This quick and easy vegan honey mustard dressing is so simple, done within 2 minutes and is loaded with amazing sweet and tangy flavors. Great as a salad dressing, but also makes for the best dipping sauce! 100% vegan, dairy-free and naturally gluten-free.
Here is a super simple sweet and tangy dressing that's perfect for veggie bowls or pasta salads: vegan honey mustard dressing.
It is ultra easy to make, quick to prepare and really has a lot of amazing flavors. Plus, it only requires a few simple ingredients you probably already have in the house!
5-min easy dressings are actually one of my favorite things to make and I always have one or two sauces ready to go in the fridge. Especially this sesame soy dressing and this avocado green goddess sauce, which is such a treat when the fresh herbs are in season, I make them ahead of time for a busy week to add flavor quickly to my meals.
Because healthy sauces, such as this maple-mustard sauce, are such a flavor-booster for meals that are a little bland without having to put in much effort. It can easily bring a sad veggie back to life!
And this yummy sweet mustard sauce is SO delicious I want to eat it by the spoon. It is ultra creamy and has a good oomph from the mustard, yet perfectly balanced by the maple syrup. The combo of sweet vs peppery is absolutely addictive in this sauce! There is a small hint of garlic too that's not overpowering, but helps get more flavor to the simple recipe.
The maple syrup replaces honey (not technically vegan) from a classic recipe, but the flavors are just as amazing and very similar to store-bought honey mustard sauce versions. Plus, it is usually better to make your own so you can adjust the flavors to your taste and you will be able to know everything that's in there, too.
Not only does it take only a few minutes to make, but you can also use this sauce in so many ways. I love it in salads, especially pasta salads, but it also works beautifully as a dipping sauce for tofu nuggets or to drizzle over roasted vegetables or grain bowls.
Let me know if you gave it a try! ❤️
Highlights of this recipe
- Quick and easy
- Very flavorful
- Amazing silky and creamy consistency
- Perfect for meal-prep
- Easy to make oil-free and WFPB
- Works great as a salad dressing OR as a dipping sauce
- Easy to customize
- Vegan, dairy-free, egg-free and naturally gluten-free
Ingredients you'll need
- Mustard: I used a combination of dijon and yellow mustard, which I think gives the sauce the best flavor. BUT feel-free to use 100% dijon or 100% yellow mustard if you prefer. You can also use a grainy mustard to add texture.
- Maple syrup: I love maple syrup in sauces for its flavor, but agave nectar works too. Also, if you find vegan honey, then that would be perfect in this recipe.
- Vegan mayo: I used store-bought vegan mayo from the brand Follow your Heart, but use any vegan mayo you can find. Hellman's and Primal Kitchen make one too. Also, you can easily make this sauce completely oil-free and fat-free: simply omit the mayo altogether or make your own vegan mayo from cashews.
- Garlic: use a small clove and crush very finely. It adds a mild garlicky kick-in-flavor that works great in this recipe.
How to make a vegan honey mustard dressing
Combine
In a small bowl or a jar, add the mayo, mustard, maple syrup and whisk/shake until smooth.
Taste and adjust
Taste the sauce and adjust to you preference: you might want to add some salt and make the sauce sweeter vs more zippy by playing around with how much you include of the maple syrup vs mustard.
Also, I love the consistency of the sauce as is, but you can make it thinner by adding some water if you want.
Chill the sauce for about 1 hour before serving to boost the flavors even more!
Helpful tips
- You can also blend the sauce to create a lighter consistency that's almost whipped and to really incorporate the garlic into the sauce. A small blender or an immersion blender would work better because of the small volume of sauce.
- I encourage you to make it ahead if you can so the flavors really infuse together.
- Keep this sauce in a sealed jar for easy storage, but also so you can shake the sauce before using.
How to use this dressing
There are plenty of ways you can use this dressing!
I think this recipe works great as a salad dressing with crunchy romaine, carrots and green pepper, such as seen in the picture. I also love creamy dressings in pasta salads, which would be amazing in this case too. Check out my red lentil pasta salad for inspiration!
Also, this recipe makes for one of my favorite dipping sauce! I actually featured it a while back to pair with my tofu nuggets, but we thought the sauce was so tasty it needed its own blog post! You can also use it as a dipping sauce for raw veggie sticks, jackfruit nuggets or simply French fries. Kids love it!
Other ways to use it are:
- Sandwiches: amazing paired especially with smoky roasted tofu, tomatoes, pickles and lettuce for a deli meat sandwich style.
- Buddha grain bowls: simply drizzle over a bowl made with whole grain (such as brown rice, barley or quinoa), vegetables, lettuce, fresh herbs, chickpeas or roasted tofu.
- Marinade: use it to flavor tofu or tempeh before baking in the oven, then drizzle some extra sauce when serving. It will give it so much flavor!
- Burgers: use as a spread in veggie burgers. Try pairing with this oat chickpea burger or jackfruit burger.
- Vegetables: makes for the perfect dressing to boost the flavor of warm roasted vegetables, such as these oven roasted potatoes and broccoli.
- Bean salads: I used this recipe to make my Tuscan bean salad and it was amazing!
Variations to the recipe
This salad dressing is super versatile and can easily be modified to your taste. Here are a few ideas:
- Use 100% yellow mustard for a milder taste OR 100% dijon for a stronger peppery flavor to your sauce.
- Include some white wine vinegar or lemon juice to add more tangy flavor and create more of a vinaigrette consistency, especially if serving as a salad dressing.
- This sauce would go great with a mild onion-y flavor, so feel-free to add a finely diced green onion or shallot.
- For more texture and to add a nice contrast in color, add some poppy seeds!
- If you are looking to make a 100% oil-free and fat-free recipe, then you can omit the vegan mayo, or simply: 1- make a vegan cashew mayo from scratch OR 2- use a plain vegan yogurt instead (we love the cashew yogurt from the brand Forager).
- Play around with the flavor profile and add some herbs or spices, such as paprika, dried oregano/basil/parsley, onion powder, fresh herbs, etc.
Storage tips
This sauce keeps so well! Simply store in a glass jar and keep in the fridge for up to one week. Stir well before serving.
I don't recommend freezing this sauce because it contains mayo, which might alter the consistency once thawed, although I didn't try freezing it.
FAQ's
No, vegan isn't considered plant-based since it comes from bees. It is easy to make this sauce 100% vegan simply by swapping the honey with maple syrup or agave nectar for such a similar taste and texture.
This recipe can be made WFPB by removing the store-bought mayo, which usually contains oil (you can simply omit the mayonnaise all together). This will still give you an amazing sauce! I expect the consistency to be a little thinner in that case. Also, feel-free to make your own vegan mayo using cashews or simply swap for a tofu sour cream for a similar result too!
More vegan dressings or sauces to try
- Creamy cajun dressing
- Vegan chipotle mayo
- Vegan Italian dressing
- Creamy tahini balsamic dressing
- Vegan avocado lime crema
- Gochujang aioli
- Almond butter dressing
- Hoisin peanut sauce
- Vegan avocado ranch dressing
- Sunshine dressing
- Basil balsamic dressing
I hope you enjoy this vegan honey mustard dressing as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
Let's stay in touch with Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss anything.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup vegan mayo - or plain vegan yogurt for an oil-free recipe
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard or yellow mustard - I used 1 tablespoon of each
- 2 tbsp vegan honey or maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1 small clove of garlic - crushed
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a jar, add all the ingredients, seal and shake until smooth. Alternatively, you can simply whisk the ingredients in a bowl.
- Taste and adjust flavor to your preference. Use as a salad dressing or dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
- Storage: keep in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to a week. Stir/shake well before using.
- For a milder sauce, use only yellow mustard and for a sauce with more zing, then use only dijon mustard.
- You can play around with the flavor and add some spices (paprika or onion powder), dried herbs (oregano, basil, parsley) or poppy seeds, for some more texture. Feel-free to also include some lemon juice or white wine vinegar for a stronger tangy taste, especially if using for a salad dressing.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
NUTRITION
Pin it for later!
Leave a Reply