Sweet and slightly tangy, this creamy poppyseed dressing recipe has had a regular home in our refrigerator for several years now. Easy to make and adaptable as can be, this is the best poppy seed dressing I’ve ever tasted.
Creamy Poppyseed Dressing
For years, I bought a store-bought poppy seed salad dressing faithfully. I was brand loyal and swore by a specific one, buying it on a regular basis.
A while back, I started making homemade versions of some of our favorite dressings and decided to see if I could duplicate a poppyseed salad dressing.
What are poppy seeds? They’re the small black seeds from poppy flowers that are often sprinkled onto or into breads and cakes. Poppyseeds are also the shining stars of this salad dressing. While often spelled as two words “poppy seeds,” technically it is one word.
My whole family agrees this is even better than the original bottled version; it has completely replaced the store bought stuff in our house.
This recipe for poppy seed dressing was inspired by this spinach salad with poppyseed dressing that Jenn at My Tiny Oven shared many years ago and the dressing has become a family favorite.
Making tangy-sweet creamy poppy seed dressing at home is as easy as can be. This recipe uses a base of mayonnaise and milk for its creamy base. White wine vinegar and a dash of dried mustard balance the sweetness from white sugar perfectly.
Of course, a couple of heaping spoonfuls of poppyseeds give the dressing its signature flavor and appearance. As easy as it is, there’s something extra fancy feeling about this Berry Pecan Salad when it’s drizzled with creamy poppyseed dressing.
Poppyseed Dressing Ingredients
- mayo
- milk
- sugar
- white wine vinegar
- poppy seeds
- dry mustard
- kosher salt
Poppy Seed Dressing Recipe
It takes just a few minutes to whisk everything in this recipe together and the finished dressing keeps well in the fridge for about a week. I like to store this in a mason jar so I can easily shake it up just before serving. Shaking helps recombine all the ingredients once they’ve settled in the fridge.
This is a pretty sweet dressing and a little goes a long way. I tend to use just a drizzle of it for a big salad.
Feel free to adjust the sugar and vinegar to taste. Less sugar and more white wine vinegar will create a tangier dressing and vice versa.
Salads with Poppy Seed Dressing
Poppyseed dressing is ideal for drizzling on top of green salads with fruit. I truly love this dressing on Strawberry Spinach Salad and Stonefruit Salad. It also works wonders on this Grape and Candied Walnut Salad.
When I have this dressing in the fridge I sometimes use it on Strawberry Chicken Salad as a substitute for the orange vinaigrette in that recipe. We also enjoy tossing this dressing over a simple green salad with apple slices and walnuts.
For a few more recipes with poppy seed dressing, this copycat recipe for Costco’s Sweet Kale Salad is a keeper and I’m telling you now that you’re going to love it.
Tender bites of chicken, sweet grapes, and pasta are combined and tossed with a creamy poppyseed dressing to make this simple Poppyseed Chicken and Grape Pasta Salad.
Chicken, fresh grapes, and crunchy walnuts are tossed in a tangy-sweet poppyseed dressing to make this Poppyseed Chicken Salad.
Homemade Poppyseed Dressing
Can’t get enough homemade salad dressing? Me either. Once I learned how easy it is to make delicious dressings in my own kitchen, I pretty much stopped buying bottled dressings.
For another spin on poppy seed dressing recipes try Honey Mustard Poppyseed Salad Dressing, it’s tangy, slightly tart, and just sweet enough. Tart citrus and sweet honey combine with crunchy poppy seeds in this sweet Orange Poppyseed Dressing. Sweet maple syrup and honey are mixed with fresh lemon juice and champagne vinegar to make the Honey Maple Poppyseed Vinaigrette.
For a few more tangy, vinegar based salad dressings try The BEST Balsamic Vinaigrette and this Cucumber Salad with Spicy Tomato Vinaigrette. We also really enjoy this Homemade Italian Salad Dressing and this White Balsamic Vinaigrette.
If creamy dressings are your jam, you’re sure to love my all time favorite Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing and this Bleu Cheese Salad Dressing, too.
Creamy Poppyseed Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mayo
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons poppyseeds
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and then whisk until smooth. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Shake well before using. This will keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Nutrition
{originally published 3/6/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 1/19/23}
Phyllis says
Mary, this dressing is just delish. Just the right amount of every ingredient. Thank you!
Mary Younkin says
Thank you so much, Phyllis. I am so happy you enjoy it.
Marilyn Stack says
I just made this recipe and I love it. The only thing I found was that the recipe called for two tbs poppy seeds. I doubled the recipe and when I started putting in the seed, I thought it seemed like too much, so I only put three tbs. It was still too much. Maybe it’s just my personal preference, but my husband thought the same thing. Next time I make this recipe I’ll only put in two teaspoons. Otherwise, I love it. Thank you.
Mary Younkin says
That makes sense Marilyn. As you know when doubling recipes you do have to make some adjustments sometimes. I am delighted you both enjoyed it though.
Sarah Paul says
I think this is a great recipe, the flavors are perfect for coleslaw. Sweet and tangy! I do think it calls for too much poppy seed I only did half a tablespoon and it still was a lot for my taste. This is my definite go to recipe from now on I just will cut back on the poppy seed thank you!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and were able to tweak it your tastes, Sarah!
Kathleen says
Would romaine and blueberries work with this dressing. I have the blueberries but not strawberries?
Mary Younkin says
Yes romaine and blueberries would be great.
Cindy Archuleta says
Sounds great!
I would love for you to share your recipes with me!!!!
Mary Younkin says
Thank you, please enjoy all the recipes on this site.
Lois Kohler says
Can I use Miracle Whip?
Mary Younkin says
You could if that is your preference, Lois.
Deeann M Gibbs says
Good recipe. The website, however, is another thing entirely. There are too many popup ads. The post was difficult to view because of the ads. I won’t be back.
Mary Younkin says
Feel free to use the “Jump to Recipe” button.
MJ says
What an easy and tasty dressing! Love it!
Mary Younkin says
Thank you, MJ.
Carol Whitney says
How long will this keep? Thank you.
Mary Younkin says
It is a fresh dressing, so I usually recommend about a week, Carol.
Michelle says
Do you use a Miracle Whip or a true mayo like Hellmans?
Mary Younkin says
I am a fan of real mayo. Duke’s is my usual go-to, Michelle.
Susie says
Mary,
Your recipe is delicious!
I have made it twice so far, and it is a great hit with my family
I am looking forward to making your honey lime jalapeño next.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the dressing, Susie! I hope you love the honey lime jalapeno dressing, too. Enjoy, and happy cooking.
Cheryl says
I have been making this dressing for a few weeks it is so good it’s better than briannes poppy seed dressing, I modified it a little and have been putting in apple cider vinegar instead of white wine vinegar it is so delicious I love it
Mary Younkin says
Glad to hear that you’re loving the dressing, Cheryl.
Sue says
This was good – the mustard taste was slightly stronger than anticipated, but it could have been due to the fact I used an artificial sweetener instead of sugar (or it could be that I just happen to be super sensitive to bitter-ish tastes!). Although that’s an easy enough fix – I’ll just go a little lighter on the dry mustard next time I make it.
I wasn’t sure how quickly I’d use this up since I usually make just a single salad, so I whisked up all the ingredients EXCEPT for the mayo and the milk, and stuck it in the fridge. Figured it would last quite awhile that way (without the mayo and milk in it). When I made a salad earlier today, I just put however much mayo and milk I thought I’d use on the salad into a small ramekin, and then spooned some of the earlier-prepared mixture (i.e. the mix of all the other ingredients) into it and stirred it up. Perfect!
Mary Younkin says
Glad to hear that the poppyseed dressing was a hit, Sue! Enjoy the salad, and happy cooking.
joanne says
delicious
Mary Younkin says
Happy to hear it, Joanne!
Janet says
If you are a diabetic, can you substitute sugar?
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Janet. While I’m sure there are sugar substitutes that would work well in this recipe, I haven’t personally tried using them, so I can’t offer any specific recommendations.