Creamy and sweet poppy seed dressing made with only 5 simple ingredients. Perfect to drizzle over summer salads with fresh fruit on top!
Table of Contents
Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing
Poppy seed dressing has always been one of my favorite salad dressings. For years I bought a store brand, but then I discovered how easy it is to make this sweet and tangy dressing homemade. I love to drizzle it on fruit salads or greens salads to add a burst of flavor!
The best part about this recipe is that it’s made with only 5 ingredients. Seriously so simple and absolutely delicious. And you can even make some healthier swaps to lighten it up a bit, like using Greek yogurt instead of mayo or omitting the granulated sugar.
This dressing tastes amazing on all types of salads, but is especially delicious on salads with fresh fruit on top (like my strawberry spinach salad). It would also taste great on a pasta salad or fruit salad. Yum!
Tips for the Best Poppy Seed Dressing
Making your own salad dressing is super quick and easy. It tastes fresher than store-bought dressing and is way more affordable. This poppy seed salad dressing is one of my favorites to make at home, as well as ranch, vinaigrette and cilantro lime dressing.
- Taste test. After you mix the dressing together, give it a taste and adjust as needed. Add in a little more honey to make it sweeter, or extra vinegar for a bolder tang.
- Mix in a jar. Instead of whisking together the ingredients in a bowl, pour them into a jar and shake to mix. That way you have less dishes to clean.
- Let chill. You don’t have to chill the dressing first, but I like to stick it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to help meld the flavors together and thicken it up.
- Shake before using. Before drizzling on top of your salad, make sure to give the jar of dressing a few big shakes. Sometimes the vinegar and oil from the mayo can separate a little, so giving it a good shake will help smooth out the consistency.
- Poppy seeds. Store any leftover poppy seeds in the fridge so that they stay fresh for longer. They should keep for about 3 to 6 months in the fridge.
Variations + Swaps
- Use Greek yogurt instead of mayo to lighten it up a bit.
- Omit the sugar and only use honey instead.
- You can use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or even raspberry vinegar to give it a little more flavor.
- If you don’t have vinegar on hand, try replacing it with fresh lemon juice for a fun twist.
- If you don’t want a creamy poppy seed dressing, you can replace the mayo with a high quality olive oil instead. Or you can even do a mixture of both mayo and oil for a more subtle creamy texture.
Storing Tips
This poppy seed dressing will keep for up to 1 week if chilled in the refrigerator. I like to store it in a glass jar with a lid so that I can easily shake it up before using. Sometimes I even mix my ingredients together in the glass jar too, so that I don’t dirty up 2 dishes. :) It’s all about convenience!
FAQs
Other than my favorite strawberry and spinach salad try any of these summer salads including my favorite mandarin orange salad or spinach berry salad.
Yes! Since it has dairy ingredients it needs to be stored in an airtight salad jar in your refrigerator.
They add a slightly nutty, earthy taste.
Before adding your poppy seeds, emulsify the dressing in the blender. Pour into a jar then add your poppy seeds and give the dressing a good shake with the lid on to distribute the seeds.
Other homemade salad dressing favorites include this cilantro lime dressing, ranch dressing and my Caesar salad dressing recipe!
Favorite Salads to Enjoy with
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Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayo
- 3 Tablespoons vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
S&P, to taste
Instructions
- Add the mayo, vinegar, honey and sugar in a glass jar or bowl.
- Whisk or shake together until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste, then mix in the poppy seeds.
- Serve over your favorite salad. This dressing stays fresh in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Shake well before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Condiments, Dairy-Free, Dressings
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
This is delicious! Made to use in a chicken salad recipe. Will make this again for sure. Thank you!
That sounds so yummy Libby! Thanks for sharing :)
I just made this dressing for a broccoli salad for a club event on Saturday. It is outstanding. Thank you for sharing.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for your review :)
Made this yesterday.
Absolutely love the flavor.
Mine is very runny tho.
Are there any tips or tricks to make it a bit thicker. Would like it to “cling” better
I followed recipe exactly as listed.
Hi Ken, I like to chill the dressing in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to help meld the flavors together and thicken it up. You could also add in a little more mayo to thicken it up a bit more.
Thank you, I’ll try adding a bit more mayo. It’s been sitting overnight but sadly didn’t get the consistency I desire. But wow. The flavor!!!
Just came across your site and recipes yesterday. Def now a favorite and will be exploring :)
Thanks for reply.
I made this dressing for fruit salad and I love love love it so much I haven’t even tried anyone else’s recipe I tried this one first and I was sold I love it
Yay, this makes me so happy to hear! Thanks for your comment and review, Sheila!
I was looking for a simple poppy seed dressing for meal prep this week and this was perfect. Thanks for sharing!
This dressing is SO tasty and easy to make. Just the right balance of creamy tang. Making in a mason jar was a great tip!
I’m so happy you liked it! Always looking for ways to use less dishes :)
Great base recipe to start with. I suffer with severe heartburn with acid reflux so I can’t do any store salad dressings. After trying several other poppy seed dressings I had about given up on having a good recipe for my salads. I came across yours and reduced the vinegar to 1/2 tsp. rice vinegar, did 1 tablespoons sugar, and 1 tablespoon honey with light mayo at under a 1/2 cup. Also sprinkled in very lightly some poppy seeds. It turned out amazing I can only do a 1/2 tablespoon on my salad because that is all I can tolerate but after a year of just eating plain salad greens its so wonderful to have a little flavor in it. With my adjustments do you know how long this will keep and if this recipe will travel well with my modifications? Thank you! Have a beautiful day.
Hi Lily, the dressing should still keep for about a week in the fridge. It should travel fine…just make sure to put it back in the fridge when you get to your destination. Then give it a big shake before using. Enjoy!
My hubby enjoys this dressing so much. It is delicious!!
So glad your hubby likes it :)
Easy! Loved Taste!
Yes and it’s very tasty. We will have it on a salad with fruits chicken and nuts.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
Get in my belly! This looks so good. So hungry for this!
Oh wow, looks amazing! Really love how super easy to make this and it’s insanely delicious, can’t wait to try!
mmm..this dressing sounds incredibly delicious!!
I’m so happy I found this recipe! It tastes wonderful, looks fabulous, and is so easy to make. Thanks for sharing it
This was so easy to make and delicious too! I love that I can make a lot of it and keep it on hand! Love it!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment and review. :)
I have never tried my own dressing before, I am going to try this!
We love making our own dressings. The flavor is just so much better.