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Home Recipes Sauces & Dressings Healthy Homemade French Dressing Recipe

Healthy Homemade French Dressing Recipe

by Jennifer Debth September 2, 2019
29 Comments
4.87 from 23 votes
JUMP TO RECIPE
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

This Healthy Homemade French Dressing Recipe is a healthier twist on a classic! It takes just minutes to whip up and is full of extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, maple syrup, onion, paprika, and salt!

Healthy Homemade French Dressing Recipe in mason jar

Quick Navigation
  • General
  • What is french dressing?
  • French vs catalina dressing
  • Ingredients
  • How to make
  • Get the recipe
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • How to use
  • How to store
  • Nutrition information

I’ve never been a huge salad fan. But I do know that salads are a great way to incorporate tons of veggies into your meals. So I decided that I WOULD get myself to like salad, and to do that I would just have to make some SUPER yummy salad dressings to trick myself into thinking I liked them.

And it worked! 😉

This French dressing is ridiculously good and will literally make any salad taste delicious.

If you’re also on the hunt for more salad dressings, be sure to check out my 10 Easy Salad Dressing Recipes!

What is french dressing?

French dressing, in American cooking, is an oil and vinegar-based dressing with ketchup and spices. It’s super thick and creamy making any and all salads taste absolutely DELICIOUS!

Typical french dressing recipes are LOADED with granulated sugar, sugary ketchup, and tons of oil. Today, I wanted to lighten things up by using refined sugar free maple syrup (and much less of it), a no sugar added ketchup, and less oil.

It’s still just as delicious. Promise. 😉

What is the difference between french dressing and catalina dressing?

Similar in color and flavor, french dressing tends to be thicker and creamier. Catalina dressing typically uses red wine vinegar and also includes a variety of spices like onion powder, celery flakes, and italian seasoning.

Ingredients

  • Olive Oil – our healthy fat. Oil works with the apple cider vinegar as the base of the sauce. I like using a mild flavored olive oil so it doesn’t overpower the other ingredients.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar – adds a nice acidity and tanginess to the dressing complemented nicely by the olive oil. If you’re out of apple cider vinegar, try red wine vinegar instead!
  • Ketchup – thickens the dressing and makes it creamier all while adding that classic french dressing color. I used a no-sugar variety!
  • Maple Syrup – provides a bit of all natural sweetness. Agave or even honey (if you’re not a strict vegan) may also be used.
  • Grated Onion – adds a nice, fresh, tangy bite.
  • Paprika – adds a bit of spice.
  • Salt – brings out the flavors of the other salad dressing ingredients.

I use grated onion in today’s recipe, because the texture is SO much more pleasant than chopped. Use a cheese grater to grate your onion, then measure out the desired amount of grated onion before proceeding with the recipe.

How to make french dressing from scratch

This recipe is almost as easy as just buying it from the store, but the bonus of making your own is that it’s healthier AND you can customize it just how you want.

  1. Place all the ingredients into a mason jar, blender, or food processor then shake, blend, or process until well combined and creamy!

So easy, customizable, and delicious! Want it sweeter? Add more maple syrup! Like it tangier? Add more vinegar or oil! Want it smoother and creamier? Throw the ingredients into a food processor or blender.

The world is your oyster! 😉

How to use french dressing

The most obvious choice is to use french dressing as a salad dressing, but one of my favorite ways to use it is actually as a steak marinade!

  • Green salad with tomatoes, bell pepper, croutons, and parmesan cheese
  • Sheet Pan French Dressing Chicken Thigh Dinner
  • French dressing steak

How to store

Store leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Let come to room temperature before serving. You may also need to shake to recombine the ingredients. 

Healthy Homemade French Dressing Recipe in a mason jar being held blue background

Enjoy!

– Jennifer

jar of healthy homemade french dressing

Healthy Homemade French Dressing

4.87 from 23 votes
This Healthy Homemade French Dressing Recipe is a healthier twist on a classic! It takes just minutes to whip up and is full of extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, maple syrup, onion, paprika, and salt!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Yield: 20 tablespoons
Print Pin Rate Recipe

Equipment for this recipe

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin oil
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup ketchup I used a no sugar added variety
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 - 2 tablespoons grated onion depends on how onion-y you want it
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 - 1  teaspoon  salt

Instructions

  • Place oil, vinegar, ketchup, maple syrup, grated onion, paprika, and salt into a mason jar, blender, or food processor.
  • Seal and shake or blend until well combined.
  • Taste and re-season if necessary.
  • Use immediately.
  • Store leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Let come to room temperature before serving.
  • Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!
Rate This Recipe
STORING
Room Temp:N/A
Refrigerator:7 Days
Freezer:N/A
Reheat:Let come to room temperature.
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions

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Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Healthy Homemade French Dressing
Amount Per Serving (1 tablespoon)
Calories 62 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 198mg9%
Potassium 28mg1%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 55IU1%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 3mg0%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.

Keywords: French, healthy, quick
Enjoy this recipe?
Tag @showmetheyummy on Instagram and hashtag it #showmetheyummy
Course: Dressing, Salad
Cuisine: American
Author: Jennifer Debth

This post was originally published on September 2, 2019, and has been updated to provide more detailed content. 

Filed Under: Gluten Free, Healthy, Lunch, Recipes, Salads, Sauces & Dressings, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Reader Interactions

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  1. Anonymous

    Troy, Ohio

    March 4, 2023 at 9:02 pm

    5 stars
    Reply
  2. Anonymous

    Allen, Texas

    February 8, 2023 at 12:36 am

    5 stars
    Reply
  3. Anonymous

    United States

    November 29, 2022 at 2:10 am

    5 stars
    Reply
  4. Anonymous

    United States

    August 21, 2022 at 6:45 pm

    4 stars
    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    Tampa, Florida

    July 11, 2022 at 2:53 pm

    4 stars
    Reply
  6. Micheale

    Sarasota, Florida

    April 13, 2022 at 4:03 pm

    4 stars I will use 1/2 of the vinegar next time.
    Reply
    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      April 14, 2022 at 8:24 am

      Glad you enjoyed!
  7. Stan

    United States

    June 7, 2021 at 4:00 pm

    5 stars
    Reply
  8. Winn

    Tijuana, Estado de Baja California

    May 14, 2021 at 8:13 pm

    5 stars Very tasty and easy!!
    Reply
    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      May 15, 2021 at 12:49 pm

      Thank you, Winn!! 🙂
  9. Anonymous

    United States

    May 9, 2021 at 6:20 pm

    5 stars
    Reply
  10. Bonnie

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    April 10, 2021 at 4:07 pm

    5 stars Delicious
    Reply
    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      April 12, 2021 at 12:22 am

      Thank you, Bonnie!! 🙂
  11. Tara

    Oak Creek, Wisconsin

    March 22, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    5 stars Really delicious!
    Reply
    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      March 22, 2021 at 4:25 pm

      Thank you, Tara!
  12. Scott

    Napa, California

    March 13, 2021 at 1:32 am

    5 stars Loved this dressing! It had fresh and healthy ingredients with a lot of flavor!
    Reply
    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      March 15, 2021 at 8:15 am

      Thank you, Scott!
  13. Scott

    March 13, 2021 at 1:31 am

    5 stars
    Reply
  14. Anonymous

    Napa, California

    March 13, 2021 at 1:30 am

    5 stars
    Reply
  15. Andrea

    Salt Lake City, Utah

    January 10, 2021 at 1:13 am

    5 stars Great recipe!
    Reply
    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      January 11, 2021 at 9:13 am

      Thanks, Andrea! 🙂
  16. Anonymous

    Inwood, West Virginia

    December 26, 2020 at 11:53 am

    5 stars
    Reply
  17. Anonymous

    Lancaster, Pennsylvania

    October 16, 2020 at 1:29 pm

    5 stars
    Reply
  18. Anonymous

    Colorado Springs, Colorado

    June 22, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    5 stars
    Reply
  19. Anonymous

    Fort Myers, Florida

    June 6, 2020 at 9:13 am

    5 stars
    Reply
  20. Anonymous

    Muscotah, Kansas

    May 19, 2020 at 12:11 pm

    5 stars
    Reply
  21. Anonymous

    Los Gatos, California

    April 22, 2020 at 9:31 pm

    5 stars
    Reply
  22. Anonymous

    Underwood, Minnesota

    April 9, 2020 at 1:50 pm

    5 stars awesome healthy home made thanks like that it is a small amount so can use it up
    Reply
    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      April 10, 2020 at 8:00 am

      Glad you enjoyed this!

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