Name: Skinny Honey Mustard Dressing (23 calories a tablespoon)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 cup of The BEST Skinny Ranch Dressing (3 ingredients); 2½ tablespoons honey; 1½ tablespoons spicy brown mustard or yellow mustard (not Dijon)

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The 80’s brought yummy dressings such as Honey Mustard and I’ve loved it ever since! Not only does it taste great on salads, it’s terrific to dress coleslaw and potato salad or as a dip for raw veggies, baked chicken fingers or drizzled over steamed vegetables. I personally love this dressing mashed into a baked potato. So easy to make since the base is my skinny ranch dressing recipe. Each 2 tablespoon servings has just 46 calories and 2 grams of fat. Have fun with the endless possibilities!

Skinny Honey Mustard Dressing (23 calories a tablespoon)

Why You'll Love My Skinny Honey Mustard Dressing

Love the sweet and tangy kick of honey mustard but not the extra calories? You're going to adore Skinny Honey Mustard Dressing (23 calories a tablespoon)! This dressing is a true game-changer, offering that classic, irresistible balance of sweet honey and zesty mustard, but with a significantly lighter calorie profile. It's the perfect way to elevate your favorite salads, chicken tenders, wraps, or even use as a marinade, all without derailing your healthy eating goals. Imagine drizzling generously over your greens or dipping your lean protein, savoring every delicious bite knowing you're making a smart, health-conscious choice. This skinny version proves that you don't have to sacrifice amazing flavor for a lighter lifestyle, making healthy eating truly enjoyable and sustainable.

Ingredients in Skinny Honey Mustard Dressing

The BEST Skinny Ranch Dressing (3 ingredients): This ingredient serves as the foundational creamy base for our honey mustard, contributing a smooth texture and a subtle tang that perfectly complements the other flavors. By utilizing a "skinny" ranch dressing, we immediately establish a lower calorie and fat profile for the final product without sacrificing desired consistency. Its simplicity (being a 3-ingredient ranch) ensures that its flavor remains a clean canvas, allowing the distinct notes of honey and mustard to truly shine, rather than being masked by a more complex base. This intelligent choice is key to maintaining the light and healthy aspect of the dressing while still providing a satisfying mouthfeel.

Honey: This natural sweetener is the star component that brings the characteristic sweetness and slightly floral notes to our honey mustard dressing.¹ Honey provides a rich, complex sweetness that granulated sugar simply cannot replicate, and its viscous texture also contributes to the dressing's body and cling. Beyond just sweetness, honey adds a unique aroma and a hint of warmth that balances the sharp notes of the mustard, creating that harmonious sweet-and-savory profile that defines honey mustard. It's an indispensable element for achieving the classic flavor we all know and love.

Spicy Brown Mustard or Yellow Mustard (not Dijon): This is the ingredient responsible for the essential "mustard" kick and tang in our dressing. The recipe specifically calls for spicy brown mustard or yellow mustard, and importantly, advises against using Dijon. Spicy brown mustard offers a more robust, earthy, and slightly more pungent flavor than classic yellow mustard, bringing a depth and a subtle heat that really elevates the dressing.² Yellow mustard, while milder, still provides that iconic tangy mustard flavor.³ Dijon mustard, on the other hand, has a sharper, more wine-like acidity and a different flavor profile that would alter the traditional honey mustard taste. The chosen mustard provides the necessary zesty contrast to the sweetness of the honey, creating the perfect balance of sweet and savory notes in every spoonful.

How to Make Skinny Honey Mustard Dressing

Step 1: Prepare Your Skinny Ranch Dressing Base

The very first and foundational step to making this incredible Skinny Honey Mustard Dressing is to prepare your BEST Skinny Ranch Dressing (3 ingredients). This homemade ranch will serve as the smooth, creamy, and low-calorie backbone for your honey mustard creation. Follow the instructions for that specific ranch recipe to ensure it's made correctly. Once you've prepared the necessary amount for this recipe, you'll likely have some ranch left over. Be sure to refrigerate any remaining ranch dressing for another use – it’s a versatile staple to have on hand for salads, dips, or spreads throughout the week. For this particular recipe, the ranch dressing does not need to be chilled before mixing into the honey mustard.

Step 2: Combining Sweetness and Zest

Now that your skinny ranch base is ready, it's time to bring in the iconic honey mustard flavors. Grab a medium-sized mixing bowl. To this bowl, add 1 cup of your prepared skinny ranch dressing. Next, carefully measure in 2½ tablespoons of honey. This natural sweetener is crucial for achieving that characteristic sweet balance. Finally, add 1½ tablespoons of spicy brown mustard or yellow mustard. Remember, the recipe specifically advises against using Dijon mustard here, as spicy brown or yellow mustard provides the authentic, zesty, and slightly pungent kick that defines traditional honey mustard.

Once all three ingredients are in the bowl, pick up a whisk. Whisk everything together thoroughly until the mixture is completely well blended. You want to ensure the honey is fully incorporated into the ranch and mustard, creating a smooth, cohesive, and uniformly colored dressing. Continue whisking until you see a consistent creamy texture and a lovely, inviting golden-yellow hue.

Step 3: Chilling for Optimal Flavor and Consistency

While your Skinny Honey Mustard Dressing technically could be used immediately, a critical final step for achieving the best possible taste and texture is refrigeration. Refrigerate your freshly made dressing for at least 1 hour before using it. This chilling period serves a vital dual purpose:

Thickening: Cooling helps the dressing to set and thicken slightly, achieving that desirable consistency that coats vegetables and proteins beautifully without being too runny.
Flavor Development: More importantly, chilling allows all the distinct flavors – the sweetness of the honey, the tang of the mustard, and the creaminess of the ranch – to fully meld and deepen. This integration results in a more harmonious, well-rounded, and utterly delicious final product.

Storage and Versatility: Your homemade Skinny Honey Mustard Dressing is a fantastic make-ahead option! It will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for at least a week when stored in an airtight container. This makes it perfect for meal prepping or having a healthy, flavorful dressing on hand whenever you need it.

Helpful Tips About this Recipe

Makes 1⅛ cups total (18 tablespoons)

WW Freestyle SmartPoints 2-Blue
WW SmartPoints 2-Green
WW POINTS PLUS 1

SKINNY FACTS: for 2 tablespoons
46 calories, 2g fat, 0g sat. fat, 3mg chol, 1g prot, 8g carbs, 0g fiber, 213mg sod, 6g sugar