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Creamy Balsamic Dressing is just as rich and delicious as what you get in restaurants or from a bottle, but this healthy salad dressing recipe is lightened-up with Greek yogurt. Just because it is homemade doesn’t mean it isn’t easy. You can shake up this smooth balsamic vinaigrette in just a few minutes with only five ingredients. And without any extra thickeners or preservatives, you know it is good-for-you and made with gluten free ingredients!
This post was originally published on November 7, 2013. Updated with new photos on May 1, 2017 and video added on May 29, 2018.
I’m sure most of us want to have healthy eating habits and to pass those habits onto our kids. But let’s be real – life gets crazy and your good intentions can get derailed. Work is stressing you out. The kids have homework and activities and playdates. And cheesecake ice cream exists.
While I like to think I love an overall healthy lifestyle, I go through those periods too. Like back when I first started making my own healthy salad dressing recipes.
I had just gotten through a fairly painful pregnancy that included a diagnosis of gestational diabetes. Once my little guy was born, all I wanted to do was sit around and eat all the sweets that I had to give up due to my very strict diet for the last 10 weeks of my pregnancy.
I had been giving myself all sorts of excuses. But I needed some strategies for getting back on track.
By getting out of bed to exercise a few times a week and going for walks, I was motivated to make better food choices. I cut down nighttime sugar binges by enjoying a chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie instead of dessert.
And I would make sure I grabbed fresh produce at the store and took five minutes to make a batch of balsamic vinaigrette to keep in the fridge. This made it easier and more enticing to make a nice salad for lunch.
How to Make Healthy Salad Dressing with Balsamic Vinegar
The Greek yogurt and just a bit of olive oil give this healthy homemade salad dressing the rich smoothness of those heavier creamy dressings you get in restaurants or in the grocery store. But it has no preservatives or other funky ingredients, and fewer calories. So it’s definitely good for you, especially if it gets you to eat more fresh vegetables! This creamy balsamic dressing is sure to become a kitchen staple.
What is balsamic vinaigrette dressing made of?
You only need five ingredients:
- Plain Greek yogurt – I typically use nonfat, but you can use any type you prefer.
- Dijon mustard – yellow or brown mustard can also be substituted.
- Balsamic vinegar
- Olive oil
- Honey – maple syrup can also be used.
Combine all of the ingredients, season with salt and pepper, and shake or stir it up in a bowl or Mason jar.
I actually love using this salad dressing shaker! It’s one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. I make a batch of homemade salad dressing at least once a week.
Is there egg in balsamic vinaigrette?
A basic balsamic vinaigrette contains oil, vinegar, mustard, and seasonings, so there is no egg in it. However, to make a creamy balsamic dressing, many recipes do contain an egg or egg yolk. This can be a concern for people with an egg allergy or who are concerned about eating raw eggs due to salmonella. So this recipe uses Greek yogurt for that creamy texture instead of egg. Therefore, it does not contain any eggs.
Do you have to refrigerate balsamic vinaigrette dressing?
Because this recipe contains dairy, you do have to store it in the refrigerator. So while you can whisk it together in a bowl, I recommend using the shaker I mentioned or a mason jar. Shake up that dressing and keep it in the fridge to use for several days.
What do you serve with creamy balsamic dressing?
- Enjoy it on a simple side salad to go with your favorite Italian meal, like Lasagna (or Gluten Free Lasagna), or penne and Vodka Sauce.
- Drizzle it on an Italian-Style Wedge Salad.
- Make an entree salad with romaine, roasted red peppers, olives, and feta, or with mixed baby greens, apples, and blue cheese and your favorite protein such as shrimp, leftover rotisserie chicken, or grilled filet mignon.
- Use it as a dip for veggies, and you can even pack it in kids lunches.
- Make a glammed-up BLT known as the “PAT” or Prosciutto, Arugula and Tomato Sandwich.
What else can you make with balsamic vinegar?
- Honey Balsamic Flat Iron Steak Marinade
- Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
- Balsamic Ketchup
- Grilled Balsamic Strawberries
Looking for some more healthy salad dressing recipes?
- Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing is made from ingredients you probably always have on hand in your pantry.
- Healthy Caesar Salad Dressing lightens up that favorite salad.
- Homemade Tzatziki Sauce doubles as a delicious dressing for a Greek-style salad.
- Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing is a healthier way to enjoy this cheesy favorite.
- Creamy Dijon Dressing is deliciously sweet and tangy.
- Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing adds the natural sweetness of figs for a fruity twist.
- Maybe you want a cheesier option. Try Creamy Parmesan Salad Dressing from Noble Pig.
Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
Shake it up in seconds and get ready to pour this healthy salad dressing over all your favorite salads. It even makes a delicious dip for veggies. This Greek yogurt dressing is rich and creamy, with the tangy sweetness of balsamic vinegar, making it the perfect complement for Mediterranean salads or a basic tossed side salad with Romaine, spinach, or mixed greens
Creamy Greek Yogurt Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar and shake or whisk until combined and smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakekalechip on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
Yummy! I subbed plain yogurt and upped the vinegar amount and added a bit of salt and cayenne pepper and a little water to thin it out. It came out wonderful. Will definitely use this one again.
I do not like kitchens. We just don’t get along. I can’t cook to save my life! Well…I happened to run into this recipe… And hot damn!!! I couldn’t believe I made it. Couldn’t wait to get the salad together!!! I can now make a good salad….spring leaf lettuce, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, red onion AND the most delicious recipe EVER! Thank you.
This is so wonderful! Thank you! I’m glad you can make all kinds of yummy salads this summer!
Thank you for this recipe; I’m excited to try it out! As a note, right before the “ What is balsamic vinaigrette dressing made of?” section, there is a block of web code that looks like it shouldn’t be there—just letting you know!
Yes, I will fix that, thanks. I switched ad companies and had to replace all of my video codes and it’s taking a while to get to all of them.
Thank you, Brianne! By the way, the dressing is AMAZING. The perfect amount of creamy texture and a bit of tang. I made mine with almond milk yogurt to avoid dairy and it came out great. I will also try adding in a bit more balsamic vinegar for more tang. It’s delicious and I thank you so much for it!
I’ve made this dressing twice. Excellent for our tastes.
Great tasting – didn’t have regular dijon mustard – used horseradish dijon.
This recipe is a keeper!
Thank you!
Made per recipe and have found salad dressing perfection! Thank you for such a delicious, low-calorie salad dressing!
Can you substitute the Greek yogurt for Mayo or sour cream
I would think mayo would work, but then leave out the oil since mayo already contains oil. Sour cream has a similar texture and flavor, so it should work too. But I have not tested either of these substitutions.
Just what I was looking for! So delicious and super easy to throw together! Thank you!
So happy to hear this! I actually made some over the holiday weekend and forgot how much my younger son loves it.
Thanks for getting me out of my vinaigrette rut! I only had “regular” non-fat yogurt (i.e., not “greek”) and it turned out fabulous! Very easy and will be fun to change it up during the year by adding garlic or some fresh basil, raspberry vinegar, etc.
Yay, so glad you liked it. Yes, it is a good base recipe. I like to make Maple Dijon – https://cupcakesandkalechips.com/creamy-greek-yogurt-maple-dijon-salad-dressing/
This dressing is good on spinach and quinoa with beans and corn! I used honey mustard since I didn’t have Dijon and I left out honey since I put honey mustard. This dressing is such a good creamy type dressing…thank you for the idea!
That does sound like a tasty combo! Yes, I often swap the mustard and sometimes even use maple syrup instead of honey, based on what I have around. It’s very versatile!
I added a small clove of minced garlic.
Great recipe! Thanks.
I’m glad you enjoyed the dressing, Patricia!
I finally made a good homemade dressing. Well…you did. So, thank you!
I don’t recall standing in your kitchen, so you are welcome to take the credit for making it, Nicole. 😉 Thank you for rating the recipe!
I’m cutting out prepared foods so I have been looking for different (healthy) salad dressing options. I’ve also been making my own Greek yogurt so this recipe was definitely a recipe to try. The reason I gave it a 4-star rating was it a bit too tart so I doubled the honey and that helped. I also think using white balsamic would be a better option as regular balsamic gives this dressing a funky color. With those changes it will be one of my go-to dressings.
Thank you for your feedback and for rating the recipe, Janiece. I think it’s great that you were able to adapt the recipe to make it something that you can enjoy!
Delicious…..and low calorie too! My new go-to salad dressing
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, Diane. Thank you!
How many servings are in here?
Hi Courtney!
The recipe makes 12 Tablespoons (6 ounces) of dressing. A typical serving is 2 Tablespoons
How long can you keep dressing like this tightly covered in the fridge?
Hi Emily! Because of the yogurt in the dressing, I wouldn’t keep it for more than about a week. Obviously, if it starts to smell sour, I would not use it and toss it out.
This is delicious!! Just made it today 🙂
I’m so glad that you like the salad dressing recipe, Daniel!
My husband requested I get some creamy balsamic from the store. I asked if he was OK with me trying my hand at my own. Got all excited to make it, then realized we were out of balsamic! I used red wine vinegar instead and it is delicious!
Ooh, what a yummy alternative. I’ll have to try it!
PS Do you know how long it keeps for??
I’ve kept it for several days. I’d say it depends how fresh your yogurt is.
DELICIOUS! The second time I made a variety with White Balsamic Vinegar and that was equally fantastic!
I have to try the white balsamic!
holy sh*t! This is delicious!!
Oh wow, thanks!
Holy crap this dressing is soooooooooooooooooooooo good. Was just wondering if you knew how many calories it is per tsp or tpsp?
Thank you for sharing. Just got back into healthy eating. Thought it was going to be impossible for me to like salads- this dressing is going to save my diet.
Oh good! I haven’t calculated it myself, but there are online calorie caluclators, and you could plug in hte calories for the exact brands of ingredients you use.
Very nice recipe. Thanks for sharing.
I find that a clove of garlic finely minced and a sizable dash of salt really add some nice flavor.
Oh I am sure it does! I am really sensitive to garlic, so I don’t use a ton, but great suggestion!
I made this tonight and I like it, but it’s very yogurt-y. Next time I’ll probably drop down the yogurt by half and add more oil. And I think I’ll use a whole grain mustard rather than a dijon, just for the extra umph. Hopefully it tastes good on my spinach/bacon/feta/roasted red pepper/almond salad tomorrow!
Definitely a great idea to tweak it to your preferences – everyone is different 🙂 I think the whole grain will be yummy, and that sounds like an amazing salad!
We eat a lot of salads at our house, so I am always looking for yummy dressing ideas. Glad you posted at the Marvelous Monday link party. I’ve pinned, liked, twittered and G+-ed your post. I’d love it if you dropped by for a visit at http://www.kneadedcreations.com . I look forward to seeing you over there! Deb @ Kneaded Creations.
I love this recipe! What a great alternative to store-bought dressings, much healthier too! Yum 😀
Thanks Ally. I am definitely a convert to homemade.