Sweet and slightly tangy, this creamy poppy seed dressing recipe has had a permanent place in our fridge for a number of years. Easy to make and as adaptable as can be, this is the best poppy seed dressing I’ve ever tried.
Creamy poppy seed dressing
For years, I faithfully bought store-bought poppy seed salad dressing. I was brand loyal and swore by a certain brand that I bought regularly.
A while back I started making homemade versions of some of our favorite dressings and decided to see if I could duplicate a poppy seed salad dressing.
What are poppy seeds? It’s the small black seeds of poppies that are often sprinkled on or in bread and cakes. Poppy seeds are also the bright stars of this salad dressing. While it’s often written as two words “poppy,” it’s technically one word.
My whole family agrees that this is even better than the original bottled version; It has completely replaced the store bought stuff in our house.
This poppy seed dressing recipe was inspired by this spinach salad with poppy seed dressing that Jenn from My Tiny Oven shared many years ago, and the dressing has become a family favorite.
Making a tangy-sweet creamy poppy seed dressing at home is incredibly easy. This recipe uses a base of mayonnaise and milk for its creamy base. White wine vinegar and a dash of dried mustard perfectly balance the sweetness of the white sugar.
Of course, a few heaping spoonfuls of poppy seeds give the dressing its signature flavor and appearance. As simple as it is, there’s something extra whimsical about this berry pecan salad when drizzled with creamy poppy seed dressing.
Ingredients for poppy seed dressing
- mayonnaise
- milk
- sugar
- white wine vinegar
- Poppy
- dry mustard
- kosher salt
Recipe for poppy seed dressing
It only takes a few minutes to whisk everything together in this recipe, and the finished dressing will keep in the fridge for a good week. I like to keep this in a mason jar so I can give it a light shake just before serving. Shaking helps to recombine any ingredients once they’ve set in the fridge.
This is quite a sweet dressing and a little goes a long way. I tend to use just a squirt of this for a large salad.
Feel free to adjust the sugar and vinegar to taste. Less sugar and more white wine vinegar will result in a spicier dressing and vice versa.
Salads with poppy seed dressing
Poppy seed dressing is ideal for drizzling green salads with fruit. I love this dressing on strawberry spinach salad and stone fruit 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 this recipe. We also love tossing this dressing over a simple green salad with sliced apples and walnuts.
For a few more poppy seed dressing recipes, this copycat Costco Sweet Kale Salad recipe is a keeper, and I’m telling you now that you’re going to love it.
Tender chunks of chicken, sweet grapes, and pasta are combined and tossed with a creamy poppy seed dressing to make this easy Poppy Seed Chicken Grape Pasta Salad.
Chicken, fresh grapes, and crunchy walnuts are tossed in a tangy-sweet poppyseed dressing to make this Poppyseed Chicken Salad.
Homemade poppy seed dressing
Can’t get enough homemade salad dressing? Me too. After learning how easy it is to make delicious dressings in my own kitchen, I’ve all but stopped buying bottled dressings.
For another twist on poppy seed dressing recipes, try Honey Mustard Poppy Seed Salad Dressing, it’s flavorful, slightly tart, and just sweet enough. Tart citrus and sweet honey combine with crunchy poppy seeds in this sweet Orange Poppy Seed Dressing. Sweet maple syrup and honey are blended with fresh lemon juice and champagne vinegar to create Honey Maple Poppy Seed Vinaigrette.
For some spicier vinegar-based salad dressings, try the BEST Balsamic Vinaigrette and this Cucumber Salad with Spicy Tomato Vinaigrette. We also enjoy this Homemade Italian Salad Dressing and White Balsamic Vinaigrette.
If creamy dressings are your jam, I’m sure you’ll also love my all-time favorite Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing and this Bleu Cheese Salad Dressing.
{originally posted 3/6/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 1/19/23}
