Honey Balsamic Dressing with Thyme

Making a balsamic vinaigrette at home is super easy and takes only 5 minutes. For this Honey Balsamic Dressing just add the oil, vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, thyme leaves, and salt and pepper in a jar and shake! It's that easy to make salad dressing at home.

Use the table of contents below to jump to any section of this blog post. You can also use the jump to recipe link above to get right to the recipe card.

Jump to:

• Making a vinaigrette is easy
• Ingredients
• Is it easy to make salad dressing?
• Basic Vinaigrette Recipe Instructions
• Substitutions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Why you should make your own salad dressing
• Is balsamic vinegar the same as balsamic dressing?
• More Salad Recipes
• More Salad Dressing Recipes
• Recipe

Making a vinaigrette is easy

This honey balsamic dressing (a vinaigrette) is made with tangy balsamic vinegar, rich extra virgin olive oil, dijon mustard to bring it all together, honey to sweeten it, and then dried thyme for a super savory flavor.

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette is sweet and tangy, and easy to throw together. You can whisk it in a bowl, or just add everything to a jar and shake it.

The zippy flavor of this balsamic dressing brings a salad to life and goes especially well with my favorite spinach salad with apples, feta, and pecans.

I'll also share the recipe below as well as how to make a honey balsamic dressing and a basic ratio for homemade vinaigrettes, and a list of more ingredients ideas to make your own vinaigrettes.

Ingredients

About the ingredients for this recipe. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.

What ingredients do you need to make homemade salad dressing?

• oil - you can use canola, olive oil (extra virgin or light), sunflower, peanut, or something like avocado oil
• vinegar - balsamic vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar
• dijon or stone ground mustard to add flavor and emulsify the mixture (to help the oil and vinegar stay as a cohesive mixture and not separate)
• herbs - fresh or dried herbs such as thyme, basil, rosemary, oregano, parsley, chives
• spices - garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin
• sweetener - sugar, honey, or maple syrup
• make it creamy like ranch dressing by adding mayo and greek yogurt in place of most of the oil

Is it easy to make salad dressing?

You can make salad dressing at home with basic ingredients and no special tools.

Mix vinegar with oil and use an ingredient such as mustard to emulsify, or bring together the two ingredients.

From there you can add different spices, herbs, and sweeteners to make your own flavor combinations.

Basic Vinaigrette Recipe Instructions

The exact ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post to get right to it. Below is a quick summary of how to make this balsamic vinaigrette with step-by-step photos.

For a basic vinaigrette simply mix 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. The best thing about a vinaigrette ratio is that it will work no matter how small or large a recipe you want to make.

For a single salad, mix 1 tablespoon vinegar with 3 tablespoons of oil and for larger salads or to keep some dressing on hand, mix together ⅓ cup of vinegar to 1 cup of oil. Scale up and down your additions like spices, herbs, mustards, and sweeteners as needed.

You can make this in a mini blender, using a bowl and whisk, or shake it in a jar with a lid. You can also skip the measuring cups and measure with the jar itself! Just estimate the ratio visually, it doesn't need to be perfect. So easy!

I like using my ninja mini blending cups for this. The blender is so powerful that my dressings come out super creamy and completely mixed together.

If making a big batch of dressing be aware that oil and vinegar will separate after some time even if you use mustard to help bring them together. Simply shake, whisk, or blend the dressing before using.

RECIPE TIP: If you make a big batch, make sure to mix the dressing well before adding it to your salad.

Substitutions

✔ This recipe is vegetarian.

> To make this recipe vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey.

Equipment

You can use a bowl and whisk, a jar with a lid, or a mini blender, like my smoothie blender jars that go with my Ninja Blender System.

Storage

You can store this dressing on the counter briefly and then in the fridge.

After storing it in the fridge, the oil will solidify at least somewhat. Remove it from the fridge 20 minutes before using and let sit on the counter. Give it a good mix or shake before using.

Why you should make your own salad dressing

You'll love these benefits of making homemade dressing

• because it is so easy
• it'll taste way better
• no sneaky additives!
• it's healthier - no sneaky sugars either, simply sweeten lightly, to taste
• you can make whatever flavor you want
• it'll be cheaper in the long run
• no need to run to the store for a specific bottle of dressing if you keep a well-stocked cupboard - you can simply make whatever your heart desires.

Is balsamic vinegar the same as balsamic dressing?

Balsamic dressing, or a vinaigrette, is made by combining balsamic vinegar (an ingredient), a sweetener such as honey, dijon mustard, and cooking oil like olive oil. Spices and herbs can be added to customize the dressing.

More Salad Recipes

• Spinach Salad with Apples, Feta, and Pecans
• Taco Salad w/ vegetarian topping option
• Mexican Chopped Salad
• Breakfast Salad with Poached Egg

More Salad Dressing Recipes

• Avocado Cilantro Salad Dressing
• Homemade Ranch Dressing

Recipe

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

This post was originally posted on January 14, 2021, and updated on October 4, 2022, for clearer information and nutrition information.