Poppyseed Dressing

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This Poppyseed Dressing is deliciously sweet and made with 6 pantry staples. Perfect for fruit and vegetable salads, this makes any side dish taste like dessert.

Poppyseed dressing in a clear bowl on a countertop.


 

This Poppyseed Vinaigrette is a little bit sweet and is perfect on any vegetable salad with fruit and nuts. My favorite combination is fresh spinach, juicy strawberries, and toasted pecans, but there are so many great ways to enjoy this poppy seed salad dressing. It’s old-fashioned, versatile, and better than any bottle at the store.

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for Poppyseed dressing.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Olive oil: Choose a light olive oil which has a more neutral flavor. Or substitute avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
  • Red wine vinegar: I like red wine vinegar for the color it lends to the dressing, but you can substitute white vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or even lemon juice.
  • Sugar: Add sugar or your favorite sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup, to taste. Using different sweeteners changes the flavor, but the dressing still tastes great. Or, omit the sugar entirely.
  • Dried mustard: Ground mustard powder balances out the sweetness and adds another layer of flavor. If you don’t have it, use an equal amount of Dijon mustard (the flavor will change).

Step-by-step instructions

  1. In a bowl with a whisk, or in a mason jar with a lid, add the vegetable oil, red wine vinegar, dried mustard, poppyseeds, sugar, and salt.
Poppyseed dressing in a clear bowl on a countertop.
  1. If you’re making a salad right away, keep the dressing out at room temperature to let the flavors mingle while preparing the salad. Or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Strawberry spinach salad in a black bowl.
Poppyseed Dressing was destined for this fresh Spinach Strawberry Salad. The sweet dressing tastes so great with buttery toasted pecans and fresh berries, and the spinach makes you feel like you’re eating healthy. And you are!

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This poppy seed dressing recipe makes about 1 cup of dressing, enough for 8 servings, 2 tablespoons each.
  • Storage: Store the dressing covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Blender: For the smoothest, creamiest dressing possible, emulsify the dressing in a blender.
  • More salad ideas: I love a bed of arugula with toasted almonds, red onion, fresh blueberries, goat cheese or blue cheese, and poppy seed dressing. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of kosher salt.
A white bowl filled with kale salad.
My deliciously sweet Kale Salad has cooked bacon, roasted butternut squash, pomegranate arils, feta cheese, and toasted walnuts tossed with kale in a delicious Strawberry Vinaigrette. Poppy seed dressing would be delicious on this salad, too!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make a creamy poppyseed dressing?

Make a creamy poppy seed dressing by adding a teaspoon or two of Greek yogurt or mayo.

What is poppyseed dressing made of?

Like many dressings, poppy seed vinaigrette starts with oil, vinegar, and an emulsifier like mustard. Some variations have sugar or a creamy element to make a creamy dressing.

Favorite salads for poppyseed dressing

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Poppyseed dressing in a clear bowl on a countertop.

Poppyseed Dressing

This Poppyseed Dressing is deliciously sweet and made with 6 pantry staples. Perfect for fruit and vegetable salads, this makes any side dish taste like dessert.
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 2 minutes
Servings 8 servings (2 tbsp each)
Course Pantry
Cuisine American
Calories 145
5 from 232 votes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl with a whisk, or in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, add the vegetable oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, dried mustard, poppy seeds, and salt to taste (I like 1 teaspoon).
  • Shake or stir to combine. If you’re making a salad right away, keep the dressing out at room temperature to let the flavors mingle while preparing the salad. Or refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Olive oil: Choose a light olive oil which has a more neutral flavor. Or substitute avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
  2. Red wine vinegar: I like red wine vinegar for the color it lends to the dressing, but you can substitute white vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or even lemon juice.
  3. Sugar: Add sugar or your favorite sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup, to taste. Using different sweeteners changes the flavor, but the dressing still tastes great. Or, omit the sugar entirely.
  4. Dried mustard: Ground mustard powder balances out the sweetness and adds another layer of flavor. If you don’t have it, use an equal amount of Dijon mustard (the flavor will change).
  5. Yield: This poppy seed dressing recipe makes about 1 cup dressing, enough for 8 servings, 2 tablespoons each.
  6. Storage: Store the dressing covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 tbspCalories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 11gSodium: 1mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. Delicious and easy! I used grapeseed oil and paired with romaine lettuce, craisins, caramelized sliced almonds, and feta cheese😋5 stars

  2. Best poppy seed dressing ever! I use this for all of our garden salads! Everyone loves it! I use a little less than required sugar and a good pinch of kosher salt.

    1. Thank you for your comment, Jane! I’m so glad it is a hit with everyone! – Meggan

    1. Hi Susan, thank you so much for your question! Since the dressing doesn’t have stabilizers or preservatives, we recommend following the USDA guidelines in which any leftovers would need to be refrigerated and consumed in 3-4 days. I hope you love this dressing! – Meggan

  3. I made this just as the recipie called and everyone loved it. Now I have just made another batch and substituted honey for the sugar. Can’t wait to try it

    1. Hi Denise, thank you so much for your comment! I’m so glad everyone loved it! – Meggan

    1. Hi Jennifer, you can use your favorite sweetener to taste, or leave it out entirely. Take care! – Meggan

    1. Hi Pam, so glad you loved it! Since the dressing doesn’t have stabilizers or preservatives, we recommend following the USDA guidelines in which any leftovers would need to be refrigerated and consumed in 3-4 days. – Meggan

  4. Hey, if using a blender would you put the poppy seeds in after it is blended or just put all the ingredients together and blend?

    1. Hi Talya, I would put them in at the same time. You could also slowly drizzle in the olive oil to the remaining ingredients while the blender is on. Hope this helps! – Meggan

  5. I made this dressing to put on a salad with strawberries, goat cheese, and toasted pecans, and it was FABULOUS!! I used avocado oil since that’s what I had.

  6. Love this…’cept I did not use the poppy seeds, as my husband is on a low oxalate diet for his kidneys…so I used honey rather than sugar, just a jot, and added a little chili powder. Thanks for the inspiration.5 stars

  7. Used this on a salad of spring mix, apples, cucumbers, red onion, feta cheese, and candied walnuts. I needed to serve 22 people, so I bumped up the measurements and it still came out perfect. I heard many comments about how good the salad was. I think it is fair to say that you had 22 people who loved this dressing.5 stars

  8. Tasty dressing. Since we eat an Anti-inflammatory diet I substituted a few things. Honey 1/3 cup in place of sugar; light EVOO replaced veg oil. Poured it on shredded cabbage, shaved Brussels sprouts, and shredded broccoli. Added a grated Granny Smith apple, some cranberries and raw pumpkin seeds. Not too sweet. Will make this again. Thank you5 stars

    1. Hi Glenda, I would suggest black sesame seeds as a possible substitute. Enjoy – Meggan

  9. This is seriously delicious! It is so easy to make. It’s become my go-to dressing. Thank you for sharing!5 stars

  10. The only change I would make is to use WHITE wine vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. Most of the poppy seed dressing I have used and seen is a creamy white not the warm color indicated here by using red wine vinegar. I would give this recipe a five star if white wine is used instead of the red.4 stars

    1. Hi Joyce, I emailed you a PDF with the recipe and the nutrition facts. Hopefully that helps! -Meggan

  11. very tasty easy to make poppy seed dressing! This is the 2nd time I am making it—I use a good olive oil and 1 less tbsp of sugar. I have just recentlrth ity started making my own dressing instead of using bottled and the extra effort is worth it. Thanks for the recipe!5 stars

  12. Just made this dressing and used a high end balsamic vinegar. It was absolutely delicious. Would you think storing in the pantry in an airtight jar would work.5 stars

    1. Hi Sandy, while there is nothing in the ingredients that is highly perishable, combining them changes things. There is nothing in the ingredients to make it inherently shelf-stable. I think you should store the dressing in the refrigerator. Thanks for the question! -Meggan

  13. I’m so happy I found this recipe! It tastes wonderful, looks fabulous, and is so easy to make. Thanks for sharing it5 stars

  14. Hi Megan!

    I substituted Swerve to make this keto friendlier and nobody noticed. It tasted great tossed with a salad I topped with strawberries,blueberries,pecans and feta! Talk about a hit….multiple requests for the dressing recipe!5 stars

  15. Could you please tell if I could substitute Steva for the sugar and if so how much Steva would I use? As I am a diabetic and sugar is not a healthy choice for me.Thank you so much for your help and May God Bless you.5 stars

    1. Hi Kim, I will let you know, I’m going to test this on Monday. I am glad you are making the right choices for you! And I’ll be happy to share this info in the post too for everybody else. Thanks!

  16. Excellent flavors but the first time I made it the oil separated out. The second time I added a Tbs Mayo to the rest of ingredients except oil. Using a Cuisinart I slowly added the oil to the dressing. Not sure if it was the little mayo or the adding oil slowly in the Cuisinart but it emulsified and did not separate. Next time I will double the recipe as the family used it on sandwiches, chicken, and salads.5 stars

    1. Hi Traci, yes! Equal parts! It’s all pretty much the same, a light flavorless oil. :) Thank you!

    1. Hi Renata, sorry for the confusion on this. “Cook time” just refers to how long it takes to make the recipe. There is prep time (the time it takes to get the ingredients ready to go) and “cook time” which is the time it takes to complete the instructions. In this case, there is no cooking. It is literally just the time it takes to mix everything together. Does that make sense? I hope so. Sorry for that. Cook time = how long it takes to follow the directions.

  17. I had mustard seed so I put that in my Ninja first, used rice vinegar and a tablespoon of red wine. Turned out awesome! Used it on spinach, walnut strawberry salad. Added cranberries and get a as well to my salad. My husband asked me to remember this recipe since I cook a lot with no recipe5 stars

    1. I generally go by the guidelines from the CDC, the National Restaurant Assocation, and Cook’s Illustrated. In this case, they unanimously say 4 days. However, I can’t point to anything specifically that would go bad in a week, or 2 weeks, or even 3 weeks. These are all shelf-stable, pantry ingredients that on their own would last months. So if you combine them, why would it drop to 4 days? I have no idea. Maybe it doesn’t. But I don’t want anyone to get sick so I always follow the guidelines!

    1. Yes, the nutrition info is all wrong, sorry about that! That was the info for the total recipe. It should be 8 servings (2 tablespoons each) and I’m fixing the label right now to show the right calorie count. Sorry about that!

    1. Hey KeyKey! Sorry about that. Things like the amount of oil are probably a personal preference, but I’m so happy you knew how to fix it up for yourself. The Nutribullet is a brilliant idea! Thanks so much for your feedback on the recipe.

  18. This dressings so delicious! I used an extra tablespoon of white vinegar and used dijon mustard instead of dried ( I didn’t have any). This was absolutely delicious and so light! Thank you!5 stars

    1. Thank you, Leslie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. :) Good call on the dijon, I am going to try that!

  19. Has a salad dressing ever looked so pretty? Noooo it hasn’t. This looks gorge and it’s so simple. Yummmmay!