This Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing is creamy, sweet yet tangy, and incredibly easy to make. It is naturally sweetened and oil-free, making it a healthy homemade dressing that will liven up your salads without any guilt!
Poppy Seed Dressing is a creamy, tangy dressing loaded with poppy seeds for crunch and a bit of flavor.
Typically this dressing is filled with sugar and mayonnaise, and while delicious, it is pretty heavy and high in fat and sugars.
My version of Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing is made with yogurt in place of mayonnaise and sweetened with honey instead of granulated sugar. It is significantly lightened up, yet all the delicious, classic flavors remain.
Notes on Ingredients
- Greek Yogurt: To give this dressing its creamy base, use plain Greek yogurt. Use any fat percentage you like.
- Honey: You only need a small amount to sweeten the dressing and balance out the acidity and tanginess of the dressing. Feel free to replace the honey with maple syrup if desired.
- Shallot: The secret to the BEST poppy seed dressing is a little bit of grated shallot. The mild onion flavor of the shallot helps to balance out the sweetness of the dressing.
- Mustard: Use Dijon, whole grain, or brown mustard, NOT yellow mustard. The flavor is not comparable.
- Vinegar: Champagne vinegar is my first choice for this dressing, as it is mild and slightly sweet. You can use apple cider or white wine vinegar in place of the champagne vinegar if desired.
- Poppy Seeds: Poppy seeds add a nice texture to the dressing.
How to Prepare Poppy Seed Dressing
- Whisk together the vinegar, honey, Greek yogurt, mustard, poppy seeds, grated shallot, and salt together.
- Using a Microplane, grate 1 teaspoon of shallot into the dressing.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. This allows the flavors time to marry together.
- Store the dressing in the refrigerator for up 10 days, whisking or shaking prior to use.
Serving Suggestions
Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing pairs beautifully with side salads, chicken salads, and even fruit salads. Below are a few of my favorite ways to use this simple, wholesome salad dressing.
- Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing is the perfect choice for Strawberry Spinach Salad. And it is delicious paired with Roasted Butternut Squash Salad or Caribbean Chicken Salad.
- I love using this Poppy Seed Dressing to dress a fresh fruit salad for a creamy, tangy, delightful punch of flavor.
- For a creamy, yet still, mayo-free version of Broccoli Salad, replace the citrus dressing with this poppy seed dressing.
- Toss with shredded chicken and wrap up with some spinach in a tortilla for a quick, flavorful wrap for lunch.
More Salad Dressing Recipes
If you tried this healthier version of Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- ¼ cup champagne vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon shallot grated
Instructions
- Whisk together Greek yogurt, mustard, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, and salt.
- Grate in shallot using a microplane and then whisk to incorporate.
- Store in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Notes
- Feel free to use mayonnaise in place of Greek yogurt.
- White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used in place of champagne vinegar.
- In place of the shallot, feel free to use ½ teaspoon onion powder. It will not be the same, but it works to add depth to the salad dressing.
- If you do not prefer honey, use granulated sugar but dissolve the sugar into the vinegar before whisking into the yogurt to prevent the dressing from getting grainy.
- Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing will last in the fridge in a sealed container for about 10 days.
Nutrition
This recipe for poppy seed salad dressing was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2022.
Jen Dart
I will always keep this in my refrigerator at all times! Even my picky 15 year old loved it!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing Jen! I love hearing you all enjoy--picky eater included 🙂
Erin
I love that this recipe uses plain Greek yogurt. I always have that on hand, so this recipe was easy to whip together and tasted GREAT!
Jessica
This dressing turned out absolutely delicious on the salad we made for our dinner guests! Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing Jessica! I am happy to hear you all enjoyed!
April
This was great! I used it in my chicken wrap for lunch and it was perfect.
Katie
Was so good! Can't wait to use on kale salad.
Allyson Zea
This is one of my absolute favorite creamy dressings! I love the poppyseed flavor!
Liz
I love poppyseed dressing, especially as the weather is warming up and I'm craving lighter salads. So delicious!
Kristen Chidsey
It really does brighten up salads.
Renee Goerger
I love making my own salad dressing. This is one of my favorites!
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! So glad you enjoy!