Honey Mustard

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

Whisk together 1/4 cup each of Dijon mustard and honey, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor.

Jump to Recipe

This honey mustard is the thicker, dip-and-spread version of the idea: Dijon, honey, mayonnaise, and cider vinegar whisked with garlic powder, black pepper, and optional cayenne. There is no oil to loosen it into a vinaigrette, so it stays creamy enough to cling to chicken tenders, burgers, sandwiches, or whatever else you have decided deserves to be dragged through a bowl of sauce.

The ratios are easy; the 30-minute rest is the part people want to ignore. Do not. Freshly mixed Dijon can come across sharper and more separate from the honey and mayo. Half an hour in the refrigerator gives those flavors time to settle into each other, which sounds suspiciously like relationship advice but is considerably more reliable when mustard is involved. Whisk until there are no streaks of mayo or honey hiding on the bottom, then taste before chilling. More honey moves it sweeter, more Dijon gives it bite, and a small splash of vinegar wakes up a batch that tastes flat. Cayenne is optional, but even a small pinch keeps the sweetness from becoming too polite. After resting, give it one more quick stir and put the bottle version back in the refrigerator where it can think about what it has done.

Prep5 minutes

Cook0 minutes

Total5 minutes (plus 30 minutes resting time)

Serves8 servings (about 1 cup total)

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of black pepper

Instructions

1Add the Dijon mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and apple cider vinegar to a small bowl.
2Add the garlic powder, cayenne if using, salt, and black pepper.
3Whisk everything together until fully combined and smooth — no streaks of mayo, no unmixed honey pooling at the bottom. This takes about 60 seconds of actual whisking.
4Taste it. Adjust here: more honey if you want it sweeter, more Dijon if you want more bite, a small splash more vinegar if it tastes flat.
5Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. This resting time is not optional decoration — it genuinely lets the flavors come together and mellows the sharpness of the raw Dijon.
6Serve as a dipping sauce, sandwich spread, or salad dressing. Whisk briefly before serving if it's been sitting in the fridge for more than a few hours.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 8 servings.

60Calories

0 gProtein

9 gCarbohydrates

3 gTotal Fat

0 gSaturated Fat

0 gFiber

9 gTotal Sugars

110 mgSodium

1 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

The 30-minute rest in the fridge is the single most important step that most people skip. Fresh-made honey mustard tastes sharp and slightly aggressive. Rested honey mustard tastes like you know what you're doing.
Use a good Dijon here — the fancy jar from the back of the fridge, not yellow mustard. Yellow mustard will give you a different sauce entirely: not bad, but not honey mustard. That's a different article.
If you're using this as a salad dressing and it's too thick, thin it with a teaspoon of warm water or a little extra vinegar. If you're using it as a dip, leave it thick. The sauce knows what it wants to be — just let it.

Substitutions

mayonnaise → Greek yogurt Use full-fat Greek yogurt for a slightly tangier, lighter sauce. Good swap for a healthier honey mustard dressing.

mayonnaise → sour cream Adds a richer, slightly different tang. Works well as a dipping sauce but may be too thick for dressing.

apple cider vinegar → white wine vinegar or lemon juice Both work. Lemon juice gives a brighter, fruitier note. White wine vinegar is the most neutral swap.

Dijon mustard → whole grain mustard Makes a chunkier, more rustic sauce with more texture. Still delicious — just visually different.

honey → maple syrup Works surprisingly well and gives a slightly earthier sweetness. Good for when you're out of honey and don't want to admit it.

Storage Instructions

Store in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Give it a quick stir before each use. Do not freeze — the mayonnaise will break and the texture will not recover.

Make Ahead

This sauce is genuinely better made ahead. Make it the night before you need it and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. The flavor develops significantly and the harsh edge of the Dijon softens into something much more balanced.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes. Whisk the Dijon, honey, mayonnaise, vinegar, garlic powder, and seasonings ahead and refrigerate the sauce covered. Stir before serving because the texture may tighten slightly when cold.

How do I store the leftovers?

Store in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Give it a quick stir before each use. Do not freeze — the mayonnaise will break and the texture will not recover.

Can I freeze it?

Do not freeze — the mayonnaise will break and the texture will not recover.

What substitutions work in Honey Mustard?

Tested swaps for this recipe: mayonnaise: Greek yogurt. Use full-fat Greek yogurt for a slightly tangier, lighter sauce. Good swap for a healthier honey mustard dressing. mayonnaise: sour cream. Adds a richer, slightly different tang. Works well as a dipping sauce but may be too thick for dressing.

What's the most common mistake to avoid?

The 30-minute rest in the fridge is the single most important step that most people skip. Fresh-made honey mustard tastes sharp and slightly aggressive. Rested honey mustard tastes like you know what you're doing.