Creamy Apple Cider Dressing Recipe

Name: Creamy Apple Cider Dressing Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup olive oil; 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons honey or another sweetener of choice; 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt; 1 tablespoon mayo; 1 tablespoon dijon mustard; 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic; 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional); salt and pepper to taste

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If you are looking for a creamy vinaigrette to dress your salad with? This Creamy Apple Cider Dressing Recipe is just the one you are looking for and let me tell you why!

What Makes This Dressing So Good?

The flavors of this dressing are delicious! I love the combo of apple cider vinegar, honey, olive oil, etc. They all work so well together.

This is such a simple recipe to make! The best part of this recipe is I can generally make this recipe in about 5 minutes. Making your own salad dressing is so easy!

All the ingredients are really easy to find at your local grocery store. Nothing is too complicated in this recipe.

Another really nice thing about this recipe is it holds well for at least a week. If you are meal prepping, add this to the list.

It is a healthy recipe. Simple and healthy, it is a power combo!

Pouring creamy apple cider dressing recipe over a spinach salad with apples and beets.

Ingredients

Apple cider vinegar- I love to use Braggs apple cider vinegar. It is a raw, unfiltered vinegar, which I love. In the sections below I will explain more about this.
Extra virgin olive oil- olive oil is a great base for any vinaigrette. You can also use avocado oil if you prefer.
Honey- You can also use pure maple syrup if you want to use a different sweetener. If you prefer a granular sweetener, you could also use white or brown sugar.
Greek yogurt- this is where the creaminess is coming in. I use plain nonfat Greek yogurt. You can also use sour cream if you prefer, or a vegan version.
Mayo- I only use 1 tablespoon, and you can leave it out if you choose, but I really like what it adds.
Dijon Mustard- This works as an emulsifier and as a flavoring. It helps keep the oil and vinegar from separating.
Poppy seeds- these are optional, but I love them in this recipe.
Minced garlic- you can leave this out, but I think it is really good in the dressing!
Salt and pepper- to taste. I like to use kosher salt.

How To Make

Making this homemade dressing is so much easier than you might have imagined. Let me tell you how.

Add all ingredients to a mason jar or small bowl to mix, add small amounts of salt and pepper. I like to start with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

Mix it all together. I like to use a whisk for this, but you can also use a fork if you like. You can also use an immersion blender, but that seems a little excessive to me.

Taste the dressing and add salt and pepper as needed. If you like it a little more sweet, this will be fine like it is, if not, add a little more.

If you aren't using it right away, store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

In 5 minutes your creamy apple cider vinaigrette dressing is done! I love this easy recipe.

Health Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar

There has been a lot of research done about the health benefits of tangy apple cider vinegar, let me share a few that I think are really cool.

How about the studies that have shown it can help treat type 2 diabetes? It can help regulate blood sugar, which is a benefit even if you don't have diabetes.

There have also been studies that show drinking MODERATE amounts of vinegar can help with weight loss. Wow, right?

It can also improve digestion.

There are of course plenty of other claims that aren't backed by research, so I won't get into those. While I am not the person who is on a steady diet of apple cider vinegar, I do add it ALL the time to my dressings.

Notes

You can also add fresh herbs to this dressing if you like. Tarragon would be delicious or even ginger. I kept this one plain, but do what you like!

Fresh lemon juice can also be added for extra flavor. I would replace 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with lemon juice.

Bragg's is one of my favorite vinegars to use, it is an unfiltered apple cider vinegar, but you can use any apple cider vinegar you prefer. Vinegar is a pretty cheap ingredient, which makes this dressing cost even less!

Ingredients for a salad dressing a glass bowl.

Apple cider dressing in a glass bowl with a whisk in it.

Ways To Use

My favorite way to use this dressing is over salads. There are a lot of different salads to use for it, but here are a couple of ways I like to set it up.

The salad I used in these photos was a spinach salad with gala apples, beets, walnuts, etc.

If you wanted a different base, you can also use kale in place of the spinach with red onions, a large apple sliced (choose your favorite), bleu cheese or feta cheese, and some kind of nuts. Pecans and walnuts are my favorites for this recipe.

Just make sure whatever apples you choose for this salad are crisp apples. When you are eating them raw, make sure they are good!

It is always a little harder for me to eat healthy during the fall, that is when the baking season starts for me, but this dressing and these salads help me stick to my healthy eating goals.

Top with the dressing and you will have that little extra punch of flavor.

FAQ

How long will this dressing hold for?

It holds for a long time, like at least a week. Just make sure it is stored in an airtight container.

Can I leave out the dijon mustard?

This recipe only calls for a touch of dijon mustard. If you have never tried it in a salad dressing, I recommend you try it first before deciding. It is really good in dressings!

Can I use other vinegar for this dressing, like white balsamic vinegar?

Well, you sure can. It just won't be an apple cider vinaigrette anymore. There is a lot of great vinegar out there.

Apple cider dressing recipe in a glass carafe.

Salad Ideas

If you are looking for a few salads you could use this flavorful homemade salad dressing on, let me give you a few ideas: