Creamy Balsamic Dressing

This post may feature affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This creamy balsamic dressing is a versatile sauce that will liven up any of your favorite dishes. Use it as a tofu marinade or on garden salads for a simple, fresh, and flavorful recipe!

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy to make: There are no complicated or unusual ingredients needed in this recipe. You can even make your own vegan mayo for a more economical option!
• Storage-friendly: Make a batch of creamy balsamic dressing at the start of the week and keep it in the fridge until you need it.
• Great for all diets: This recipe is vegan and gluten-free, which fits most dietary needs.
• Customizable: Keep it light, make it extra creamy, or add different herbs and spices to suit your palate.

🥗 What is creamy balsamic dressing?

Creamy balsamic dressing is a thicker, smoother, and richer version of traditional balsamic vinaigrette.

To make it extra creamy, we incorporated vegan mayonnaise. This addition makes the dressing useful for both salads and marinades alike.

All you need is 6 simple ingredients and a blender to make this recipe. Before you know it, you’ll have the perfect sauce to pair with all of your favorite meals!

🍶 Bottled vs homemade dressing

Whenever possible, we prefer making our own salad dressing over using store-bought. Packaged sauces often contain additives like artificial flavors and preservatives. Plus, they’re typically more expensive than homemade.

We urge you to try making this maple balsamic dressing from scratch to see how much better it tastes! Plus, you may just save a little money in the process.

📜 History

Balsamic vinegar has been around since at least the 11th century! The first reference to it was in 1046 when a bottle was apparently gifted to Emperor Enrico III of Franconia.

For many years, it was used in medicine for laboring women, sore throats, and disinfectant purposes. Somewhere along the way, people began consuming it in recipes like balsamic vinaigrette (thank goodness!).

Today, there are only two regions in Italy where balsamic vinegar can be produced — Modena and Reggio Emilia. Just like San Marzano tomatoes, these areas have D.O.P. (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) for their product, meaning there are strict rules about production and quality.

🌱 Is balsamic dressing vegan?

A traditional balsamic dressing is always vegan-friendly since it’s made from just oil and vinegar. However, creamy varieties often contain mayonnaise or honey, making them vegetarian-friendly.

In this recipe, we used maple syrup to sweeten it and vegan mayo to thicken it up. You won’t notice the difference!

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Balsamic vinegar: Opt for the highest quality balsamic vinegar possible (ideally from Italy with the D.O.P. seal). It makes such a huge difference in the overall flavor.
• Maple syrup: To balance the acidity of the vinegar. We recommend 100% pure maple syrup if you can get your hands on some! Otherwise, use agave or cane sugar to sweeten this dressing.
• Vegan mayonnaise: Provides a rich and creamy element. Use store-bought vegan mayo or make your own. If you don’t have any, replace it with dairy-free sour cream or plain vegan yogurt.
• Dijon mustard: For the perfect tang, zest, and kick. Use smooth Dijon, not grainy. If you don’t have Dijon, replace it with horseradish or more mayo, mustard powder, and a dash of white wine vinegar.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic adds zesty, punchy, and bright notes to this maple balsamic dressing. If you only have powdered garlic on hand, use a quarter teaspoon for every clove.
• Salt & pepper: Season the dressing with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
• Olive oil: Similar to balsamic vinegar and maple syrup, the quality of the olive oil makes a big difference in taste. Use high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. If you don’t have olive oil, substitute it with avocado oil or another neutral oil.
• Water: To thin the dressing out as needed.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 Instructions

Step 1: Add ingredients to the blender

Add the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper to a blender. Mix on high until smooth, then lower the speed and slowly add the olive oil.

Step 2: Taste test and adjust

Taste and adjust the measurements — add balsamic vinegar for more punch, maple to balance the tang, or garlic for zestiness. We like to thin our dressing out with some water, but this is optional.

Step 3: Chill before serving

Serve the dressing immediately or transfer it to a glass storage container and chill a few hours before using it.

If you have questions about this maple balsamic dressing recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🌡️ Storage

For any leftover creamy balsamic dressing, follow these simple storage tips to keep it fresh all week long:

• Fridge: Keep the dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. When you’re ready to serve it, shake the container vigorously to mix the oil back into the dressing.
• Freezer: As long as it’s in an airtight container, maple balsamic dressing can be stored for up to 3 months. The texture and flavor may change slightly, but it will still taste delicious. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it overnight and blitz it in the blender to incorporate the oil again.

♻️ Variations

• Sweetener: Maple balsamic dressing can be sweetened with other options like agave, cane sugar, date sugar, or coconut sugar.
• Seasonings: Want to mix up the flavors even more? Add in oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, sage, marjoram, or onion powder.
• Vinegar: No balsamic on hand? Use white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar to transform the taste.
• Oil: In place of regular olive oil, try infused olive oil flavors like garlic, chili, lemon, basil, oregano, or sun-dried tomato for something different!

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Adjust the consistency: Start slow with the mayo to achieve your desired consistency. You can make it as thick or thin as you’d like.
• Taste as you go: Start with a 3:1 oil-to-vinegar ratio and work your way up from there. We prefer it slightly tangy, but it’s ultimately up to you!
• Let it chill: Although this dressing tastes delicious immediately, the flavors meld together more after it’s had a chance to chill.
• Double batch: Since this dressing stores so well, make a double or triple batch to keep on hand.

💬 FAQ

🍴 More dressing recipes

If you enjoyed this creamy balsamic dressing recipe, be sure to check out some more salad dressings like these:

• Vegan Caesar dressing: Another classic salad dressing made plant-based!
• Vegan ranch dressing: Dairy-free ranch bursting with herbaceous flavors.
• Lemon tahini dressing: A simple, creamy, 5-ingredient sauce.