Getting ready to make it again for steak salads!! This is the first time I’ve commented on a recipe because it’s just that delicious!!!
Amazing! Definitely adding to my go-to list of recipes. I used a little over 2 tablespoons of honey. First taste, decided it was a little too sweet for my liking so I just added a couple more tablespoons each of EVOO and balsamic vinegar and that fixed it right up. Next time I’ll keep it just under 2 tablespoons of honey, or I might try using agave which I find to be a little less sweet but wondering if that will affect the consistency or richness.
The tastiest balsamic ever! My new go to!
Love this! Checks all the boxes…quick, easy, delicious!
Hands-down the best balsamic vinaigrette recipe ever, and so easy! I made it for the first time when my grandchildren (ages 8, 10, and 14) were visiting, and they LOVED it (as did I)! They even had seconds on salad and then used their spoon to sip the left over dressing. This is my go-to dressing recipe from now on!
Made this in a pinch today (6/25/20) over a lettuce, watermelon, feta, and fried green tomato salad…it was PERFECT.
Thanks for this recipe. This really is the best balsamic vinaigrette I’ve ever had! I’m so glad I found this recipe. I’ll for sure be making it again and again!
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Be it store bought, homemade, or from a restaurant, this recipe is simply the best Balsamic Vinagrette I have ever tasted.
Hi, is this dressing too heavy for a pasta salad? If so, how would I thin it? Can I dress the pasta salad with this the day before? I need to make 25 servings. Thanks!
Hi Joanne,
I think it would be delicious on pasta salad. Adding it a day ahead will give it time to flavor all the other ingredients well. :)
Don’t think I’m ever going to buy readymade balsamic dressing again. Loved it! Thanks!
This dressing is appropriately named. It is the best balsamic dressing. I ran out of balsamic dressing and needed it for dinner with friends. I took a chance and I am so glad I did. I will never buy balsamic vinaigrette again. Thank you for this recipe!
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Yes and it came out great
Made it exactly to the recipe with the 2 tbs option of honey. It is PERFECT. Been looking a long time for this dressig and just took a chance because of the reviews.
We love making homemade vinaigrette! Adding the mustard adds a nice flavor to this!
This is my new favorite salad dressing! So delicious!
This dressing is amazing! I love how thick it is; because of that, a little really goes a long way. Even my husband loves it. Thank you for sharing it!
It turned out so good! A new staple at my kitchen!
As everyone says, this dressing is truly amazing. Cannot believe how easy it is to create something so divine. Thank you for sharing.
I love homemade salad dressing and this one is amazing!! Such a great recipe!
You are absolutely correct, this is the BEST! My kids love it too!
I will definitely try this✨
We have one that my mother in law got from some special restaurant.
It seems the only difference is that we add ketchup!
Would you believe ketchup.
And the funny thing is you’ll never taste the ketchup
Plus sweet basil & oregano.
Blessings ✨✨
This was, hands down the best! I used 2 Tbsp of honey and a very large clove of garlic and the result was such a deliciously intense flavor. It was almost too thick after refrigeration tho, so I have to let it come to room temp again before using again. Next time I’ll use a jar for it rather than a bottle.
thank you for sharing!
One of the best dressings I have found!
Delish! I’ve been using another recipe for years and it didn’t have Dijon mustard in it. Wish I would have found this recipe sooner! Also, I left out the honey since I tend to like more of a savory taste over sweet. It was perfection! I’ve deleted my old recipe and replaced it with this one!!
This is an excellent balsamic vinaigrette. The flavors and acidity are perfectly balanced for dressing tender greens.
Super simple dressing that is quick to whip up. I always have the ingredients on hand which makes this very convenient. It has wonderful flavor and better than any bottled version I’ve ever tried! I used this on a Balsamic Cucumber Salad and it was perfect!
Delicious! My new favorite dressing.
I found this recipe a few months ago and I make a batch weekly. It is hands down the best vinaigrette I’ve ever had.
Thank you for a perfect recipe – I’ve been trying for years to make a good salad dressing. And now I can.
Hi, are there really 224 calories per serving???
Hi Dusty,
Sorry about that! Our automated nutritional calculator sometimes needs to be recalibrated. It should be accurate now. :)
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Made this tonight for dinner and I absolutely loved it. I made some more after dinner to have on hand for the upcoming week. Awesome recipe!
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The best. Even my husband loved it
The best
Love this Balsamic Vinaigrette!! I think it’s the best I’ve ever had:)
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The dressing is delicious but I should have used less honey.
What can I add to it to take away some of the sweetness?
This is the best balsamic dressing I’ve had! How long does it keep for and what’s the best way to store it?
Hi Melanie,
So glad you like it! I keep it in an airtight jar it the fridge, then shake it up before serving. It should be fine for 2-3 weeks.
I made it yesterday…..the day I found it! YUMM! I used it on a quinoa spinach salad and here I am again making it upon request. Thanks so much!
I found it best after I blended it, but awesome dressing!!!
Very yummy. My husband never comments on my salad dressings, but he told me he loved it and went back for more. Thanks for sharing!
I absolutely love this dressing! It’s thick, flavorful and just so much better than the vinaigrette from the store. My husband and friends love it too. And I love that there are no weird and unnecessary ingredients. This is definitely in the weekly rotation, thank you!
This dressing is fantastic!!! Loved it in my salad today!!
I’ve made the dressing several times. I love balsamic vinaigrette and this recipe is so easy and delicious!!
Can you sub regular yellow mustard for dijon? That’s all I have in and don’t want to buy some for the small amount I would use for this. Sounds delicious!
Hi Nicole, Absolutely! :)
Delicious and so easy!
I’ve had this recipe bookmarked forever. I’ve finally made it today and the name is apt! Probably one of the best dressings ever – delicious! Thanks from ND :)
Hi Jenna,
I’m so glad you liked it! You just made my day. :)
Can you use an oil substitute like avocado oil instead of olive oil?
Hi Brenda,
Absolutely! You can use any oil you like. :)
Love creating my own dressings! Sounds delish!
A perfect dressing!
I need to try this, I bet it is so much better than store bought
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