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Home  ›  Recipes  ›  Course  ›  Lunch & Dinner  ›  Salads

The BEST Balsamic Almond Butter Dressing

See Recipe Review

Posted:

11/17/17

Updated:

09/17/24

By:

Ashley Walterhouse

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

Have you tried almond butter dressing yet?? If not, you need to get on it. This Balsamic Almond Butter Dressing can be used in SO many ways – it’s a fan-favorite. Just six ingredients, vegan, paleo and can be made Whole30® friendly with one simple sweetener swap. 

This Balsamic Almond Butter Dressing can be used in SO many ways – it's a fan-favorite. Vegan, paleo and can be made Whole30 with one simple sweetener swap. 

  • The Best Balsamic Almond Butter Dressing
  • Pantry ingredients needed
  • How to Make Almond Butter Balsamic Dressing
  • Some ingredient swaps
  • Balsamic Almond Butter Dressing

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So I feel a little bit on the lame side bringing just a salad dressing recipe to you but here me out…

This Balsamic Almond Butter Dressing is da bomb(dot)com. I’ve made this so many times I’ve lost count. What started out as a newfound love for balsamic dressings turned into a delicious concoction of combining one of my favorite nut butters with balsamic.

I’ve made numerous renditions with tiny variations but they’re basically all the same – AWESOME.

white bowl of salad topped with homemade dressing

I am fairly certain the first time I made this almond butter dressing was for this apple walnut salad.

And then I realized it went really well with brussels sprouts.

And then I made it with cashew butter for this kale & romaine salad. Also lovely. I actually made that salad when celebrating Canada’s Thanksgiving a couple of years ago and our friends were obsessed. I’m telling you, if you want people to try (and love) kale in salads, this almond butter dressing is the way to go.

I even got my father-in-law using it as a sauce for his steak one night.

And THEN I added it to this lovely festive side dish last year for Thanksgiving. Which basically brings us to present time. This balsamic almond butter dressing would be the perfect addition to your salad for any table.

The Best Balsamic Almond Butter Dressing

bottle of homemade dress with white bowl of greens in the background

Pantry ingredients needed

  • balsamic vinegar
  • pure maple syrup
  • almond butter (yes you can sub cashew butter!)
  • stone ground mustard
  • minced garlic
  • salt & pepper to taste
ingredients in measure cups and spoons - vinegar, almond butter, maple syrup, oil, and mustard

How to Make Almond Butter Balsamic Dressing

Everything gets mixed into a small food processor or blender (I use my NutriBullet).

You could also use garlic powder and whisk everything together in a bowl. Though I will say I prefer the blender route to get things nice and smooth – sometimes the almond butter is thick and harder to whisk/combine by hand.

Some ingredient swaps:

Maple Syrup – You could sub honey but may have to play with the ratio, as I am not sure honey is sweet enough on its own to help balance out the balsamic vinegar.  You can also sub 2 large pitted Medjool dates if looking for a Whole30 swap.

Almond Butter – I love swapping out the almond butter for cashew butter as well. If working with nut allergies, I assume sunflower seed butter would also taste pretty good! I just haven’t tried that myself. Tahini may be too strong for some, but if you like tahini (sesame seed butter) you can also sub that.

TIP: Don’t be afraid to taste test after blending. I like a good strong balsamic flavor but everyone has different taste buds. Feel free to play around a bit with the balsamic and maple syrup ratio and adjust to your liking.

white bowl of salad topped with homemade dressing and almonds

I hope you guys enjoy! Seriously this is one of my go-to recipes for everything from salads, roasted veggies and even as a chicken or steak sauce.

Let me know if you make it by leaving a comment and rating below! Xx Ashley

5 from 8 votes

Balsamic Almond Butter Dressing

Prep: 5 minutes minutes
Total: 5 minutes minutes
Have you tried almond butter dressing yet?? If not, you need to get on it. This Balsamic Almond Butter Dressing can be used in SO many ways – it's a fan-favorite. Just six ingredients, vegan, paleo and can be made Whole30 with one simple sweetener swap.
This Balsamic Almond Butter Dressing can be used in SO many ways – it's a fan-favorite. Vegan, paleo and can be made Whole30 with one simple sweetener swap. 
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Author: Ashley Walterhouse
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Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar*
  • 1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil**
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup creamy almond butter, or sub cashew butter
  • 1.5 tablespoons stoneground mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
  • 2-4 tablespoons water, to thin for desired consistency

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to small blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. I typically add 3 tablespoons.
    Alternatively you could whisk in medium bowl, but using a blender or food processor is best. 
  • Taste test the dressing to make sure you're alright with the vinegar-sweetness ratio, adding more sweetener or more balsamic to taste.
  • Serve with salads, roasted veggies, or even as a chicken or steak sauce.
  • Store salad dressing in covered 8 ounce jar in refrigerator up to 1 week. Dressing may get thick after sitting in fridge You can add a little bit of water and stir well with spoon before using.
★ Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Recipe Notes:

*Adjust according to taste. I like a good balsamic vinegar taste but if you’d like you can use less, or even a touch more if you prefer strong. You can also balance out with more or less maple syrup.
**Could sub avocado, almond oil, or even pumpkin seed oil.  

Nutrition Information

Serving: 2tbsp, Calories: 100kcal (5%), Carbohydrates: 8g (3%), Protein: 2g (4%), Fat: 7g (11%), Saturated Fat: 1g (6%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 181mg (8%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 1g (1%)
Like this?Leave a comment below!

This post contains some affiliate links. Should you choose to purchase through said links, I will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support in helping keep Fit Mitten Kitchen up and running. 

Ashley Walterhouse Avatar

About

Ashley Walterhouse

Ashley Walterhouse is the founder of Fit Mitten Kitchen, based in the Greater Lansing Area of Michigan, AKA “the Mitten.” Ashley grew up as a picky eater but later discovered that eating healthy was actually easy and fun. She started FMK in 2015 as a way to share her newfound love of developing healthier recipes for all to enjoy.
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5 from 8 votes

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Recipe Rating




25 responses

  1. Marian Meade
    June 23, 2024

    5 stars
    Everybody loved it!! Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Ashley
      June 23, 2024

      So glad! Thanks for your review !

      Reply
  2. Beth G
    September 5, 2022

    5 stars
    Made this tonight and put it over grilled chicken, green bean amandine and quinoa bowls. It was amazing. Can’t wait to try it on other stuff!

    Reply
    1. Ashley
      October 20, 2022

      Thank you Beth! Glad you love.

      Reply
  3. Jessica Moreau
    June 23, 2022

    5 stars
    YES!!! would have never thought of mixing almond butter with balsamic but this was 10/10. Paired it with strawberry salad!

    Reply
    1. Ashley
      June 23, 2022

      Glad you like it! One of my favorites too 🙂 Thank you for the feedback and review!

      Reply
  4. Dulcie
    February 16, 2022

    5 stars
    Oh my! This was amazing. I am now pondering all the ways I will use this.

    Reply
    1. Ashley
      February 16, 2022

      Isn’t it delicious?! I am so glad you like it. It’s one of my favorite dressings and it goes with so many dishes and salads!

      Reply
  5. Lydia
    January 13, 2022

    This is great! No changes made. One question – I had to add 1-2 Tbsp water after the 4 I added originally and I had to keep nuking in microwave and shake shake shake to get it to drip drip drip into my salad. Afraid if i leave it on the counter during the day only, day after day, it will go bad. Tips?? Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Ashley
      January 17, 2022

      Adding water as needed to get the right consistency is normal, especially because different almond butters (and other nut butters) have different consistencies and some are thicker than others. The dressing is best kept/stored refrigerated, but it is fine to set out while you’re making your salad. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.

      Reply
  6. Sharon mccarthy
    March 4, 2021

    Yes, love it!

    Reply
  7. SP
    January 26, 2021

    5 stars
    Maple syrup not required. Excellent recipe.

    Reply
    1. Ashley
      February 1, 2021

      So glad you liked! Thanks for sharing and taking the time to comment with a review 😀

      Reply
  8. Morgyn
    May 27, 2020

    5 stars
    I love this recipe. It’s my go to recipe with a strong taste and limited ingredients

    Reply
  9. Jennifer
    May 5, 2020

    The recipe is great! I used avocado oil, dates and added a splash of rice vinegar. I thought it added just a little more to the goodness! Can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
  10. Heidi
    September 3, 2019

    Help! Trying to make this right now. I don’t know what stone ground mustard is?? If I don’t have it, is there a substitute I can use?

    Reply
    1. Ashley
      September 3, 2019

      Hi Heidi! Stone ground mustard is just a type of mustard that’s less processed / more coarse. You can omit or if you have it, use dijon or spicy brown 🙂

      Reply
  11. Kacie-Jo
    May 22, 2019

    5 stars
    I really tweaked this recipe a lot. It’s hard for me to follow a recipe. But, it turned out wonderful. I did a massaged (with lemon and a bit of salt) kale salad with sunflower seeds and red onion. For the dressing, I did not use any oil. I did not add any water. I did not blend it. ? I used agave instead of maple syrup. I used a dash of soy sauce instead of salt. That may be it… But, my non-vegan husband said it tasted like Chick-fil-A sauce. He’s a fan. ? This is going to be a regular thing around this house. Also, garlic and/or red chiles would be amazing… ?

    Reply
    1. Ashley
      May 22, 2019

      lol Love it! Glad you still found something you liked! My FIL loves this blend too as a steak sauce!

      Reply
  12. Lynne
    March 21, 2019

    Hi. I’ve just been diagnosed with non alcoholic fatty liver disease and this recipe has all the ingredients that I’m allowed by the looks of it? Thank you! I simply cannot eat salad without dressing!

    Reply
    1. Ashley
      March 22, 2019

      So sorry to hear about your diagnosis! I’m sure you’ll find the silver lining in it – sounds like you’ll be finding some new recipes to try 🙂 Hope you enjoy this dressing! <3

      Reply
  13. Sarah
    January 12, 2019

    5 stars
    This was so great! Wanted something that was hearty but would pair well with some Italian sausage we were grilling. No one could put their finger on the secret ingredient – so delish! I only used about 1.5 TB maple syrup and it was fabulous. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    1. Ashley
      January 13, 2019

      Awesome! Glad it was enjoyed 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment and review, Sarah!

      Reply
  14. Steph
    November 21, 2017

    I just noticed minced garlic is listed in the pantry ingredients but it’s not in the recipe. If the garlic is to be added I’d love to know how much. Thanks! 🙂

    Reply
    1. Ashley
      November 21, 2017

      Ah so sorry about that! Thanks for letting me know. It’s just 1/2 tsp 🙂 I will update!

      Reply

Hey there!

I’m Ashley – I started Fit Mitten Kitchen in 2015 to share healthier recipes. Here we balance real food with desserts and healthy snacks making life easy, nutritious and delicious.

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almond butter dressing in jar on table with almonds and balsamic vinaigrette in background
almond butter dressing in jar on table with almonds and balsamic vinaigrette in background

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