Creamy Maple Dressing plus Black Pepper

At a glance

What stands out: Your autumn salads will glow with from-scratch creamy maple dressing. You’ll want to add it to roasted vegetables, too, and maybe even sandwiches!

How long it takes: 5
Equipment you’ll need: small bowl, whisk, or jar
Servings: makes ¾ cup

Creamy Maple Dressing

This is a luscious autumn dressing, with notes of maple, apple, stone-ground mustard, and freshly cracked black pepper. We're so excited about this dressing! We could slurp it up like soup.

Creamy maple dressing gets a little tanginess from Greek yogurt and apple cider vinegar. Maple syrup balances the tang and adds sweetness. With generous amounts of freshly ground black pepper and coarse mustard, this dressing has plenty of peppy flavor.

With this creamy maple dressing, you won’t have an excuse for not eating lighter salads. You think winter isn’t the season for salads? Think again! You might not be eating fresh leafy green salads with ripe red tomatoes but there’s plenty of salad material right now.

Ways to serve it

Hearty greens. This dressing is reliable for winter salads like this kale and pear salad, or spinach salad with beets, almonds, and feta. You’ll find that it’s reliable for heartier salads made with winter greens like spinach, Brussels sprouts, or kale.

Grain salads. Creamy maple dressing goes well with grain salads like autumn quinoa salad, with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, feta, and bacon. Try it on this quinoa salad with Brussels sprouts and dried apricots.

Roasted vegetables. Add pizzazz to your roasted vegetables with a drizzle of maple dressing over warm roasted squash, sweet potatoes, roasted beets, roasted carrots, or Brussels sprouts.

Take sandwiches up a notch Liven up a ham and Swiss sandwich with creamy maple dressing. Go ahead and add a couple slices of bacon, too, because salty bacon and maple syrup are always a winning combination. Try this maple dressing on a roasted turkey sandwich with Havarti and lots of arugula.

Like most from-scratch dressings, creamy maple dressing is straightforward to mix. It will take you five minutes. You’ll never find dressing this good at a grocery store! All you need is a small bowl, a whisk, and the following ingredients.

What goes in

• Plain yogurt: You can use either plain Greek yogurt or regular yogurt. It’s up to you which type of yogurt: nonfat, 2%, or whole milk.
• Mayonnaise: We add just a couple tablespoons of creamy mayonnaise to smooth out the flavor and to add a richer texture.
• Real maple syrup: You’ll want to use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. The darker the syrup, the more flavorful the dressing will be. Look for maple syrup that’s labeled Grade A, robust, or dark. Dark maple syrup is made from sap that is harvested later in the spring; it has less sugar and more flavor.
• Apple cider vinegar: We like the hint of apple that this vinegar adds to the creamy maple dressing. A little vinegar is necessary to balance out the sweetness and richness of the dressing. You could use other types of vinegar but they’ll have a different flavor profile.
• Stone ground mustard: This type of mustard is more coarsely ground than Dijon, and has a milder flavor. The mustard seeds are visible and add visual interest to the dressing.
• Black pepper: We like to use freshly ground black pepper because it has more flavor.

Ways to change it

• Make it extra creamy. If you like, use a small blender, mini food processor, or stick blender to mix the dressing. The maple dressing will emulsify even more and become extra creamy.
• Skip the yogurt. If you’re not a fan of yogurt, use all mayonnaise instead of yogurt. If you prefer a vinaigrette instead of a creamy dressing, skip both the yogurt and the mayonnaise, and substitute ¼ cup olive oil instead.
• Substitute balsamic vinegar. This will give your dressing an entirely different flavor profile. If you love balsamic, it’s a fun variation.
• Add fresh herbs. Often we like to add fresh herbs after blending the dressing. A teaspoon or two of finely chopped rosemary, thyme, sage, or oregano amps the flavor. Stick to woody herbs which will play more nicely with this dressing, rather than summer herbs like chives, basil, or dill.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate leftover salad dressing in a small glass jar with a tight lid for a week. Shake well before serving.

• Yield: 6 (makes ¾ cup)
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Total: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• ¼ cup plain yogurt, Greek or regular (or you can substitute mayonnaise)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon coarse stone ground mustard (or 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
• ¾ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (or to taste)

Method

1. In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients until combined, or add all ingredients to a small jar, shake until blended.
2. Taste the dressing and adjust if necessary, adding extra salt or pepper. If you feel the dressing is too sweet, add more vinegar to balance it out. If you feel it's too tangy, add a bit more syrup.
3. The dressing can be served immediately, or refrigerated until ready to serve.

Notes

Yogurt substitute: If you’re not a fan of yogurt, use all mayonnaise instead of yogurt. If you prefer a vinaigrette that isn’t creamy, substitute ¼ cup olive oil for the yogurt and mayonnaise.

Add an herbal note. Stir in a teaspoon or two of finely chopped fresh herbs. We would suggest rosemary, thyme, sage, or oregano.

Storage: Refrigerate the dressing in an airtight container or small jar with a lid for up to 1 week. Makes about ¾ cup.