Does Honey Mustard Have Dairy?
Honey mustard is one of the best condiments for a range of foods but is most notably paired with nuggets, chicken wings, or fried chicken.
It is served in a lot of restaurants and you can even buy commercial honey mustard sauces as well. But did you know that you could make honey mustard at home using just 4-5 basic ingredients?
Many people think of honey mustard as an enigma. There will be some who believe that it is just a mixture of honey and mustard while others will claim that it contains dairy to make it creamier—but the truth is far from it!
Does honey mustard have dairy? No, honey mustard recipes don’t call for any dairy but may use mayonnaise and other condiments and spices to make the sauce. There are many ways to make honey mustard at home and most recipes will only call for just 3-5 ingredients.
Read one below to learn more about the classic honey mustard dip and how you can make it at home in just 3 minutes.
Honey Mustard Dip
Honey mustard has been around for a very long time and has a great combination of flavors. The sweet, sour, and tangy undertones of this sauce are greatly sought after by food aficionados and the condiment is perhaps best used in fast food.
From burgers to fried food to steaks and even salads, honey mustard has a place in almost every major food category.
This sauce is also incredibly easy to make as it requires only common household ingredients. We will discuss the recipe for making classic honey mustard in a bit.
First, let’s look at why people may think that honey mustard contains dairy.
Some people believe that honey mustard contains some amount of dairy to make it creamier but the truth is that none of the recipe variations call for dairy products when making this dip.
Some recipes call for just a mixture of water, vinegar, salt, honey, and mustard while others may require the use of mayonnaise.
The latter version of the dip is what gives it that creamy thickness. The use of egg-heavy mayonnaise to make honey mustard has been a popular option for many people, especially in the fast-food industry.
Honey mustard made using mayo is spreadable and has a very rounded flavor that goes well with most fried food. For example, it can be used as a spread on burger buns and even gyros and can even be given as a side with fries or nuggets.
The original honey mustard recipe has a runnier consistency but its uses are almost the same. The classic honey mustard recipe calls for the following ingredients:
- Honey
- Mustard
- Vinegar
- Water
- Salt
- Sugar
These 6 ingredients can be mixed in various proportions to make a classic honey mustard dip. If you noticed, there is no mention of dairy in this list.
That is because almost every recipe of honey mustard is free of any dairy product—unless it is added intentionally for a specific purpose.
Keep in mind that this ingredients list will make the basic version of the classic honey mustard dip.
Manufacturers may also tweak the recipe by adding in molasses, cane sugar, apple cider vinegar, oil, or more variations of the ingredients to change the flavor of their product.
For example, the honey mustard sauce served at McDonald’s does not contain mayo but does contain variations of the ingredients listed above. Just like this, many restaurants will have their own twist when making this famous dip.
Here are a few famous brands known for making dairy-free honey mustard:
- Koop’s
- Sir Kensington’s
- Woeber’s Simply Supreme
- Annie’s Organic
- Boar’s Head
- Dietz & Watson Zesty
- French’s
- G Hughes Sugar-Free Honey Mustard
- Ingle Hoffer
When in doubt, always check the back of the packaging for the ingredients list. These brands are known to make the classic honey mustard dip but may also provide other variations with or without mayo too.
Remember, the original honey mustard recipe does not contain any dairy.
Some honey mustard dips are also vegan-friendly. Vegans don’t approve of honey as it comes from the animal kingdom.
To counter this problem, manufacturers use honey alternatives and even maple syrup, molasses, or nectars to sweeten their products.
If you want a classic honey mustard recipe that you can make at home, then here’s a great one!
Quick Honey Mustard Recipe
To make this delicious dip you will need:
- 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or white distilled vinegar)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
This recipe will make ¾ cup of the dip.
To begin, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and whisk well. You want to make sure that everything is incorporated well.
You may add in more of each ingredient as per your taste preference but we recommend starting off with just this basic version.
If you prefer the sauce to be less tangy then you can either mix in more honey or use sugar to curb the sourness.
You can also replace the honey with maple syrup or nectar of your choice. You can even use this same recipe with mayo to make a creamy version of this honey mustard dip.
This dip can be stored in the fridge at 4°C within an airtight container for 2-3 weeks. Try to consume the sauce within 2 weeks just to be sure.
You can use this dip as a condiment on a range of things like fries, sandwiches, burgers, and much, much more!
Things To Keep In Mind
As discussed above, honey mustard dips do not generally contain any dairy but you should still be wary of restaurant-made honey dip sauces.
Remember, everyone has their own take on this sauce and some might not even use honey and still call their sauce “honey mustard”.
This is why you should always check with the restaurant for ingredient information so that you are always in the know.
Also, keep in mind that honey mustard dips can be made/altered as per diet restrictions. For example, when using a mayo-based dip, you can use egg-free mayo or low-fat mayo to alter the nutritional profile of the sauce.
You may also directly buy branded honey mustard products from the store from any of the listed brands above.
These brands may provide additional variations of their honey mustard dip too. However, the best way would still be to make your own sauce at home.
It’s simple, fast and you can whip it up in just under 2-3 minutes. Even if you don’t have some of the ingredients listed in the recipe above you can follow another simple variation of honey mustard.
To make an extremely quick, easy, and personal mayo-based honey mustard dip you will need:
- 3-4 tablespoons of any mayo
- 5-6 drops of any mustard paste
- A pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon of honey
- A sprinkle of paprika (optional)
- Relish (optional)
This recipe is great for when you really need a delicious dip for that fried chicken that you just made or when you just want to have a great tasting condiment for your sandwich.
The best thing about this recipe is that it is also highly customizable.
For example, you can also add relish to this recipe for an additional layer of texture and flavor.
Conclusion
Honey mustard is a great way to enjoy a range of food. Whether it’s fried food, burgers, or salads. This sauce is bound to take your taste buds on a ride.
It’s a wonderful combination of sweet, tangy, and sharp flavors that pair well with just about anything you use it for.
Honey mustard is generally made without dairy but can also be made to be even creamier by adding mayo to the recipe.
However, when in doubt, always check the ingredients at the back of the bottle or ask the restaurant for more information about dairy-free or vegan honey mustard dips.
This sauce is highly popular and many chefs usually add their own flair to the basic recipe so that their food stands out—which it undoubtedly does with or without the extra ingredients, thanks to this dip.
Related Questions
Now that we’ve gone over the ingredients that go into honey mustard, let’s take a look at a few related questions on the subject!
Is honey mustard sauce vegan?
Yes, this sauce can be vegan. While the general recipe for this sauce does not call for any dairy, it does use honey which many people would not agree with.
To counter this issue, you can easily find many honey mustard dips with honey substitutes.
How long can homemade honey mustard dip be stored?
Homemade honey mustard dip can last for weeks but we would recommend that you store the dip in an airtight container and aim to consume it within 2 weeks.
The dip can probably last longer but as a best practice, 14 days should be ideal, especially when there are no preservatives added to the sauce.
Can you make honey mustard with any type of mustard?
Yes, the beauty of this dip is that you can use just about any variation of the basic ingredients in the recipe.
This sauce is very forgiving and will taste well regardless of what type of mustard paste you use. You can also try adding homemade mustard to your dip too.
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