Easy Maple Dijon Dressing
This easy maple Dijon dressing comes together in about five minutes with one jar and a lid — tangy, lightly sweet, and no blender required.
The maple rounds off the sharp edge of the Dijon and apple cider vinegar without tipping into dessert territory, which is what lets it land on everything from a bag of spinach to roasted vegetables to this butternut squash quinoa salad.
It uses four ingredients you probably already keep on hand, and it holds for a week in the fridge, so one batch on Sunday covers salads and grain bowls all week.
If you already make your own coleslaw dressing or balsamic glaze, this is the fall version of the same five-minute habit.
The first few rounds I made it too sweet — the kind that fights whatever it lands on instead of pulling it together. The ratio below fixes that. It reads tangy and savory first, with just enough maple to soften the Dijon’s edge.
Why You’ll Make This On Repeat
One jar of this in the fridge door quietly removes a decision you’d otherwise make five times a week: what turns a pile of greens or grains into something you actually want to eat.
That’s the real value of a good homemade dressing — not that it’s fancier than bottled, but that it makes the healthy default the easy one.
- It’s genuinely five minutes. Four ingredients into a jar, shake, done — faster than reading the label on the bottled stuff.
- No equipment to drag out or wash. No blender, no food processor. You make it and store it in the same jar.
- It bends to whatever it’s dressing. A quick taste-and-adjust makes it sweeter for a kale salad or sharper for roasted vegetables — same base, different jobs.
- It pulls double duty. Salad dressing one night, finishing drizzle over chicken or a grain bowl the next.
- One batch carries the week. It keeps for about a week, so Sunday’s five minutes covers lunches straight through Thursday.
Maple Dijon Dressing Ingredients
Four things do the real work here. Salt and pepper round it out.
Olive Oil
Olive oil gives the dressing its body and keeps the vinegar and mustard from tasting sharp. Extra-virgin is great if that’s what you keep on hand; a milder oil works if you want the maple and Dijon more forward. A good everyday olive oil earns its spot in the door for exactly this kind of five-minute job.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar brings the acidity without steamrolling the maple. White wine vinegar or balsamic both sub in cleanly if that’s what’s open.
Pure Maple Syrup
Real maple syrup, not pancake syrup — this is the one place it matters. One to two tablespoons is enough to read as maple while keeping the whole thing savory enough for dinner.
A bottle of Costco pure maple syrup lasts through a lot of dressings, sheet-pan vegetables, and oatmeal, so it pulls its weight in the pantry. (If you’re weighing the membership, I broke down whether Costco is worth it for a small household.)
Dijon Mustard
Dijon does double duty: flavor, plus it helps the oil and vinegar hold together instead of separating the second you look away. A good Dijon mustard is the backbone of this dressing, so use one you actually like.
Salt And Black Pepper
A pinch of salt ties everything together. Add pepper to taste.
How To Make Maple Dijon Dressing
Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon, salt, and pepper to a jar with a tight lid. A wide-mouth mason jar or a dressing shaker is the move here — you make it and store it in the same container, and there’s nothing to wash but the lid.
Close it and shake hard for 20 to 30 seconds, until it looks smooth and comes together into one color instead of oil-on-top layers.
Taste it. Add a little more maple for sweetness, vinegar for tang, or Dijon for a stronger mustard bite. You can also whisk it in a bowl if you’d rather — the jar is just the low-cleanup version.
How To Adjust The Flavor
The whole point of making it yourself is that you get to fix it before it hits the plate.
- Sweeter: another teaspoon or two of maple
- Tangier: another splash of apple cider vinegar
- Sharper: another teaspoon of Dijon
- Thinner: whisk in a teaspoon or two of water
- Mellower: another tablespoon of olive oil
Ways To Use Maple Dijon Dressing
This one leans fall, but it doesn’t clock out after November.
- Butternut squash quinoa salad
- A pesto chicken quinoa bowl or any grain bowl
- Spinach or kale salads
- Apple and pecan salads
- Roasted Brussels sprouts or sweet potatoes
- Chicken salad, or drizzled over baked or grilled chicken
- Turkey sandwiches and wraps
- Roasted carrots
A spoonful over plain cooked grains is the fastest way I know to make a desk lunch taste like someone made it on purpose.
Maple Dijon Dressing Variations
Creamy Maple Dijon Dressing
Whisk in two tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt or mayo. Thicker, milder, more of a “dip a wedge in it” texture.
Maple Balsamic Dressing
Swap the apple cider vinegar for balsamic. Darker, richer, a little sweeter. A few drops of balsamic glaze in here is very good.
Maple Dijon Without Oil
Leave the oil out — it’ll be thinner and sharper. Replace some of it with water, Greek yogurt, or tahini so it doesn’t taste like straight vinegar.
Maple Dijon Sauce For Chicken
Cut the vinegar to one tablespoon and add an extra teaspoon of Dijon for something thicker. Brush it on cooked chicken or serve it on the side.
Storage
Store it in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week.
The olive oil will thicken or cloud when it’s cold — that’s normal, not spoilage. Let the jar sit out for about 10 minutes, shake it again, and it’s back to pourable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Maple Dijon Dressing Made Of?
Olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Some versions add garlic, lemon, herbs, or yogurt, but the four-ingredient base is enough on its own.
Is Maple Dijon Dressing Sweet?
Lightly. It should still read tangy and savory first. Drop the maple to one tablespoon if you want it barely sweet at all.
Can I Use Honey Instead Of Maple Syrup?
Yes — swap it one-for-one. The flavor turns a little more floral and the dressing runs slightly thicker.
Can I Make Maple Dijon Dressing Ahead Of Time?
Yes, and you should. It keeps for a week, so a jar on Sunday covers salads and bowls all week. Shake it again before each use.
What Salad Goes With Maple Dijon Dressing?
Anything with spinach, kale, apples, pears, roasted squash or sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, pecans or walnuts, and feta or goat cheese. It’s built for fall produce.
PrintEasy Maple Dijon Dressing
This easy maple Dijon dressing blends olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard into a tangy, lightly sweet dressing. Shake it together in one jar in about five minutes for salads, grain bowls, roasted vegetables, and chicken.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: About 2/3 cup
- Category: Dressing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon, salt, and pepper to a small jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Close the jar and shake hard for 20 to 30 seconds, until smooth and evenly combined.
- Taste and adjust the sweetness, acidity, or mustard as you like.
- Serve right away, or refrigerate in the sealed jar for up to one week.
- Let refrigerated dressing sit out about 10 minutes and shake again before serving.
Notes
- For a less-sweet dressing, start with one tablespoon of maple and add more to taste.
- White wine vinegar or balsamic can stand in for the apple cider vinegar.
- For a creamy version, whisk in two tablespoons of Greek yogurt or mayo.
- Makes enough for one large salad plus a few individual servings.
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