Healthy Homemade Salad Dressings from tangy, light and refreshing, to rich and creamy. Easy to make with wholesome, clean ingredients that pack in flavor, you’ll never reach for the store bought stuff again!

Looking for even more healthy inspiration? Why not browse through my entire list of healthy salad recipes!

A collage of healthy homemade salad dressings in jars and on salads.

If you want a never ending supply of inspiration for fun, fresh, and interesting salads then having a few healthy homemade salad dressing recipes in your arsenal is a must!

Honestly, I believe a lack of dressing ruins even the best planned salad, especially for those who are already weary of more salad recipes.

Luckily, making healthy salad dressings at home is ridiculously simple. Most rely on less than 10 ingredients, just a few minutes to prepare and can often be stored for between 1-2 weeks!

And why stop at salad dressings? Make healthy BBQ sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, and chimichurri sauce recipe, too!

Six healthy homemade salad dressings in mason jars, cut lime, raspberries and salad in a bowl.

Why Make Homemade Salad Dressings?

Unfortunately most store bought salad dressing options, including low fat, are packed with sugars, chemicals, and unnecessary ingredients.

Plus, let’s be honest, one of the biggest benefits of making your own healthy salad dressings are that you are able to be in complete control of the ingredients and able to customize them to your individual taste.

That way you can achieve delicious results every single time without the long list of artificial and unhealthy ingredients. More so, 90% of the time, making your own salad dressing at home costs far less, too!

What Makes a Salad Dressing Healthy?

Wholesome, clean ingredients is at the top of the list! Sometimes it’s as simple as making a few healthy ingredient swaps. Think yogurt in place of mayo!

Healthy fats come next, whether it’s using extra virgin olive oil or yogurt as the base while avoiding hydrogenated and unhealthy fats! Also, keep an eye on sugar and sodium levels, and use just enough to balance the dressing.

How to Make Salad Dressing at Home?

Each recipe will have its own complete set of directions, but rest assured there is nothing complicated about making your own dressings at home. Minimal ingredients, simple steps, a few kitchen tools and you are well on your way.

  • Put all ingredients in a jar and shake to combine.
  • Alternatively, you could place in a bowl and stir to combine.
  • Place ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse or blend to combine.

And that’s it for the most part, easy peasy!

How to Store Healthy Salad Dressings?

While each salad dressing may differ slightly with its storage recommendations, most often storing them in a mason jar with a lid is your best option! If you happen to have a glass salad dressing jar, that is great too.

If it is an oil based dressing the oil may solidify and separate during refrigeration. That is normal! Just bring it to room temperature and shake your jar to combine it again.

Six healthy homemade salad dressings in mason jars with spoons.

How Long Do Homemade Salad Dressings Last?

Again, each recipe may differ but most will last between 1 – 2 weeks with refrigeration. If it contains dairy, it will be safe to use for one week, but an oil based dressing can last up to 2 weeks or more.

FAQs

What’s the healthiest salad dressing?

I don’t think there is any ONE healthiest option, as long as they’re made with healthy, wholesome ingredients like these recipes!

What are some serving recommendations for homemade salad dressings?

Of course with salad is an obvious answer! Use on green salads and vegetable salads. But you could also use them as a marinade for chicken or even to jazz up your brown rice.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

Raspberry vinaigrette is quick and easy to make, contains just 6 simple wholesome ingredients and has the perfect balance of sweet and sour!

It’s great for hot summer days and pairs well with grilled chicken salad and strawberry spinach salad.

Raspberry vinaigrette in a small glass jar with a salad behind it.

Avocado Cilantro Dressing

Avocado cilantro dressing is creamy, fresh and zesty! With just 5 simple ingredients and no unnecessary sugars, preservatives, or other additives.

This dressing goes particularly well with Mexican and Tex-Mex salads, like Mexican bean saladmango black bean salad, or Mexican kale salad!

Avocado cilantro dressing in jar with a spoon and limes, a linen and salad.

Healthy Poppy Seed Dressing

This healthy poppy seed dressing is one of my favorite all-purpose salad dressings.

It’s light and creamy with a subtle sweet onion flavor and slight crunch from the poppy seeds. It requires just 8 kitchen staple ingredients and 2 minutes to prepare, try it with sweet kale salad recipe.

Healthy poppy seed dressing in small jar with poppy seeds on top.

Asian Salad Dressing

Asian salad dressing is ready in under 5 minutes and is sweet, tangy, and zesty with the addition of ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame seeds.

It’s light, flavorful and pairs well with Asian chopped salad or use it to marinate meat (like grilled chicken breast) or in Asian slaw.

Homemade Asian salad dressing in mason jar with ginger knob and napkin and sesame seeds on a counter.

Healthy Caesar Dressing

Made with Greek yogurt this lightened up healthy Caesar dressing has all the classic taste! Use on any leafy greens or pair it with healthy Caesar salad and healthy croutons. Add grilled chicken for a meal idea!

Healthy caesar dressing in a glass mason jar.

Quinoa Falafel with Lemon Tahini Dressing

This creamy lemon tahini dressing pairs well alongside quinoa falafel and takes only minutes to prepare.

However, it also makes for a great all-purpose dressing particularly with Middle Eastern cuisine and simple salads like this lemon kale salad.

Lemon tahini dressing in mason jar.

Peanut Sauce

If you’re a fan of peanut butter, then you have to try this 5 ingredient easy peanut sauce. It’s creamy, slightly sweet, slightly savory, and packed with umami flavor.

It takes just minutes to prepare and is then ready for pairing with peanut slaw or Pad Thai zucchini noodles.

Peanut sauce in a food processor with a spoon.

Garlic Olive Oil Bread Dip

Simple garlic olive bread dip that doubles as a healthy salad dressing! Balsamic vinegar has a sweet, tangy, complex flavor that combines with olive oil for a smooth, rich mouthfeel.

It works just as great on salads as it does as a marinade for grilled vegetables!

A close up of a bottle of garlic olive oil dip with balsamic vinegar.

Healthy Ranch Dressing

Healthy ranch dressing has a Greek yogurt base combined with garlic and onion powder and fresh dill. It’s a thinner version of my Greek yogurt veggie dip.

Use it for a salad, then save the leftovers as a dip for veggies and the rest of the week!

Healthy ranch dressing on a fork.

Healthy Honey Mustard Dressing

This Healthy Honey Mustard Dressing is one of the first homemade ‘clean eating’ healthy salad dressing recipes I ever made and it contains just 5 clean ingredients.

Use it on leafy green salads, for dipping almond crusted chicken or marinating baked chicken breast!

Healthy honey mustard dressing in tall jar with cork lid.

Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing

Carrot Ginger Salad Dressing lies somewhere between the honey mustard and Asian dressing with added creaminess and nutrients from carrots. It’s zingy, bright, and super fresh.

All you need is a blender and a few minutes, then drizzle it over everything including salads or 30 minute meals like stir fries!

Healthy carrot ginger salad dressing in a small silver serving dish with stir fry in bowl.

Best Healthy Salad Recipes

More Healthy Recipes to Try

Six healthy homemade salad dressings in mason jars.

10 Healthy Homemade Salad Dressings: Poppy Seed Dressing

This Healthy Poppy Seed Dressing recipe is made with yogurt instead of mayo for a light and creamy salad dressing
5 from 2 votes
Servings 4 servings (as a main)
Calories 305
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Healthy Poppyseed Dressing

Grilled Chicken Breast

  • 1 large boneless & skinless chicken breast cut in half lengthwise
  • 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1/2 lemon zest and juice of
  • 1 small garlic clove grated
  • 1 tsp oregano dried
  • Scant of 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Grilled Chicken Salad

  • Mixed baby greens
  • 1 cup raspberries strawberries or blueberries
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in halves
  • 1/4 cup feta or goat cheese crumbled
  • 1/2 cup toasted mixed nuts unsalted
  • 1/3 cup red onion thinly sliced

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, add yogurt, maple syrup, vinegar, mustard, poppy seeds, onion powder, salt and pepper.
  • Stir well with a fork to combine. Drizzle on a salad of choice or transfer to a jar with a tight lid and refrigerate for up to a week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cup | Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 496mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g
Course: Salad
Cuisine: North American
Author: Olena Osipov
Did you make this recipe?Mention @ifoodreal or tag #ifoodreal!

5 Secrets to Easy Healthy Dinners

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About Olena

Welcome! I grew up in Ukraine watching my grandma cook with simple ingredients. I have spent the last 11 years making it my mission to help you cook quick and easy meals for your family!

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Comments

  1. Privyet! I am looking forward to making these! I’ve made a couple of dressings this summer that I’ve never tried before. I love the ease of making them and the health benefits of not adding the salt or sugar that are in store-bought dressings. Do you happen to have a recipe for bleu cheese dressing? I made it recently using gorgonzola, but it did have mayo and sour cream. Need to try it with Greek yogurt next time!
    Cpaceba for putting these all on one page. 🙂

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