Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

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This maple balsamic vinaigrette dressing is made in 2 minutes with 5 ingredients. It’s the most delicious dressing and it’s so much better than store-bought (with no artificial ingredients). Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free & vegan.

maple balsamic vinaigrette dressing in a glass jar

Today I’m sharing how to make this healthy & delicious Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe! This dressing literally takes 3 minutes to make and only contains five ingredients. It’s a healthy and delicious way to make any salad taste amazing.

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing being poured onto a salad

Why Should you Make Homemade Salad Dressing? 

  • No Chemicals. We eat a lot of salad in this house. As a result, I make this dressing all the time. It adds rich flavor to your salad while skipping all the chemicals & sugars found in many store-bought dressings.
  • Nutritious. This Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette is made using healthy oil, natural sweetener, and high-quality balsamic vinegar. It is completely dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan & paleo.
  • Easy & Convenient. Once you give this a try & see just how easy it is to make your own dressing at home…you will never have to worry about running to the store for the bottled stuff ever again.
a glass jar of Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette: Ingredients & Substituions 

This Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette is my favorite dressing. However, I do have to pause for a moment to implore you to use high-quality ingredients when making this recipe.

ingredients in this balsamic vinaigrette recipe
  • Balsamic Vinegar. There is a difference between excellent balsamic vinegar and your run-of-the-mill varieties. As I’ve discussed before, traditional balsamic vinegar should be so thick that it pours like syrup. It should be dark brown and taste sweet. It should most definitely NOT be thin, watery, or sour-tasting. My absolute favorite balsamic vinegar in the entire world can be found here. If you haven’t tried true, aged, high-quality balsamic vinegar yet, please please give it a whirl. You will NOT be disappointed.
  • Olive oil. The same holds true for high-quality olive oil. One way I enjoy mixing this recipe up is using flavor-infused olive oils instead of plain. They really add an extra special flavor.
  • Mustard. Any variety of mustard works well in this recipe.
  • Maple syrup. Pure maple syrup is my favorite way to sweeten this homemade salad dressing recipe, because it really imparts a beautiful flavor. However honey is also a great choice.

How to Make Balsamic Vinaigrette 

This recipe is really easy to make. Simply put the ingredients in a glass jar, secure the lid and shake it up. Here are the steps, don’t forget to watch the video, too.

two photos showing How to Make Balsamic Vinaigrette

Begin by putting the ingredients into a glass jar with a lid.

In these photos I used a regular glass jar, however I have this Salad Dressing Mixer Jar and I love it! It is almost always sitting in my fridge with some variety of homemade dressing (like this Greek dressing or pomegranate dressing) or another (usually this balsamic vinaigrette).

two photos showing How to Make Balsamic Vinaigrette

One the ingredients are in the jar, secure the lid and shake it up. The ingredients will separate as it sits so you’ll need to shake it up before serving.

Store

Store this balsamic vinaigrette in a glass container in the refrigerator. It keeps for up to a month in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Make sure to remove it from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving, then give it a good shake to re-incorporate all the ingredients (which can separate when chilled). 

a glass jar with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing inside

Serve

There is not resting or waiting time needed between mixing and serving. You can pour this balsamic vinaigrette over your favorite salad right away, or store it to serve later. Here are some of our favorite salads:

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing being poured over a salad

Recipe FAQs

Is balsamic vinaigrette healthy?

Yes! Balsamic vinaigrette contains very little sugar and fats.

Is there a difference between balsamic vinegar and balsamic vinaigrette?

Yes! Balsamic vinaigrette has more ingredients and is sweeter.

Does balsamic vinegar need to be refrigerated?

Store this balsamic vinaigrette in one of the aforementioned glass containers in the refrigerator. It keeps for up to two weeks in the refrigerator, although it never lasts that long in my house.

Can I double or triple the recipe?

I find that this recipe makes enough for a medium-sized crowd. But if you are serving more people, it is very easy to double or even triple this maple balsamic vinaigrette recipe.

glass jar with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing inside

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Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Laura
This maple balsamic vinaigrette dressing is made in 2 minutes with 5 ingredients. It's the most delicious dressing and it's so much better than store-bought (with no artificial ingredients). Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free & vegan.
5 from 11 votes
Course condiment, Salad
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 77.4
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Add ingredients into a glass container or jar (with a lid) in the order listed.
  • Shake jar vigorously until completely combined.
  • Serve on your favorite salad or store in the refrigerator to use later!

Video

Notes

Ingredients Substitutions
  • Balsamic Vinegar. Good balsamic vinegar is thick and it pours like syrup. It should be dark brown and taste sweet. It should notย be thin, watery, or sour-tasting.ย My absolute favorite balsamic vinegar in the entire world can be found here.ย 
  • Olive oil.ย The same holds true for high-quality olive oil. One way I enjoy mixing this recipe up is using flavor-infused olive oils instead of plain. They really add an extra special flavor.
  • Mustard.ย Any variety of mustard works well in this recipe.
  • Maple syrup.ย Pure maple syrup is my favorite way to sweeten this homemade salad dressing recipe, because it really imparts a beautiful flavor. However honey is also a great choice.

Store

Store this balsamic vinaigrette in a glass container in the refrigerator. It keeps for up to a month in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Make sure to remove it from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving, then give it a good shake to re-incorporate all the ingredients (which can separate when chilled).ย 
Double/Tripling the Recipe
I find that this recipe makes enough for a medium-sized crowd. But if you are serving more people, it is very easy to double or even triple this maple balsamic vinaigrette recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 77.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 0.1mg | Sugar: 3.3g | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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37 Comments

  1. This sounds incredible! Balsamic dressing is my faaaaavorite ever – and I love that you added maple to it! Genius!

    1. Thank you! You really can’t go wrong with balsamic! ๐Ÿ™‚ Plus, I would eat my baby toe if it was covered in maple syrup!! ๐Ÿ˜‰ LOL

  2. I don’t know why homemade dressing intimidates me, but this sound good. I think I could pull this on off.N

    1. No need to be intimidated! This is SO easy! you literally just put the ingredients in a jar and shake away!!!

    1. Thank you Liz! ๐Ÿ™‚ I agree…I love knowing exactly what I’m putting on my salad! The last thing I want to do is cover my delicious greens with sugar & chemicals! ๐Ÿ˜‰ <3

  3. ahh this looks awesome! i’m planning to change up my weekly lunches to fish + salad, and was thinking about trying a new dressing. perfect timing ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Sounds awesome! I love a huge salad piled with salmon! Yum! Now if only my family felt the same way…. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  4. balsamic is my go-to dressing so I love this addition of maple! Pinning this ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. I’m in the market for some new dressings–haha this looks awesome. I’m definitely going to use this one for next week!

    1. It’s nice to switch up the dressings every now and then! ๐Ÿ™‚ A little salad refresh is always a good thing! I hope you enjoy it! ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Ohhh! This sounds delish! I love making homemade dressings and vinaigrettes are my favorite. Thank you so much for linking up your recipe with Inspiration Thursday!

  7. Happy Mother’s Day! Sound like you had a lovely day ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank you for sharing this dressing recipe, I love to make my own, so will give this a try!! Pinned.

    1. Happy Mother’s Day to you too Angela!!! I agree! I love making my own dressings and sauces (although I haven’t mastered ketchup yet lol)! Have a great week! ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. I love salad for dinner, and this vinaigrette looks so yummy. When we get back from a vacation, I’m going to start mining up all your recipes in here, Lord willing, and trying them, one after another. ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Hey Emily! I hope you’re enjoying your vacation and all the delicious new foods that come with traveling!! You are so sweet!! I can’t wait to hear your reports! ๐Ÿ™‚