Name: Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing (Made with Fresh Apple Cider!)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup fresh apple cider (unfiltered, from the refrigerated section or a cider mill); 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1 small shallot (roughly chopped (about 2 tablespoons)); ½ cup neutral oil (avocado oil, canola, or vegetable oil); ½ teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal); ¼ teaspoon black pepper

This Apple Cider Vinaigrette is made with actual fresh apple cider - not just apple cider vinegar like most recipes out there! We reduce fresh cider down until it's concentrated and slightly caramelized, then blend it with apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, Dijon, and shallot for a sweet, tangy, and seriously complex dressing. Living in Michigan means we're surrounded by incredible cider mills every fall, and we're always looking for new ways to use all that fresh cider beyond just drinking it! 🍎 This vinaigrette is perfect drizzled over fall salads with ingredients like apples, arugula, fennel, goat cheese, and crunchy nuts.

Apple cider dressing in a glass pouring container on a wooden coaster with apples, shallots, and a fresh apple arugula salad behind it.

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🍎Most Apple Cider Vinaigrette Recipes Are Missing Something

Here's the thing - most "apple cider vinaigrettes" don't actually contain any apple cider. They rely solely on apple cider vinegar, which is tangy and delicious but doesn't give you that true, fresh apple flavor. The secret to ours? FRESH apple cider!

Reducing the cider for about 10 minutes concentrates all that natural apple sweetness and adds a subtle caramelized depth you just can't get any other way. Combined with the bright acidity of apple cider vinegar, you get layers of apple flavor in every bite - we're calling it the "double apple" effect! 😉

It's a tiny extra step, but it makes ALL the difference. This dressing tastes like fall in a jar, and will make you actually WANT a salad! 😂Try it drizzled over our apple arugula salad!

🍎 Ingredients for This Apple Cider Dressing

This dressing comes together with just 8 simple ingredients - the flavor is really incredible thanks to the apple cider!

Ingredients to make apple cider salad dressing laid out on a marble counter and labeled to denote each ingredient.

🍎 How to Make Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing

This dressing comes together in about 15 minutes, and most of that is hands-off while the cider reduces. We blend ours for the creamiest, most emulsified texture, but we'll give you two other easy methods below!

Pouring apple cider into a saucepan surrounded by shallots, apples, and other ingredients.

Step 1: Pour fresh apple cider into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Stir constantly!

Dragging a rubbers spatula on the bottom of a saucepan surrounded by candles, shallots, and more.

Step 2: Let the cider simmer for about 10 minutes, until it's reduced by about three-quarters. It will darken slightly and become more syrupy. When you drag a rubber spatula on the bottom of your pan, a line will remain before the liquid comes back together.

💡Don't stop stirring! It can go from perfect to too thick quickly! Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes before blending.

🍎 Use fresh, unfiltered apple cider from the refrigerated section - not shelf-stable apple juice! Look for the cloudy stuff with no added sugar or spices. If you can grab some from a local cider mill, even better. This is the star of the show, so quality matters!

💡 Use a small saucepan! A wider pan will cause the cider to evaporate too quickly.

Oil, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, shallots, salt, pepper, and apple cider in a blender getting ready to turn into dressing.

Step 3: Add the cooled reduced cider, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, shallot, salt, pepper, and oil to a blender.

💡Use a neutral-flavored oil like avocado oil, canola, or vegetable oil. You can also use olive oil, but we like neutral oils better; they let the apple and maple flavors shine without competing.

Blending apple cider dressing in a blender, all creamy and emulsified.

Step 4: Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or maple syrup if needed. That's it!

💡 Using a food processor? You may want to stream in the oil slowly with the food processor running for the best emulsification. A high-powered blender like a Vitamix can handle everything added at once!

No Blender? No Problem!

Whisk method: Finely mince the shallot. Whisk together all ingredients except the oil in a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking constantly until emulsified.

Mason jar method: Finely mince the shallot. Add all ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously for 30-60 seconds. The texture will be thinner and will separate over time - just shake again before using!

🥗 What to Serve with Apple Cider Dressing

This vinaigrette leans sweet and tangy, so it pairs beautifully with peppery greens, crisp apples, creamy cheeses, and crunchy nuts!

Try it on our arugula apple salad - it's the perfect fresh side for rich pork dishes like braised pork steaks with apples, this pork roast with apple cider, or our delicious apple and onion pork loin roulade.

Pouring apple cider vinaigrette being poured onto an apple arugula salad.

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