Vegan honey mustard is a rich, creamy, flavorsome dip made from simple vegan ingredients. It is egg-free, vegan, dairy-free, healthy and a perfect condiment to go with your favorite snacks. This vegan honey mustard recipe is very easy to make. With only five ingredients, you can enjoy the bold flavors of the mustard, sweetness from the vegan “honey,” and slight tanginess from the lemon juice.

Honey mustard is among the most loved and widely used condiments. It is a perfect dip to go with different snacks such as fries, nuggets, etc. Plus you can also use it as a marinade or a sauce to go on your burgers and sandwiches.

Being vegan means you have to do things a little differently and enjoy flavors in a plant-based way. So, to celebrate the creamy, rich, bold flavors of honey mustard with a plant-based twist, here is a super easy and delicious vegan honey mustard recipe. Is honey a vegan ingredient?

The debate on whether honey is vegan or not is quite old. Although you will find several different opinions, after tons of research and logical reasoning, it is confirmed that honey is NOT a vegan ingredient. You might find it shocking because technically, honey is made from the nectar collected from different flowers.

However, the thing here is that the nectar is collected by the bees (which are insects) and is processed in their body. In fact, honey is an animal by-product. So, because a vegan diet comprises everything plant-based and excludes animals or animal by-products, honey doesn’t seem to fall in this category. As a result, honey is a non-vegan ingredient.

What to Use Instead of Honey?

Just because honey is a non-vegan ingredient doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy honey mustard sauce. Luckily, Mother Nature has provided us with several alternatives to each flavor.  If you are wondering what else can you use for the vegan honey mustard instead of honey, here are a few substitutes:

• Maple syrup:  Maple syrup is a fantastic ingredient that is very sweet in taste. Its flavor is similar to toffee or caramel. Because it comes from the maple tree, it is a 100% vegan ingredient. It is rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc.
• Agave nectar: Agave nectar is a fluid inside the blue agave plant. Agave nectar is known for its uncanny similarity in flavor with honey. It is usually thinner in consistency compared to honey. However, it is very sweet. You can say that agave nectar is sweeter than sugar.
• Vegan honey made from apple juice: You can't make maple syrup or agave syrup at home. These are naturally occurring compounds or are made in factories. So, you have to buy these from a store. However, there is one more ingredient that is a perfect substitute for honey that you can easily make at home. –Apple juice. The natural sweetness of apples is just perfect. You can use it to get an ideal substitute for sugar. All you have to do is simmer apple juice on a medium flame for a long time. The result is sticky, dark-colored, sweet, and almost honey-like.

What Ingredients Do You Need For Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing?

You need five simple ingredients to make a delicious and rich vegan honey mustard sauce. These ingredients are:

• Vegan mayonnaise: Vegan mayonnaise is rich and creamy mayonnaise that is made from vegan ingredients such as plant milk, salt, and oil. It has the same texture as traditional or non-vegan mayonnaise. Vegan mayo sets the base for the vegan honey mustard. You can easily buy it from the grocery store. However, you can use homemade vegan mayo as well.
• Regular mustard: Regular mustard is also known as yellow mustard. It is known for its bright yellow color and tangy flavor.
• Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard is known for its strong, intense and sharp flavor. It adds a kick to any dressing.
• Agave nectar: Agave nectar is an amazing ingredient. This will act as your vegan honey. It is very sweet in flavor. Its flavor profile resembles honey a lot; however, it is more to the neutral side. Also, it is thinner in consistency as compared to honey.
• Lemon juice: Lemon juice brings acidity to the dressing, which cuts through the creaminess of the mayo and the sharpness of the mustard.

How to Make Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing?

Making vegan honey mustard dressing is incredibly simple. Here are your quick and easy steps:

Step #1: In a bowl, add vegan mayo, regular mustard, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and agave nectar.

Step #2: Mix well until all the ingredients are well combined.

Step #3: Place the vegan honey mustard dressing in a jar and place it in the refrigerator.

Step #4: Serve when required.

Can You Make Vegan Mayo at Home?

Traditional and non-vegan mayo is made from oil and eggs.  Since vegans do not consume eggs, we have to seek out plant-based alternatives. The good news is you can easily get vegan mayo from the grocery store.

However, if you want to make it from scratch at home, you can do so as well. For that, you will need three simple ingredients, i.e., soy milk, olive oil, and salt. Add soy milk to the blender, start it at medium speed and start adding oil. You will see the texture and consistency of the soy milk changing. 

Once it is thick enough, remove it from the blender jug and season with salt.  You can also make vegan mayo using silken tofu. There are so many choices!

Tips for Customizing Vegan Honey Mustard Sauce

The best thing about making this vegan honey mustard sauce at home is that you can easily customize it according to your flavor preferences. Here are a few ideas on how you can adjust the flavors:

• For a creamier sauce: If you want your vegan honey mustard sauce to be creamier, add more vegan mayo.
• For more heat: To bring in more heat and make to it spicier, add more regular or dijon mustard. You can also add red chili flakes to the dressing.
• For more sweetness: If you want it more on the sweeter side, you can always add more agave nectar or maple syrup.
• For a savory flavor: To bring in a more savory flavor, add a pinch of salt and a little garlic powder.
• For thinner consistency: If you want the dressing to be pourable, add a dash of water to get a thinner consistency.
• For smokiness: If you are missing the smoky flavor, add some smoked paprika to the sauce.

How to store Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing?

You can easily store vegan honey mustard dressing by placing it in a sterilized and dry airtight jar. Seal the lid and place the jar in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 14 days. However,  remember not to put the wet spoon in the jar, or the dressing will go bad quicker.

What to Serve With Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing?

You can serve this delicious vegan honey mustard dressing/sauce with numerous dishes. It is a perfect condiment to go with your snacks and main courses. Here are a few ideas on how to use this tasty dressing:

• Vegan nuggets: Whether they are crunchy tofu nuggets or not, you can serve them with this yummy dipping sauce.
• Fries: Who doesn’t love fries? Whether it is regular potato or sweet potato fries, you can drench your potato goodies in this vegan honey mustard sauce. Top them with freshly chopped parsley and jalapenos and enjoy.
• Vegan burgers: Vegan honey mustard sauce goes so well inside your vegan burger. It increases the flavors by many folds.
• Green salads: Use this dipping sauce as a dressing for your fresh green salad. You can also use it for pasta salads, protein packed salads, etc. It adds so much flavor to every dish.
• Sandwiches: Use this sauce as a side with your sandwich or as a spread inside it. Either way, you will enjoy the flavors.