Maple Balsamic Dressing (5 Minute Dressing!)

Name: Maple Balsamic Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2-4 tbsp maple syrup; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar; 1 clove garlic (finely minced or microplaned); 2 tsp dijon mustard; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper

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This maple balsamic dressing recipe is so simple and comes together in minutes with basic pantry staples! It’s sweet, tangy, and the perfect flavorful dressing for any simple salad.

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Why you’ll love this

If you’re sick of the same old ordinary salad with store-bought dressing, this dressing is a must try! It’s fresh, flavorful, and better than anything you have sitting in your fridge!

This easy maple balsamic vinaigrette is made with simple ingredients like balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and pure maple syrup- ingredients you probably already have on hand!

It works perfectly for your favorite leafy greens salad but you can also use this versatile dressing for pasta salad, as a marinade, or even drizzle over roasted veggies. If you love this one, you’ll love my Balsamic Date Vinaigrette too!

Plus this delicious balsamic vinaigrette recipe is incredibly quick to throw together. You can have a fresh homemade dressing on the table in less than 5 minutes. A big batch of this simple dressing will impress guests at your next dinner party or top your favorite salads for a week!

Making your own salad dressings at home is so simple and super flavorful. Let’s get into what you need to make this easy maple dressing!

Ingredients

Pure Maple Syrup: Real maple syrup has the perfect balance of sweet flavor to compliment the tangy balsamic vinegar in this dressing. I love using it as a natural sweetener for homemade salad dressing. You want real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. I personally love Vermont maple syrup.
Olive oil: Extra-virgin olive oil is my favorite for salad dressing. It provides healthy unsaturated fats that help you to absorb vitamins from your salad. You can also use avocado oil (I love this one) or any other oil that you like.
Balsamic vinegar: The tangy flavor of balsamic vinegar is the perfect combination with sweet maple syrup.
Garlic: Fresh garlic adds a flavorful sharpness and is one of my favorite additions to homemade dressings. I recommend using a garlic microplane to make the garlic into a paste so that you don’t have big pieces of garlic.
Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard adds a little more tang and subtle spice, plus it helps hold the dressing together.
Salt + black pepper

Maple balsamic dressing being poured onto a salad.

How to make maple vinaigrette

Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until completely combined and emulsified. For a creamier dressing, you can also blend in a blender or food processor or shake up in a small mason jar.

Maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper being whisked in a bowl.

Maple balsamic dressing in a small bowl with a whisk

How to store

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s best served at room temperature, so let it come to room temperature for a few minutes and then give it a good shake after taking out of the fridge.

Variations

Use different vinegars! Apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar would all work great here.
Add finely diced fresh herbs like fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, or even basil. You can also add some dried herbs.
It works for any green salad, but my favorite way to use it is to pair with sharp cheeses like feta cheese or goat cheese.
Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a bright and citrusy flavor addition.
Try using this dressing as a marinade for chicken, beef, pork chops, or salmon.
Use as a dressing for your favorite pasta salads, too!
Use leftover dressing to drizzle for roasted vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli or root vegetables like sweet potatoes, beets and carrots (try it with my Cucumber Beet Salad!).

More homemade salad dressings you’ll love