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This balsamic vinaigrette recipe is one of those dressings I always come back to. It’s tangy, a little sweet, and honestly, it is so much better than store-bought!
I love making salad dressings from scratch, and this balsamic vinaigrette is the one I reach for most. We almost always have everything on hand, and it’s delicious on just about any salad you can think of.
You’ll find our basic balsamic vinaigrette recipe below, plus two fun variations: a creamy version and a strawberry one. We especially love drizzling it over our balsamic strawberry salad!
Key Ingredients
- Balsamic Vinegar: Use what you have. Most of us have the less expensive bottles with thin, pretty tart vinegar inside. That’s what I’ve assumed in our recipe below. If you have thicker, aged balsamic vinegar, it will still be lovely in our recipe. We recommend tasting it before using it to make the dressing. If it already tastes syrupy and sweet, you can probably skip the sweetener. If it’s tart and acidic, you’ll want to add a little sweetness with maple syrup, honey, or jam.
- Dijon Mustard: We use mustard in many of our salad dressing recipes and love it in this balsamic dressing. It helps the ingredients emulsify and makes it taste more like what you are served in nicer restaurants. Whole-grain mustard is a good substitute.
- Olive Oil: Use your favorite extra-virgin olive oil. I like fruiter, lighter olive oils, but use what you have or love.
- Sweetener: Maple syrup and honey are lovely (I only add a little bit) and balance the tartness of balsamic vinegar.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Balsamic Vinaigrette
Tip 1: Whisk everything but the oil first. To get a really nice emulsion, whisk your balsamic, mustard, sweetener, salt, and pepper together until well combined. Then slowly stream in the olive oil, whisking as it is added.
Tip 2: Be ready to adjust to taste. Balsamic vinegar varies in sweetness, thickness, and acidity. Less expensive bottles are usually thinner and quite tart, while more expensive bottles can be syrupy and sweet. You can use either in our recipe, but it’s helpful to know what you are starting with before adding your sweetener. If your vinegar is tart, add the sweetener as recommended below. If it’s already sweet, hold off, make the dressing without sweetener, then adjust to taste.
Recipe Variations
- Make it creamy. If you prefer creamy dressings, add a spoonful of mayonnaise, sour cream, plain yogurt, or crème fraîche (my favorite).
- Add jam. Honey or maple syrup are in our basic recipe, but to add more fruity flavor, swap the sweetener with your favorite jam. Strawberry jam is incredible. Fig jam pairs really well with balsamic, and I adore this peach jam!
More Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes
Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
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PREP
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TOTAL
This easy balsamic vinaigrette dressing is a staple recipe in our house. We like vinegary dressings and use twice as much olive oil as vinegar. To make a less vinegary dressing, add more olive oil to taste. I like to add a little sweetener to the dressing. Maple syrup or honey is lovely, or add a little fruitiness with your favorite jam (strawberry jam is especially good). If you are using a thicker balsamic vinegar or one that is aged, it may already taste sweeter, so you may not need to add a sweetener.
Makes 3/4 cup
You Will Need
¼ cup balsamic vinegar (60 ml)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup, honey, or strawberry jam
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste (120 ml)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise, sour cream, or crème fraîche, optional to make creamy
Directions
1Whisk balsamic vinegar, mustard, sweetener, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until well blended.
2While whisking, slowly stream in the olive oil until completely incorporated and the dressing has thickened and looks creamy. Taste and then adjust with salt, pepper, olive oil, or sweetener as needed.
3To turn it into a creamy dressing, whisk in mayo (sour cream or crème fraîche).
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Storing: Keep balsamic vinaigrette in an airtight container or jar for up to 1 week.
- How to make in jar or blender: Instead of whisking ingredients together, place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine. Or, use a blender. Add all ingredients to blender then blend until thick.
- Nutritional information are estimates.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1 tablespoon
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Calories
87
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Total Fat
9.3g
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Saturated Fat
1.3g
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Cholesterol
0mg
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Sodium
71.4mg
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Carbohydrate
1.3g
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Dietary Fiber
0g
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Total Sugars
1.1g
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Protein
0g
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