Creamy Maple Balsamic Dressing

Name: Creamy Maple Balsamic Dressing
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: PT-493735H12M9S
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; ¼ cup balsamic vinegar; 1 teaspoon garlic paste or 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/3 plain Greek yogurt; 1 tablespoon maple syrup; 1 teaspoon EACH kosher salt and black pepper; 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

by Erica Baty on Mar 17, 2026 (updated Apr 22, 2026) 0 comments

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This creamy balsamic dressing is tangy, slightly sweet, perfectly balanced, and has that velvety texture that makes you actually excited to eat a salad. It’s made with a handful of ingredients that I bet you already have one hand and takes less than 3 minutes!

small jug of balsamic dressing with a large salad

Erica’s Thoughts

I am deeply passionate about a good dressing. Like if the dressing is bad, the salad doesn’t stand a chance. But this one?? She carries.

Obviously, we are not strangers to classic balsamic vinaigrette. But add a big spoonful of plain Greek yogurt and things get a little tangier and a whole lot creamier. This dressing is lovely on any salad, but I especially love it on a hearty salad. Like the kind with lots of sturdy ingredients like beans, peas, pasta, grains, kale, cucumbers, broccoli, etc. vs. really lettuce-y salads, you know what I mean?

So, for example, this chicken and chickpea salad, this kale and white bean salad, or this dense bean salad would all be fantastic vessels for this creamy balsamic vinaigrette.

It’s pretty dang forgiving, and works with a variety of different vinegars, sweeteners, or flavor boosters like red pepper flakes or Italian seasoning. This gives you a framework and starting point for the ratios of vinegar, oil and yogurt and you can adjust per your tastes. I love it so much and hope you do too.

A Few Notes on What You’ll Need:

picture of the ingredients needed to make creamy balsamic dressing

You’ll want to opt for a really good quality extra virgin olive oil, I like Kirkland organic, Graza, or Kosterina.
Maple syrup + balsamic vinegar pair beautifully together, but you can use honey, brown sugar or agave nectar as the sweetener, if that’s what you have.
Plain Greek yogurt gives this dressing its creaminess and a protein boost; you could also use sour cream.
Fresh garlic cloves or garlic paste are the best (over jarred garlic or garlic powder), IMO.

How to Make Creamy Balsamic Dressing

Add everything to a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust if needed!

balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, Greek yogurt, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil in a food processor

I use the food processor attachment for my Vitamix immersion blender or the bowl/cup attachments for my Vitamix blender.

hand pouring creamy balsamic vinaigrette on a large bowl of salad

Drizzle this gloriously creamy dressing over veggies, salads, proteins and more!

Serving Ideas:

On salads like this chicken and chickpea salad, dense bean salad or kale and white bean salad
As a marinade for balsamic grilled chicken or chicken thighs
As a dip or drizzling sauce for roasted vegetables, asparagus or green beans
Drizzled over rice bowls or pizza
As the spread for a big focaccia sandwich or chopped salad wrap

FAQs

How should I store and how long does it last?

Store in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge for up to 7 days. Give it a good shake before using, separation is normal.

How could I make this dairy-free?

I’d recommend making my fig balsamic dressing (you can use maple syrup instead of the fig jam if you don’t have fig) for a naturally dairy-free vinaigrette.

bottle of creamy balsamic dressing, tall bottle of olive oil, containers of salt and pepper

Another incredible dressing to add to your arsenal! Go forth and have the best salad everrrr.

If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or Youtube – I love connecting with you all there!