Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

Why settle for store-bought when you can whip up something this good in minutes? This creamy balsamic vinaigrette recipe proves you don’t need a blender (or time or effort) to create a salad dressing that is so delicious. I’ll share how to make this with just 4 ingredients and my expert tips for achieving the perfect texture. Grab your whisk, and let’s go!

Have you ever tried making homemade balsamic vinaigrette? It’s so easy! It takes about the same time as standing in the dressing aisle trying to decide which bottle to buy. I’ve been making my own salad dressings for years for a few reasons: it’s more affordable and uses ingredients I almost always have in my kitchen. This creamy balsamic vinaigrette is my go-to recipe – you’ll often find a jar of it in my fridge.

I love that it’s made without a blender, so after dinner, clean-up is easier. It comes together in minutes and keeps for weeks in the fridge, making it the perfect way to elevate a weeknight dinner or impress guests without much effort. Once you try it, you’ll never look at store-bought dressings the same way again!

5 reasons this is our favorite creamy balsamic vinaigrette

There are so many reasons to love this creamy balsamic dressing. Here are five reasons why my family love it:

No mayonnaise: This salad dressing gets its creaminess from emulsifying the oil into the vinegar and mustards, so there is no mayo needed.
Taste: My recipe uses two different kinds of mustard – grainy and Dijon – for extra flavor. You know what they say: double the mustard, double the flavor!
Ease: This is so easy to make – you barely need a recipe for it! Simply whisk the ingredients together and you’re done.
Versatile: This is a great all-around salad dressing that goes well with any dinner salad.
Meal-prep gold: It lasts for several weeks in your fridge so it’s perfect for having delicious lunches.

Ingredients for balsamic creamy salad dressing

Store-bought balsamic salad dressings are often loaded with sugar, and usually have some hard to pronounce ingredients. But when you make this recipe at home, you know every ingredient you’re eating. Gather these items:

Mustard : This recipe uses both grainy mustard and Dijon mustard.
Balsamic vinegar: Adds the perfect amount of tang.
Olive oil: Emulsifies, making it deliciously creamy! You don’t need mayo or any heavy creams – just some good old olive oil!
Salt and pepper: To balance and enhance the flavors.

How to use creamy balsamic salad dressing

My absolute, all-time favorite way to enjoy this dressing is obvious – on a salad! It dresses up leafy greens beautifully, adding a delicious flavor that makes me actually crave salads. However, don’t limit yourself to salads. There are other ways to enjoy it, so let’s go through them:

On a salad : I make this creamy balsamic vinaigrette recipe whenever I’m making my steak salad – they’re a match made in heaven. However, it’s so versatile, it’ll work on basically any salad: a spinach salad , caprese salad , garden salad, or green salad . There are endless choices!
Over steak: I’ll also drizzle some over my steak every now and again – the flavors were totally made for each other.
As a marinade: I’ve been known to use this as a marinade for grilled chicken or pork.
As a dip: Yes, it’s technically a dressing, but it also moonlights as a delicious dip for raw veggies or a crusty baguette slice.
Over roasted veggies: The tangy balsamic and creamy texture bring out the natural sweetness of the veggies in the best way.

How to store creamy balsamic vinaigrette recipe

This dressing will keep for at least 2 weeks in your fridge. The olive oil will solidify in the cold, so remove it a few minutes before use and let it come to room temperature. If it looks runny after thawing, whisk it or shake the jar, and it will come together again.

Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Ingredients

▢ 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
▢ 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
▢ 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
▢ ¼ cup olive oil
▢ ⅛ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper

Instructions

Whisk the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl until it becomes creamy. 1 tablespoon grainy mustard, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, ⅛ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
Thin the dressing with up to a tablespoon of water, as needed.
Either use the dressing right away or store it in a jar in your fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Nutrition

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here .

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Tips for perfect emulsification

Getting your blender or food processor out and dirtying it for a simple salad dressing feels like way too much work, doesn’t it? Well, leave that baby right where it is in the cupboard. Thanks to the magic of emulsification you don’t need to do extra dishes to make this creamy balsamic vinaigrette recipe.

Emulsifying is the process of combining ingredients like oil and vinegar – typically, sworn enemies that refuse to get along and mix together. The key is the mustard, which acts as an emulsifier, helping the oil and vinegar combine and stay creamy instead of separating. When you whisk them together, the tiny droplets of oil get suspended in the vinegar, creating that luscious texture you’d expect from a dressing made in a blender.

Pro tips for perfect emulsification:

Easy does it: You want a slow stream of oil, so add it gradually – don’t just dump it into your bowl. A steady drizzle is key.
Bowl selection: A small, deep bowl will work best.
Whisk it out: Roll up your sleeves, and whisk like you mean it!
Adjust as needed: If it feels too thick, add a splash of water.

Creamy Balsamic Salad Dressing being poured over salad - 5

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Brown Butter Vinaigrette

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Balsamic Cherry Vinaigrette

Cumin Lime Vinaigrette