6 Ingredient Creamy Balsamic Dressing (no mayo!)

Name: Creamy Balsamic Dressing (no mayo!)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1/3 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar; 3 tablespoons sour cream; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1 clove fresh garlic, finely minced; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; Kosher salt; fresh cracked pepper

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This creamy balsamic dressing comes together in no time at all and only calls for a handful of ingredients! With balsamic vinegar, oregano, garlic, and a squeeze of Dijon mustard, this dressing is delicious on salads or it makes a great marinade for chicken or veggies. But my favorite way to serve this creamy balsamic is drizzled over my simple Grilled Halloumi Salad.

Overhead shot of a bowl of balsamic dressing and a grilled halloumi salad

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You Will Love This

It’s the easiest dressing to make! No food processor or blender is needed to make this super easy creamy balsamic dressing recipe. Everything comes together in a measuring cup with a quick whisk! However, if you'd like to use a high speed blender or immersion blender to make this salad dressing that's totally fine too! Bottled salad dressing is great, but homemade dressing always tastes SO. MUCH. BETTER. And when it's this easy - why not?!
No mayo! This creamy balsamic dressing gets its creaminess from sour cream or Greek yogurt, so you can avoid mayo completely! Mayo has it's place on turkey sandwiches and in tuna salad, but you don't need it to make creamy salad dressing!
If you loved this creamy balsamic vinaigrette recipe, be sure to check out my 6 Ingredient Honey Dijon Dressing, my Simple Beet and Feta Salad, or my Easy Greek Salmon Bowl.

Ingredients to make balsamic dressing on a white marble counter top

Ingredients and Substitutions

Olive Oil - To get the best flavor for this recipe, I use cold-pressed organic olive oil. However, you can substitute other similar oils like avocado oil or grapeseed oil as well.
Balsamic Vinegar - Balsamic vinegar has a fantastic tang and acidic flavor that is complex. It’s really the star of this dressing. I recommend not substituting this ingredient, however it is delicious with white balsamic vinegar as well.
Sour Cream - Be sure to get full fat sour cream. For recipes like this one, where the sour cream helps add volume and texture as well as flavor, I like to use full fat. If you like, you can use full fat or whole milk Greek yogurt instead.
Dijon Mustard - Dijon adds the right amount of zing, and really complements the balsamic vinegar without taking over. If you want, you can substitute stone ground or whole grain mustard instead.
Garlic - I always prefer fresh minced garlic to garlic powder, simply because you get a much stronger and fresher garlic flavor. However, if you only have garlic powder on hand, or minced garlic in the jar, they will both work.
Dried Oregano - Dried oregano adds an herb flavor and bolsters the other Mediterranean flavors to really bring everything together.

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a measuring cup or small bowl. Whisk until emulsified and well combined. Add more Kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Serve with Grilled Halloumi Salad.

Measuring cup filled with homemade creamy balsamic dressing

Tips

Serve this dressing with my Grilled Halloumi Salad! Make ahead and keep this dressing on hand for easy Greek salads throughout the week or keep it simple and pair with my Arugula Salad with Dried Cherries or my Easy Spinach Salad with Beets.
If you want to keep this dressing dairy free, try using vegan sour cream or even coconut milk in place of the sour cream. With the bold flavor of the balsamic and the dried herbs, you won't even taste the coconut milk, but it will give you that creamy texture you're looking for!
Adjust the ingredients to suit your taste! I love an acidic dressing, so I often add an extra splash or two of balsamic vinegar. If you love garlic, feel free to add an extra clove. If Dijon is your jam, add an extra teaspoon or so! Use this recipe as a blueprint and make it your own!

FAQ

How do you thicken balsamic vinaigrette dressing?

For this recipe, the sour cream is the thickener (and it’s what adds the creamy texture). If you like your dressing a bit thicker, add more sour cream a little bit at a time until it’s the right thickness for your taste.

What is the difference between balsamic vinegar and balsamic dressing?

Balsamic vinegar is a tangy Italian vinegar that is used as a main ingredient in balsamic dressing. Balsamic dressing involves mixing balsamic vinegar with other ingredients like olive oil, garlic, and oregano to create a dressing.

Close up shot of a halloumi salad drizzled with creamy balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: This dressing is perfect to keep in the fridge and add to meals throughout the week which makes it great for meal prep.
Storage: Store leftover dressing in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week. If the dressing begins to separate, give it a quick whisk before using. This is the perfect dressing to add to grain bowls, a marinade for salmon, or a dressing for Caprese salad!