Creamy Balsamic Dressing (Easy, No Blender!)

This creamy balsamic dressing recipe is thick, tangy, and a nice balance of savory and sweet. It's ready in about 10 minutes! 

If you're the type of person who likes to make their own salad dressing, give this recipe a try! I usually make my own dressings. I find that they just taste better, and of course it's easy to control what goes into them (amount of salt, etc.). 

This homemade balsamic salad dressing is super easy to make. You simply add the ingredients to a bowl and whisk them together until smooth! 

Not that there's anything wrong with using a blender, but I just don't like to dirty it up for salad dressing if I can help it. To get a nice, thick emulsion, you need to slowly drizzle olive oil in while the blender is running. To skip all of that, I simply use mayo (a ready-made emulsion) and dress it up. You get the thickness without the hassle. Easy peasy.

Recipe notes & tips:

• Everyone's tastes vary, so I encourage you to taste and adjust as needed. It's easy to tweak homemade salad dressings to your preferences, so don't be shy with experimenting. 
• Bottled balsamic vinegar dressings can be quite sweet (some list sugar as the second ingredient), so if you're after that kinda flavor, you can definitely add more sugar than suggested.
• If you want the dressing to be even thicker, add a little more mayo. Thinner? Add a splash of water. 
• You can swap the dried herbs for fresh (use up to a tablespoon or so) if you prefer. Or omit the herbs if you don't want it to have a slightly herby flavor.
• You can use one small clove of garlic instead of the garlic powder.
• Want to double the dressing? Simply double every ingredient. 
• I use Hellmann's mayo for this recipe, and it's my go-to in general when I am using mayonnaise.
• Keep this dressing refrigerated and consume within 5-7 days.

More tasty homemade salad dressings to try:

• Easy Caesar Salad Dressing (10 Minutes & No Blender!)
• Homemade Ranch Dressing
• Simple Homemade Honey Mustard Dressing (Dairy-free)
• Chipotle Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing

Questions about this creamy balsamic salad dressing recipe? Let me know in the comments below!

Creamy Balsamic Dressing

This creamy balsamic dressing recipe is thick, tangy, and a nice balance of savory and sweet. It's ready in about 10 minutes! 

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Course Condiment

Cuisine American

Servings 14 (makes a little less than 1 cup)

Calories 88 kcal

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Ingredients

 

• ▢ 3/4 cup mayo
• ▢ 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar or to taste
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Add dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk together thoroughly. Taste and adjust as needed so the dressing suits your tastes. Note: some balsamic vinegars are a lot sweeter than others, so start with half the amount of sugar suggested, taste, and add more if needed.
• Transfer to a jar and refrigerate for up to a week. You can eat it right away, but I prefer to leave it for a few hours so the flavors meld more and the dried herbs soften up.

Notes

• The recipe makes just under one cup of dressing, so it will work for 1-2 larger salads or about 4-6 smaller ones (of course this depends on how much dressing you use and how big the salads are).
• Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. One serving is about 1 tablespoon.
   

Nutrition

Calories: 88kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 79mgPotassium: 9mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 9IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg

Keyword balsamic vinegar salad dressing, creamy balsamic dressing

Author Natasha Bull