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    Home » Sauces, spreads & dips

    Quick & easy balsamic vinaigrette dressing (Just 5 ingredients!)

    Updated: Mar 29, 2025 · Published: Oct 6, 2021 by Cadry Nelson · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 2 Comments

    Jump to recipe
    Text overlay: Balsamic vinaigrette. Hand pouring dressing over salad.

    Balsamic vinaigrette dressing is an easy, pantry-friendly staple. It’s great on a variety of salads.

    Plus, you only need a whisk & bowl to make it. That makes for very fast clean-up. Naturally vegan and gluten free.

    Balsamic dressing on table.

    Homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing is so simple to make, there’s no reason to buy it by the bottle.

    You likely already have all of the ingredients on hand.

    Unlike store bought, you can easily adjust the dressing to fit your preferences, and make a larger or smaller batch depending on your needs.

    It lasts a long while in the fridge. So this is one you can pull from again and again, whenever you need a delicious salad topping in a hurry.

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Step by step instructions
    • Make it your own
    • How to store
    • Ways to use it
    • More dressing recipes you’ll love
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

    Labeled balsamic viniagrette ingredients.
    • Quality balsamic vinegar adds a bold sweet yet tart flavor
    • Extra virgin olive oil mellows the vinegar with fat & body
    • Stoneground mustard adds a thicker viscosity to the dressing & helps it from separating
    • Maple syrup balances with sweetness
    • A pinch of salt accentuates the flavors

    Step by step instructions

    Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

    Bowl with fork mixing dressing.

    Whisk the following together in a bowl:

    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Balsamic vinegar
    • Stoneground mustard
    • Maple syrup
    • Salt

    Once it has reached a nice, thick viscosity, it’s ready to use.

    Make it your own

    You can make this vinaigrette dressing recipe your own by varying the ingredients & adjusting to taste.

    Vary the ingredients

    • Replace balsamic vinegar with red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or freshly-squeezed lemon juice
    • Replace EVOO with your preferred mild-flavored oil
    • Instead of stone-ground mustard, use Dijon mustard for a stronger nose-clearing flavor or go milder with yellow mustard
    • Maple syrup can be replaced with agave syrup
    • Add minced garlic or shallots for a kick
    • Add a pinch of your favorite herbs like fresh or dried basil, thyme, and/or oregano
    • Add a dash of ground black pepper

    Adjust to taste

    • If you want more tartness, add more balsamic
    • If you want a more muted flavor, add more oil
    • If you’d like more tang, up the mustard
    • If you’d prefer a sweeter dressing, increase the maple syrup

    How to store

    Store balsamic dressing in a covered container in the refrigerator.

    Because oil solidifies in cold temperatures, be sure to move the dressing to the kitchen counter about a half an hour before you want to use it. Then give it another shake or stir to reincorporate all of the ingredients before pouring onto a salad.

    Since all of the ingredients last forever on the refrigerator door, balsamic vinaigrette will keep for several weeks, as long as you’re not adding any fresh ingredients (like fresh herbs).

    Ways to use it

    Hand pouring dressing over strawberry salad.

    Balsamic vinaigrette complements most leafy green salads.

    It’s especially nice on any of the following:

    • Easy spinach salad
    • Salad with strawberries & vegan feta
    • Avocado caprese
    • Vegan chef salad
    • Kale salad with roasted chickpeas

    You can toss it with a pasta salad. Or use it as a marinade for grilled vegetable skewers or grilled Portobello mushrooms.

    More dressing recipes you’ll love

    Variety is the spice of life. Keep your salads interesting by mixing up the dressings.

    Here are some of my favorite options:

    • Creamy cashew dressing
    • Vegan ranch dressing
    • Lemon tahini dressing
    • Basil vinaigrette
    • Vegan blue cheese dressing
    Hand pouring dressing over mixed green salad.

    If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!

    📖 Recipe

    Quick and easy balsamic vinaigrette being poured onto green salad.

    Quick & easy balsamic vinaigrette dressing

    Author: Cadry Nelson
    5 from 4 votes
    Balsamic vinaigrette is a classic dressing that uses pantry-friendly ingredients. It's quick, easy, and inexpensive to make. Use it on leafy green salads, pasta salads, or as a marinade for grilled vegetables.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 minute minute
    Total Time: 3 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Course: Dressing
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Keyword: easy salad dressing, maple vinaigrette

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • ¼ teaspoon stoneground mustard
    • ½ teaspoon maple syrup
    • Pinch of salt

    Instructions

    • Put the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, stoneground mustard, maple syrup, and salt into a bowl. Whisk with a fork or whisk until it has a thick viscosity.
    • Serve right away. Or store for later use in a covered container. If the oil separates from the vinegar, just give it a good shake or stir.

    Notes

    This dressing is easy to adjust to suit your preferences. If you want more tartness, add more balsamic. If you want a more muted flavor, add more oil. If you’d like more tang, increase the mustard. If you’d prefer a sweeter dressing, increase the maple syrup. For more variation ideas, see the full blog post.
    Store the dressing in the refrigerator. Oil is prone to solidifying in cold temperatures. So remember to move the dressing to the kitchen counter for about a half an hour to come to room temperature. Then give it a shake or stir. It will last for several weeks.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg

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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer behind Cadry’s Kitchen, and the author of Living Vegan For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Since launching her blog in 2009, Cadry has been making plant-based cooking approachable, and reimagining classic comfort foods. Her work has been featured in NBC News, Buzzfeed, Yahoo, Parade, VegNews, and more. She regularly appears on local TV shows, demonstrating to a broad audience how easy vegan cooking can be.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    1. Shell

      October 18, 2021 at 11:11 am

      5 stars
      I love this recipe! So easy and tastes great! I usually just use balsamic vinegar and olive oil separately on my salads. I will be using this simple recipe from now on!

      Reply
      • Cadry Nelson

        October 18, 2021 at 11:12 am

        That’s great to hear, Shell! I’m so glad the dressing is a hit for you!

        Reply

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