This homemade Italian dressing skips the seasoning packet entirely and comes together in 5 minutes with pantry staples. Naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, and far better than anything from a bottle.
You might also like: Italian Mixed Salad (Insalata Mista) or Quick and Easy Italian Tomato Salad
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Jump To
- Why you'll love this homemade Italian dressing:
- What are the ingredients in Italian dressing?
- How to make homemade Italian dressing?
- Expert tips
- Variations for dairy-free Italian dressing:
- Ways to Use This Italian Dressing
- How to Store Homemade Italian Dressing
- FAQ's
- Some other recipes to enjoy:
- Quick & Easy Italian Dressing Recipe (Dairy-Free)
Why you'll love this homemade Italian dressing:
- No seasoning packet required. Everything comes from your pantry: olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Ready in 5 minutes. This is faster than driving to the store for a bottle.
- Naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free if you leave out the honey.
- Far cheaper than store-bought dressing and genuinely better in every way.
- Doubles as a marinade for chicken, fish, pork, and vegetables.
- Completely customizable. Add fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, or swap the vinegar to make it your own.
A homemade Italian Dressing is so fresh and truly is tastes so much better than a store-bought. Making your own salad dressing means it is all natural and free of any additives, and it's less expensive! This delicious salad dressing is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free (it's made with a touch of honey than can be omitted).
I am a huge fan of making my own salad dressings. If you've never made one for yourself, this is a great recipe to start out with! There is so much versatility in making your own dressing. There are some good quality store-bought dressings out there, but they're expensive, and once you make your own, you'll probably not buy another one! From scratch dressings are fresh and whip up so quickly!
Mason jars are such a handy kitchen tool to make recipes like this Italian Dressing Recipe. Seal the jar tightly, and give all the ingredients some vigorous shake. Since they are airtight, once it's sealed, there should be no spills. You can use a mason jar even to store leftover smoothies, soup, sauces, jams, and so many other things!
The really great thing about making it in the mason jar is you can serve it right out of the jar. Double the recipe to have extra and store the leftovers in the refrigerator. Shake it in a mason jar, blend in a blender, or whisk it together in a bowl.
You will want to add this magical dressing to everything! It is excellent poured right on a nice green leafy salad, sliced tomatoes, grilled vegetables, or even use it as a bread dip!
Grab a mason jar and make this today! Let's get onto this recipe!
What are the ingredients in Italian dressing?
There is a touch of sweetener in this recipe with one teaspoon of honey, to balance the tanginess from the vinegar and Dijon mustard. Feel free to leave it out if you would like it totally sweetener free!
- Extra-Virgin Olive oil: provides a base for the dressing and adds healthy fats.
- Balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar: adds tanginess and acidity to balance out the flavors.
- Dijon mustard: acts as an emulsifier to help prevent separation of the ingredients.
- Sea salt: enhances the flavors and balances out the sweetness.
- Freshly ground black pepper: adds a subtle heat and depth of flavor.
- Honey or maple syrup: adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the acidity from the vinegar. Can be omitted for a sugar-free option.
- Minced garlic: adds a savory, aromatic element to the dressing.
How to make homemade Italian dressing?
But would you believe that making your own from-scratch Italian Dressing recipe is just about as effortless?! Sure, there are a few additional ingredients involved beyond a packet of dry seasonings. But it still only takes a matter of minutes to whip up a fresh batch:
Step 1: Add oil to the jar and next add in the balsamic vinegar.
Step 2 + 3: Add in the mustard.
Step 4: Add in the garlic.
Step 5: Add in the honey, if using.
Step 6: Close the lid on the jar and shake it all together. If you're using a blender, add all ingredients to the blender. Close with lid and blend. Or add ingredients to a bowl and whisk together.
You can customize the dressing to your own tastes, tweak the dressing by adding spices as you see fit.
Look how gorgeous it is when it's tossed with our super easy to make Insalata Mista!
Expert tips
- Use good quality olive oil for the best flavor in this dressing.
- If you don't have balsamic or red wine vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar as a substitute.
- For a thicker consistency, you can add ¼ cup of mayonnaise to the dressing.
- Make sure to shake or stir the dressing before each use to ensure the ingredients are well combined. Bring to room temperature after storing in the fridge so it's easier to shake.
- Use this dressing as a marinade for chicken, fish, or vegetables. Simply marinate for 30 minutes to an hour before cooking.
- If you like it a little sweeter, increase the amount of honey or maple syrup in the recipe.
- Use agave nectar instead of honey to keep the dressing vegan.
- You can add a teaspoon of dried herbs like oregano or basil to give this dressing even more flavor.
- Store the dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. After that, it may start to lose its flavor and freshness from the fresh garlic. If you use powdered garlic, it will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of oil in the recipe based on your personal preference.
Variations for dairy-free Italian dressing:
- Red wine vinegar version: Swap balsamic for red wine vinegar for a sharper, more classic Italian vinaigrette flavor.
- Lemon Italian dressing: Replace the vinegar entirely with fresh lemon juice for a bright, citrusy version that is wonderful on seafood salads.
- Spicy Italian dressing: Add ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes for gentle heat.
- Fresh herb Italian dressing: Stir in 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh basil, oregano, or a combination. Use within 2 days.
- Roasted garlic version: Replace the raw garlic with 2 to 3 roasted garlic cloves for a sweeter, mellower flavor profile.
- Creamy Italian dressing: Reduce the olive oil to ½ cup and whisk in 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt or sour cream with a pinch of salt. Note that cream-based versions are no longer dairy-free.
Ways to Use This Italian Dressing
- On salad: The best use. Try it on insalata mista, tomato and cucumber salad, or a classic chopped Italian salad with olives and artichoke hearts.
- Pasta salad: Toss warm pasta in a generous amount of dressing and let it absorb as it cools. Try with the antipasto pasta salad.
- Marinade: Pour over chicken, fish, pork, or steak and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour before grilling or roasting. The acid in the vinegar tenderizes the protein and the garlic and oil add great flavor.
- Grilled vegetables: Toss sliced zucchini, bell peppers, or eggplant in the dressing before grilling.
- Coleslaw: Use in place of a creamy dressing for a lighter, tangier coleslaw. Works especially well with our easy broccoli slaw.
- Bread dip: Pour into a small bowl with a little extra black pepper and crushed red pepper and dip crusty Italian bread into it.
- Grain bowls: Drizzle over farro, quinoa, or barley bowls with roasted vegetables for a quick weeknight dinner.
How to Store Homemade Italian Dressing
Store in a sealed mason jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days when made with fresh garlic. The olive oil will solidify slightly in the cold, which is normal. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes and then shake well before using.
To make it last up to 2 weeks, replace the fresh garlic clove with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder. The fresh garlic is what shortens the shelf life. Everything else in the dressing keeps well for much longer.
This dressing does not freeze well. Make small batches as needed since it takes only 5 minutes to put together.
FAQ's
Store-bought dressings do not typically use a good quality oil. Since you're making this homemade version, you can use a very good quality extra-virgin olive oil.
Adding a touch of honey, maple syrup or sugar in an oil and vinegar dressing only helps to balance out the acidity of the vinegar. If you are sugar-free or do not want any sweetener in it, go ahead and omit.
This homemade Italian dressing definitely could be a healthier option to some store-bought salad dressings. Italian dressing is usually made with olive oil, which contains monounsaturated fats that are healthy for your heart and vinegar, which also has health benefits.
Many Italian dressings you find in stores will have cheese. Store-bought Italian dressings could have Romano or Parmesan cheese.
If you used fresh garlic and fresh herbs, it should stay fresh for 2-3 days. If you made an Italian dressing without fresh herbs and garlic, and used powdered garlic and dry herbs, it will last 2-3 weeks.
Vinaigrette: A vinaigrette is made by combining the same ration of fresh citrus juice and oil with salt and pepper. They are fresher and lighter in flavor than a an Italian dressing.
Italian dressing: An Italian dressing is made with oil, vinegar, seasonings, herbs (fresh or dried)and sometimes Parmesan cheese. It's got a lot more flavor than a simple vinaigrette from all the additional ingredients.
If your dressing firmed up it's because the oil and vinegar emulsified. Emulsification can cause the dressing to become thicker and firm up. To loosen the oil and vinegar up that has emulsified, let it come to room temperature and then vigorously shake it. Or place it in a jar and whisk it together.
In Italy they don't have an "Italian dressing" for salads. It's an Italian American recipe that uses flavors you'll find in a lot of Italian American dishes like olive oil, garlic, and sometimes herbs like basil, oregano, and thyme. Italians will dress a salad with extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt and sometimes some freshly squeezed lemon juice. My Calabrian mother-in-law uses lots of her own dried oregano on tomato salads.
Some other recipes to enjoy:
- Italian Mixed Salad
- Sicilian Fennel and Orange Sala
- Quick and Easy Italian Tomato Salad
- Panzanella-Tuscan Tomato and Bread Salad
Quick & Easy Italian Dressing Recipe (Dairy-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup good quality olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup omit sweetener if you're sugar-free
- 1 clove minced garlic
Instructions
- Make dressing: Add all ingredients to a jar, place the lid on the jar, and give it a good shake! You could also blend the ingredients in a blender, or place the ingredients in a bowl and whisk well together. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.
- Serve on your favorite salad and enjoy!
- Bring to room temperature: Just like with all vinegar based dressing you'll need to shake it up again before pouring to eliminate separation. Best to let it come to room temperature after stored in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- This dressing will last 2 days in the fridge. If you omit the fresh garlic and use powdered garlic in its place, the dressing will last even 2 weeks.
- You can use sugar in place of honey. Both honey and dijon mustard are emulsifiers meaning they will keep the mixture from separating.
- Slowly drizzle the oil to add to the dressing, the better it will combine.
- You could add grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese but it will cause the dressing to separate. Best to add to the salad and not into the dressing.
- Nutrition information is based on 2 tablespoons of Italian dressing.
This was so quick and easy to throw together and made my salad excellent!
My go-to salad dressing! I always keep a jar of this in the fridge--it's so much better than what you can buy at the store.
This is the kids' favourite dressing at home! A true classic for our salads! Thanks!
SO simple to make and much better than anything out of a bottle! It's delicious on so many salads!!!
Love how quick and versatile this dressing is! Simple, zesty, and dairy-free is always a win. Perfect for salads and as a marinade too!
I really enjoyed this dressing! I made a big salad and added a little bit of extra garlic because we really love garlic! But I will be making this again!! Gives me a reason to eat more salad.