Let’s rewind to my trip to Costa Rica last month with my grandmother. It was the last day on our group trip, and we arrived at Sibu for our final dinner together. Sibu produces the best chocolate I’ve ever tasted, and they greeted us with rum-spiked, spiced hot chocolate.
I was literally a kid in a candy store all night as they presented a lesson in chocolate history (with wine and chocolate) and moved on to an incredible dinner.
After appetizers, they handed us chopped salads that looked fairly basic at first glance—I remember lettuce, tomato, avocado, feta and dressing. Then I took a bite and forgot about chocolate for a minute. That dressing!
I immediately tracked down the owner of the place to ask about it. He said it was a “honey-Dijon vinaigrette with yogurt base” and I vowed to recreate it at home. Mind you, this dressing is quite different from a classic vinaigrette.
I started with the honey-mustard vinaigrette that I made for my cookbook, which I love as written. I reduced the oil and added plain Greek yogurt until it tasted like the dressing at Sibu.
This dressing is essentially a creamy honey-mustard dressing made with Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise. It offers a more luxurious texture than any other honey-mustard dressing I’ve tried. I’m usually skeptical of using yogurt in place of mayonnaise or sour cream (mayo and sour cream have their place), but this salad dressing wouldn’t be the same without it.
Healthy Honey-Mustard Dressing
The only problem with this dressing is that “honey-Dijon vinaigrette with yogurt base” doesn’t do it justice. “Healthy honey-mustard dressing” sounds bland, and “creamy honey-mustard dressing” doesn’t quite capture the tangy deliciousness of the yogurt.
I dubbed it “Sunshine Salad Dressing” since it brightens up my salads so well. I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer, so I’m sharing it today for all of your side salad needs. The recipe yields a lot (almost 1 1/2 cups). I don’t think you’ll have any trouble finishing it off. It makes a stellar dip for vegetables, too!
I’ve been keeping a big jar of it in my fridge for the past couple of weeks, and it goes with just about everything. Try this honey-mustard dressing with any of the following:
- Fresh greens of any kind
- Avocado
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Carrots
- Apples
- Bell peppers
- Goat cheese, feta or cheddar cheese
- Sunflower seeds, pecans, or almonds
Don’t miss my sunshine slaw with quinoa or my roasted and raw carrot salad with avocado, which both call for this dressing. I have more salads over here.
Please let me know how you like this honey-mustard dressing in the comments! I hope you love it as much as I do.
Watch How to Make Sunshine Dressing
Sunshine Salad Dressing
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 ½ cups 1x
- Category: Salad Dressing
- Method: Whisked
- Cuisine: American
This creamy honey-mustard salad dressing recipe is lightened up with Greek yogurt. No mayo here! It’s so easy to whisk this dressing together. Recipe yields almost 1 ½ cups and keeps well for 10 to 14 days.
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (any % fat will do)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 3 to 4 tablespoons honey, to taste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or more lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 10 twists of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine all of the ingredients as listed. Whisk until blended. Taste, and season with additional pepper if necessary.
- This dressing is intentionally bold, but if it tastes too tart for your liking, whisk in another tablespoon of honey.
- Store leftover salad dressing in the refrigerator, covered, for 10 to 14 days.
Notes
Make it dairy free: If you have a favorite unsweetened dairy-free plain yogurt, it should work well here.
Erika
So good! I had to make with mayo bc no yogurt on-hand. (Blasphemous, I know! ) All four kids loved, and my 4 year old mustard lover kept sneaking his spoon into the bowl. Forget the Brussels sprouts, he preferred just a bowl of the dressing!
Always good recipes from you, Kate!
Kate
That’s great your kiddo loved this so much! Thank you for sharing, Erika.
Heather
So delicious!! I was looking for a honey mustard that didn’t have mayo and this was perfect!!
Lisa
Do you think Bulgarian yogurt would be too tart to use instead of the Greek yoghurt?
Bec
Made this before having people over for dinner as I don’t like using store dressings. It was amazing! Definitely a hit & will be writing this one down to make again. So helpful to have leftovers of it when I feel like a salad with extra flavour
Diana
It is absolutely delicious! Thanks a lot for the recipe!
Casey
I can’t remember the last time I commented on a recipe and that very well could mean that I never have. But this dressing is so bright, so perfectly put together that I just had to. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Kate
I’m glad you tried this recipe and let me know your thoughts, Casey!
Marina
Can this sauce be used for baked ham?
Hélène Langevin
love it! bring joy in your mouth even in a cold day !
Courtney R
This is my favorite dressing right now! It gives me a great reason to whip up a salad. YUM!
Kate
I’m so happy to hear that, Courtney! Thanks for commenting.
Laura Fortier
Would this dressing work without the mustard? I DESPISE it!!
Kate
Hi Laura, sorry you don’t love mustard. You could leave it out, although it’s a big flavor in this dressing. I’m not sure how it would be without it.
Michelle Quah
S P O T ON.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for recipe. Merry Christmas from Malaysia.
Kate
Thank you, Michelle!
Vanessa
I made this dressing last night and it’s delicious! My new favorite. Thanks!
Mari
I was searching for a new dressing, and this caught my eye. I don’t usually take time to comment, but WOW! Smooth, creamy, spicy from the garlic and pepper. Simple, yet delicious!
Kate
Fantastic this one fit just what you were looking for, Mari! I appreciate your review.
Karen
My favorite dressing. Great flavor!
Kate
Thank you, Karen!
Jo
Could you please give the calorie count per tablespoon?
I just started a diet that counts calories and doing my best to keep track
Kate
Hi Jo! The serving and nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe. You need to click to expand and ensure you allow cookies in your browser.
JoDale L Benz
I have always been a Ranch dressing girl…..but in an effort to clean up my diet, I came across this recipe. Oh my goodness! Delicious!! My new favorite.
Kate
Love it! Thank you for your review, JoDale!
RENATA
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Its mine and husbands favorite dressing at the moment! I have to confess though that I have used a good yellow mustard as I don’t like Dijon. It tastes delicious!!!
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Renata!
Susan M Branson
Made as directed. ……very lovely dressing Different and refreshing
Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Susan!
Chantelle Walsh
This was absolutely delicious! I didn’t make any modifications but I will definitely make this again.
Suzanne Jager
Absolutely love this dressing, great flavor!! But I put a little too much garlic in it, how do you get rid of that strong garlic flavor?? S
Carol Jones
So yummy!!! Good that you don’t need to buy anything special to make it most things in the pantry. 5
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Carol!
Ludie Nugier
I’m trying different salad dressing as I’m bored with the same old vinegar and oil combinations. Your recipe was good-too much mustard for my taste. Diluted with more yogurt and honey and it was perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Erika
I’ve been looking for a lighter version of honey mustard dressing (my favorite) and just about every recipe has missed the mark and felt like too much of a compromise on flavor – except this one. I made it exactly as instructed and it’s phenomenal! The nutritional content aligns well with my meal plan and I don’t feel like I’m “eating healthy” with this one. ;) Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Erika! Thank you for your review.
Sue
Phenomenal!!
Jaime
Do you think whole grain mustard would be a nice substitute for the Dijon? Thanks! :)
Kate
Yes, I believe so!
Sherry
Thank u for sharing this recipe! It’s so delicious, I’m using it on everything! U really create the best food, Kate, I eat from your recipes almost everyday ❤❤❤
jackie
Hi Kate, I made the dressing but it was a little bit lumpy. Did I not blend it long enough? It was delicious and will definitely keep this as a staple! Thank you:)
Kate
Hi Jackie! Sounds like it needs more whisking, yes. Sometimes I find that Dijon mustard needs to warm up a bit before it will fully incorporate. So glad you enjoyed it!
jackie
I just realized that I commented on the wrong dressing…I meant to ask about the Carrot Ginger dressing…
Linda
I have a question regarding this salad dressing. I love everything about it and I’m wondering if you’ve ever tried it with a kale salad. It seems it might be a bit too heavy for the kale but I need your feedback. Thank you so much, I appreciate your time.
Kate
Hi Linda! I haven’t tried this dressing over a kale salad, but I don’t think a dressing could be too heavy for kale salad—it can really handle a lot.
brian K
I think i could drink this, too with a celery stick.
Harriet Tuck
My favorite dressing make it all the time, love the yogurt base.
Oana
Loved it!
Diah
Hello, how long will this keep in the fridge? Thanks
Kate
Store leftover salad dressing in the refrigerator, covered, for 10 to 14 days.
Bettie
I don’t have lemons…can I substitute limes?
Kate
Sure, you can try it. Slight change in flavor, but should still work.
Kristina
This is fantastic!! Quick and easy but so delicious! Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Kristina!
Shelley
The best salad dressing I have ever tasted. I am always looking for healthy stuff that tastes good.
Aimee
Kate – I have mayo and sour cream, but no yogurt. Which one would you substitute?
Kate
Hey Aimee! Sour cream should be great. It’s very similar to Greek yogurt.
Aimee
Thank you! I couldn’t wait so I used 1/4 cup of each and it turned out AWESOME!
Kimberly
Literally one of the best dressings I have ever made. I used mayo like some others just because I had no yogurt on hand, and only about a tablespoon of honey.
Fantastic!!!
shana
Delicious!
Jaime
Great post! I live in Costa Rica (Uvita/Dominical area) and the chocolate is the best! I’m going to try this recipe today. Thanks!
Lilia Vilaboy
CanI substitute the yogurt for Sour cream? I do not have any yogurt.
Kate
Sure, sour cream will work great!
Chin
As a Taiwanese, salad is never really part of our cuisine. I started to learn how to make good salads since I started travelling and living abroad. At first I was sceptical about this dressing as I’ve tried lots of mediocre dressings and I dislike mayonnaise (yogurt is life!) but this one is so so good! When I first tasted it, I was like wow! Thank you so much! I’m in love with your website as I’m a vegetarian myself and definitely will keep on following your recipes! :)
Rindy
Made it. Loved it. Making it again.
Kate
I love it, Rindy!
Yumi Ishihara
So yummy. I don’t know why it’s hard for me to find the perfect salad dressing. But this is it! So so good.
Jean Hay
This is my favorite dressing ever. I use it as a dip as well as dressing. I love almost all of your recipes and have bought your book three times. First for myself and twice as gifts for friends. Thank you for keeping things healthy and so flavorful.
Kate
You’re welcome, Jean! Thank you for your review.
Danny
Sooo gooood! Thanks for the recipe!
Kate
You’re welcome, Danny!
Marsha
The sunshine salad dressing is delicious. My husband loves it. He may never let me make a different one.
Chelsea
This is awesome! We love this recipe.
Amanda Colvard
I’ve never left a recipe comment before, but I had to for this one! It is absolutely delicious. Sweet, salty, tangy, light – Love it so much. Thank you! Will be making this often.
Terri C
Made this tonight as I was looking for something different (instead of bottled dressings that disappoint). It was easy to make and delicious! My only “problem“ is that it made over a cup and since there are only two of us, I’m worried about how long it will keep.
Kelli
Wow! This is the stuff of salad dressing dreams. Because we’re all practicing safe at home right now, I had to get a little creative. I didn’t have enough oil on hand, so I ended up using 2 TBS oil and added an extra 2 TBS of yogurt. I also used agave instead of honey. The results were amazing, and I could definitely stand to eat more salads (and less chocolate) during this distanced fun we’re all having.
anna
My boyfriend won’t stop talking about how much he liked this lol. i made it without the yoghurt!
saving for sure!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Anna!
Shelli
This is the second time I’ve made this recipe! Last night I had friends on the way, and I realized I hadn’t made any salad dressing. Thankfully, I had plain yogurt in the fridge and whipped this up right in a mason jar! It was thinner with regular yogurt, and a little less tangy, but we still really liked it (but we’ll go back to Greek next time)! I am now declaring this a staple at our house!
Kate
Hooray! This is a great dressing to have as a staple. Thank you for your review, Shelli!
Kim
Could this be made with full fat regular yogurt?
Kate
Yes! That’ll work well.
Erin
I made this with vegan mayo, as I don’t have any yoghurt and didn’t want to go to the shop for it in these current times, so apologies for that! However it was absolutely delicious – so delicious in fact, that I made salad for dinner just to drizzle this on!
Kate
I’m happy you liked a vegan version of it, Erin! I appreciate you sharing.
Karla
Very tasty – all things I had in my pantry – will make again!
Nadia
I was skeptical of honey mustard as a dressing, but I’m so glad I was proven wrong. The fact that I made it myself and knew exactly what was going into it made it taste even better, haha. I added some chopped green chili peppers to give it a kick.
I’m curious–would omitting the olive oil change the flavor of the dressing? Or is it there mainly for consistency? Thanks again for the great recipe!
Kate
Hi Nadia! I’m happy you loved it. The oil helps with flavor and the consistency to make it more dressing like, if that makes sense?
Emma
Oh my goodness. I have never left a comment on any recipe I just had to on this one but this was fantastic! My son is obsessed, he ate nothing but salad for dinner. This is my 3rd times making this salad and it never fails to impress. Now my family has all agreed that I need to make this salad at least once a week!
Delicious, thanks for the amazing recipe
Jen
This was simply delicious!!! I made a BLT salad with this dressing and it was wonderful!
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Jen!
Charu
I have allergy wid milk tell me dressing of salad without milk
Angelina
Hello! I was wondering if there are any substitutes for the mustard? I don’t have any on hand and I really want to use this recipe! Thanks in advance!
Kate
Hey Angelina! I’m sorry, the mustard is the key flavoring in this recipe. If you have fresh herbs and yogurt, you could try my green goddess dressing, or you can browse my other salad dressings here.
Andrea
This dressing is delicious and so quick to put together. It went down well with the family and it’s one I can see myself making a lot.
Lynne
This dressing is easy to make and delicious!
Petra
Yum-yum.Tried this out today for dinner. Super delectable. The entire household loved it. They can’t stop raving about it. Thanks a bunch.
Kate
You’re welcome, Petra!
Gary
Wonderful mix, terrific in fact. Perfect for my fresh spring garlic. I added a small squeeze of anchovy paste for umami. Great recipe ~ thanks!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Gary!
Karen
Ran out of store bought dressing, and had a really bad experience with low calorie store bought blue cheese dressing! I saw your recipe online and I had all the ingredients except for plain yogurt so I used vanilla yogurt… and it’s great!! Thank you for this recipe! Next time I’ll use plain Greek yogurt.
Jo Dahl
I never rate recipes but this was so good I had too! I’m a big salad eater and this has become my favorite dressing
Maricela
This is my family’s favorite dressing! My 12 year old daughter loves it on kale! Thank you for such an easy, tasty and healthy dressing!
Lorraine
Absolutely delicious. I will never buy off the shelf sauces ever again!
Dorothy Eminhizer
Amazing! Makes me wasnt salad every night!
Kate
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Dorothy.
Caitlin
I have tried this recipe as written and it is fantastic! If I am feeling fancy, I add in some harvest coarse ground mustard (like 3/4 of the 1/4c dijon, and top with the coarse ground) and add about 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon. Totally not necessary if you don’t have those things on hand but they are yummy add ins!
Nyla
Mustard based salad dressings are my fave and this one has to be the best I’ve had! Delicious!!
Pavan K
This was unbelievably tasty! I made a whole jar of it for later use.
Randine
Great blend, I added some mango curry spice, delicious
Grace S Lee
Wow so delicious! I was being lazy and left out the garlic and lemon juice and it was still so good! Will have to try next time with those two additional ingredients. I was trying to find something creamy without mayonnaise because mayonnaise had canola oil … I wonder if I make a mayonnaise out of Greek yogurt? I’m so missing tuna salad. Thanks for sharing something all the ways out !!
Kate
Hi Grace! I’m happy you liked it. Thanks for your review!
Sabrina
Amazing !!! Must try !!!
Becky
This dressing is wonderful. I made it exactly as written, using nonfat Greek yogurt, and 4 TBSP honey, as well as all lemon juice rather than vinegar. Not only is it nice for salad, but as you suggested, for pretty much any vegetable that can handle these flavors. Thank you so much!
Kate
You’re welcome, Becky! I’m happy you loved it. I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Gabi
Delicious dressing that can go well with anything!
Terri
OUTSTANDING!! Used on chicken milanese and also roasted asparagus! Have shared recipe many times!
Natalia
Just made the dressing and it’s delish! Any recommendations for salads to put it on?
Kate
Hi Natalia, glad to hear it! Don’t miss my sunshine slaw with quinoa or my roasted and raw carrot salad with avocado, which both call for this dressing.
Alex O
Just made this. Served it over a baby lrttuce mix with sliced granny smith apples and feta. REALLY good. This is an excellent and versatile vinaigrette with a nice balance of sweet and tart and a good consistency.
Kate
That sounds delicious, Alex! Thank you for sharing.
Ernie Abdullah
Made this recipe for my salads as I’ve just been told I have gestational diabetes and can’t be happier to have my salads now! Thank you so much!!
hester
I LOVE your Sunshine Salad Dressing Kate! Thank you for sharing. Even my picky teenage daughter loves it and that’s saying a lot. I make a batch and keep in a jar in the fridge, and it keeps quite well.
PS: I also LOVE the roasted and raw carrot avocado salad – delicious!!
Nicole Tomasi
Yummm this is delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Jessie May Kezele
This dressing is seriously sooooo good! I’m on my fourth batch and it’s better than anything at the store. I can’t do dairy, so I use coconut cream from a can and it still turns out amazing!
Leena
Superb! Great way to get the family to eat their greens.
Suzanne Lozano
My husband has high blood pressure, and between that and the weight we have gained recently, I was looking for something healthier than what comes in the kale salad mix at the store. This dressing is absolutely phenomenal. Thank you so much! Your recipes (ok, mostly the granola…part of my weight gain, I am sure, since I can’t stop eating it…) are truly fabulous!
Jennie
Kate, once again, this recipe rocked my salad!
I did cheat to appeal to my taste, though – skipped the apple cider vinegar. Two TB lemon juice shone beautifully alone for the acid. Only used 3 TB honey too.
Spinach loves you. Thanks Kate
Kat
Has anyone ever tried to add dill to this recipe? thanks!
Kate
That sounds interesting! I do love dill, but I’m not sure with this one. Be sure to let me know if you try it!
Gail Moore
This is an awesome dressing – hubby and I loved it!
DONNA S JOHNSON
Made this last night and it is delicious! I only used 2 tbsp. of honey, and that was perfect. Will keep this recipe.
Caitlin
So good! I’ve been on a Caesar salad kick and needed a new dressing to get me out of it so I could ditch the extra calories. I honestly expected this dressing to be too tart, but it wasn’t! Well done, it’s balanced perfectly.
Steph Wright
This is amazing! I drizzled a bit over grilled salmon. It was a bright and wonderful addition, can’t wait to use the rest for a big salad tomorrow! Thank you so much for sharing!
Kate
You’re welcome, Steph! Thanks for taking the time to make it and review.
Eric
Hello. Can I use buttermilk instead of yogurt?
Kate
Hi Eric, it will be very watery and I can’t guarantee the results.
Eric
Thank you!
Debi
I have been making my own salad dressings for decades. Mostly O&V based with maybe some Dijon. WELL, this Sunshine in a jar is now my favourite. Delicious, luxurious, refreshing and goes with anything. Having a girls lunch this week and this will be the dressing for my shrimp Cobb salad. I know I’ll be asked for the recipe and of course will share.
Thank you for sharing!
Kate
I’m excited you love this one, Debi Thank you for taking the time to review.
Liz
Honey Mustard Dressing is my favorite and this recipe doesn’t disappoint! To find something this delicious with so few calories is a Win Win! Thank you for sharing.
Karen
Very good with easily available ingredients…LOVE! It’s so thick that I thinned it out with some water. Perfect!I used Hot Honey for a little kick.
D
Salad dressing is delicious. Reminds me of the “English Cream Salad Dressing we had in England.
Janet Baker
I was looking for a salad dressing that was a little different to the usual vinaigrette one and thought this sounded fabulous. It was really, really nice! Yet another Cookie and Kate success . I love the recipes that you so generously share and am more than happy to give them a whirl – I am never disappointed.
Doris
Very tasty and easy to make, thank you for a great healthy recipe!
Andrea
Wow. Easily the best homemade dressing I’ve ever made. Just used it on honey mustard chicken wraps and I can’t get enough!
Kendall Clark
This is my favorite dressing of all time! I don’t usually favor honey mustard dressing, but this is different and so refreshing. Thank you, Kate!!!
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Dawn Parks
I made this tonight and I loved it!! Thank you so much for sharing!!