All of the easy, healthy, homemade salad dressings from An Oregon Cottage gathered in one place – the best ranch, amazing honey mustard, classic Caesar dressing, adaptable vinaigrette and so many more. Find more Quick Healthy Recipes.
Salad dressings are one of the first things I stopped buying and started making when I began exploring real food and home cooking. Like many of you, I grew up with family fridges full of bottled dressings – I didn’t know anyone who made them regularly unless it was for a particular recipe. And drizzling olive oil, vinegar, and salt on your salad didn’t count – that was only for when you ran out of bottled.
I don’t think it’s overstating to say it was a revelation as I realized a couple things about bottled dressings and homemade versions:
- Reading ingredient labels of bottled dressings revealed one of two things: 1) I had no idea all that was added to “simple” dressings (oh, but I did figure out that sugar was always high on the list and usually repeated throughout in various forms), or 2) I had all these ingredients as staples at home – how hard would it be to make?
- Whisking up a handful of ingredients for a fresh, know-what’s-in-it homemade salad dressing takes just minutes.
- Homemade versions taste amazing and are incredibly adaptable.
- Even using quality olive oil and vinegar, homemade salad dressings are way cheaper than store-bought.
I started with a basic vinaigrette, tested ranch recipes until my kids declared a winner, and created a honey mustard dressing that made me forget about restaurant versions. And I just kept creating more whenever there was a dressing we’d want.
Is it an addiction? Maybe, but in the best way. I get a thrill every time I whip up a dressing that I know will taste better, be healthier for us, and cost less than store-bought. I mean, it’s just so easy. Why didn’t anyone show me this earlier? I kind of feel sad for my newlywed-young-mom self who bought all those bottles of Kraft dressings – oh what she was missing!
I don’t want you to miss out like I did, so I am sharing with you all the recipes I’ve created and published on AOC. These recipes are family-tested, great tasting, and we know exactly what’s in them.
I love that I am freed forever from having to buy junk-laden store bought versions – or even expensive versions that may not use all the junk – and I want you to have that option as well.
Who knows, you may become a homemade salad dressing “addict” like me!
Homemade Salad Dressings
A perennially popular recipe like my Soft 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls, probably because my kids did the taste test for me and wouldn’t let me call it “best” until they approved. Just reading through the comments will tell you I’m not alone in thinking this is the best!
The one that started it all for me. When you realize how easy it is to create a dressing like all the bottled ones labeled “Italian” or some variation – and with no junk – you’ll wonder why you ever bought them in the first place!
Classic Caesar Salad Dressing (+ bonus homemade crouton recipe)
This is probably Brian’s favorite and one that had to pass his taste test. A Caesar salad made with this dressing and croutons made out of leftover Easy Artisan Bread appears on our menus frequently.
Perfect Honey Mustard Dressing
If you like honey mustard dressing, you will LOVE this – it’s fantastic and has spoiled restaurant honey mustard dressings for me forever.
Healthier American Style French Dressing
One of the first times I ever saw someone make a homemade dressing was in college for this salad of lettuce, carrots, onions, beans, olives, and corn chips. It’s also great on taco salads and lettuce-tomato salads.
Homemade Sesame Vinaigrette (& marinade!)
This recipe was created at the request of my daughter who loves sesame vinaigrettes. It can easily be changed to a Ginger-Sesame dressing with the addition of ginger, and makes a wonderful marinade for grilling fish and chicken, too.
Created to replicate our favorite store-bough version, this creamy feta dressing is fantastic on any green salad or pita sandwiches. Made with a little less milk, it can be a dip as shown. Just one of the benefits in making it yourself!
This unusual dressing gets it’s slightly sweet and spicy flavor from one of my favorite garden preserves – Spicy Rhubarb Chutney. It’s good on any salad, but is fabulous dressing a chicken salad – yum.
Instead of other sweeteners, this vinaigrette gets it’s flavor from apple cider or juice. It’s really nice on all types of salads. The apple flavor is not pronounced by any means – it just gives the vinaigrette a nice sweetness.
And if any of these homemade salad dressings have become staples at your house, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
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Carol says
They all sound soooo good. Where do we start? Looking for nice bottles now. Thanks
Tiffany Kerns says
I made the French and we love it. Trying the Honey Mustard today. If kept in the fridge, is their a time limit by which we should get it used up? We have been out of town so much, I am wondering if after a month I should throw it out?
Thanks for your thoughts!
Jami says
Yeah! I think you’ll love the honey mustard, too – it’s our favorite. I’ve never thrown out dressing – not sure what it would look like if it’s gone bad. I’m not sure I want to go on record by giving to specific months (I don’t want the comments – ha!), but lets just say it lasts a loooong time, ‘kay? 😉
sarah says
I ate bottled “lite” ranch dressing on my dinner salad after only using your homemade ranch for a very long time… the bottled stuff was so GROSS! I can’t believe that is what used to be a normal flavor that I was ok with.
My local buttermilk producer has been slacking, therefore no fresh dressing. I recently learned that most buttermilk found in grocery stores is not real buttermilk at all. It’s a milk product with thickeners and chemicals added to replicate the real thing. Read the label carefully!
Jami says
You’re so right, Sarah! I wrote about that in my original Ranch Dressing post – that’s why I usually just thicken milk with vinegar or lemon juice because I don’t have access to fresh buttermilk (lucky you!). It’s the same with sour cream, too. 🙁
Melody says
Nice site!
Question for you. I want to make a chicken salad but I don’t like mayo or yogurt. Can you recommend a light dressing to mix in? Thanks, I appreciate it. (I’m counting calories for weight loss right now, however, I prefer full fat versions to fat free or chemically laden versions).
Jami says
When you emulsify olive oil with other ingredients in a blender, it becomes pretty creamy, Melody – maybe that would be good? The Honey-Mustard or the Caesar (though it has a bit of mayo, it isn’t noticeable) would both be good on chicken salad, I think – see it they work!
Melody says
I’ll try that, thanks!
daisy says
I made the honey mustard recipe yesterday. I will cut back on the honey a bit next time, but it was good!
Jami says
Tailoring to your family’s taste is why cooking from scratch is so awesome, Daisy!
Sakura says
I love that you posted a Ranch dressing that doesn’t use a packet. My husband was a GM at a family owned restaurant for the better part of 20 years so we have wonderful dressing recipes, except for the Ranch. They cheated and used ranch powder in it, all the rest were made from scratch. I cheat when I make dressing and use my pampered chef bottle with the recipes printed on the side. Our favorite of those is the Oriental dressing. I’ll try your ranch dressing this weekend for our B-day dinner!
Lisa says
Thank you for sharing these recipes again! I am ready to try 2 or 3 of our favorites, especially the ranch dressing because we go through a lot of ranch, but I only like HVR {expensive}. I think I’ll need to find some fun bottles like you have, too! I’ve “Pinned” a few of these, too.
Jo @ Let's Face the Music says
Love this post. I too make my own dressing mostly so I know what’s in it. I’ll try yours since you actually have recipes (which I don’t). Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
daisy says
Ooooooooooooooh, I can’t wait to go through these and make a few! Thanks!
Lori Dorrington says
Thank you so much for sharing, I will try one of these tomorrow. My sweetie loves homemade dressing. WE are moving away from processed foods, trying to eat healthier. Cheers!
Lori in Atlanta
Mindy says
Great idea. I’m pinning the whole post.
Michele says
I made the Caesar, Vinaigrette, Ranch and American French dressings today! My husband and I LOVE them all! Thank you! This should keep us in dressing for at least a month 🙂
Do you mind if I link this post on my blog? Thanks!
Michele
Jami says
I don’t mind at all – thanks for asking, Michele! So glad you like them. 🙂
Jenny says
We love poppyseed dressing–want to tackle that one next?
I have made several of yours and they are all good. I agree that it is one of the most satisfying things to make yourself–and so much healthier.
Jami says
Good idea, Jenny! Poppyseed will go on my list – along with a sweet onion like the Costco kind, too. 🙂
KB says
We made the honey mustard this week and it was very tasty!! I’m excited about trying the sesame next! Do you keep all of these in the fridge or are some okay left out? I’ve enjoyed trying your ideas/recipes–thank you!!
Jami says
Hey! I’m glad you liked it – as you know, it’s one of our favs. 🙂 As long as a dressing doesn’t have fresh ingredients (herbs or garlic) it’s probably safe at room temperature. We actually keep dressings in the fridge all the time – it’s what we’ve always done and a lot of time I use fresh garlic. And of course we usually only have one or two varieties available at a time. 🙂
KB says
Thank you for your helpful reply!! Have a terrific week!