This homemade honey mustard recipe is so much better than store-bought! Ready in no time with just 5 simple ingredients: dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice, mayo, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
“This honey mustard is our favorite dipping sauce for fries, chicken, and just about everything. We keep a jar on hand at all times and prefer to use it over sauces from our favorite take out spots. It’s got so much flavor and stays good for weeks in the fridge!” — Lyla, beginner cook who loves quick and easy recipes.
Jessica’s Honey Mustard Recipe Rundown
- Sweet and Tangy: So much flavor — great as a dip, dressing, or marinade.
- Ready in 5 Minutes: Just whisk it together and serve!
- Simple Ingredients: Uses pantry staples you likely already have.
- Kid-Approved: All three of my picky kids request it weekly!
- Make-Ahead: Stores well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
I’ve made a lot of homemade sauce recipes over the years, like my best Alfredo sauce recipe or creamy tzatziki sauce, but I have to say… This honey mustard recipe is one of my absolute favorites. It’s so simple yet so satisfying — creamy, zingy, and just the right amount of sweet. I fell in love with this recipe while working at a restaurant in Houston. They used it for honey mustard chicken and I’ve been perfecting my version ever since!
How To Make Honey Mustard
This creamy and tangy sauce is deliciously easy — simply whisk it together and serve! However, there are a few ingredient notes or substitutions you can try to fit your tastes. Visit the printable recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full directions.
Ingredient Notes
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon has a creamy texture with a subtle sharpness and a touch of spice that really rounds out the sweetness of the honey. I do not recommend swapping it for any other type of mustard.
- Mayonnaise: Plain, full-fat greek yogurt or sour cream will also work, but the sauce will be less creamy and a little more tangy. While I’m not personally a fan of mayo on many things, it is perfect in this sauce.
- Cayenne Pepper: While optional, I highly recommend adding a pinch. It’s not enough to make it spicy, but just enough to add an extra layer of flavor!
Recipe Variations
- Horseradish: Try mixing in a bit of fresh horseradish for extra zing and bite.
- Garlic: Add minced garlic or garlic powder, to taste.
- Smoked Paprika: For a slight smoky flavor.
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Frequently Asked Questions
While yes, you can, I wouldn’t recommend it. Regular yellow mustard is brighter and more vinegary, where dijon mustard is less harsh, richer, and more balanced.
You can, but keep in mind it will change the texture. Instead of a smooth and creamy sauce, it will have crunchy seeds.
No, this honey mustard recipe is naturally dairy-free! While mayo might seem dairy-like, it’s typically made from eggs and oil, not milk.
Yes! I mix in an extra 3 tablespoons lemon juice (or vinegar) and 3 tablespoons olive oil to thin it out into a dressing for this grilled chicken salad.
Ways To Use Honey Mustard Sauce
The most common way to use this sauce is as a dip with chicken, fries, or with my homemade soft pretzel recipe. I have also served it alongside bisquick sausage balls, crispy air fryer salmon bites, fried pickles, crispy corn ribs, or these air fryer potato wedges.
It also works wonderfully as a marinade or glaze for this honey mustard chicken, grilled rosemary honey mustard chicken, or brushed on air fryer salmon. We also use it to make our crispy baked honey mustard pretzels. You really can’t go wrong!
How To Store
This sauce keeps well in the fridge for quite a while! However, if you dip foods or dirty utensils directly into it, it may spoil quicker. To keep it fresh longer, spoon out however much sauce you need onto your plate rather than dipping directly into the container.
- Store: Store in a clean jar with a tightly fitting lid in the fridge for about two weeks. If sauce starts to have an off smell or tastes sour/funky, toss it!
- Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this sauce as it can separate once thawed.
Homemade Honey Mustard Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
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Instructions
- Combine all ingredients together and serve! The flavors in the sauce will deepen and develop even more after the sauce has chilled in the fridge for a few hours.
- Store sauce in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 2 weeks!
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More Homemade Sauce Recipes To Try
- Transform your steak into a gourmet experience with this buttery, garlicky steak sauce recipe or this creamy mushroom sauce for steak.
- Whip up this flavorful, homemade marinara sauce recipe in just 30 minutes — or add ground meat for a bolognese sauce! Feeling creamy? Try this Alfredo sauce with cream cheese instead!
- This foolproof bearnaise sauce recipe uses a blender to create a rich and creamy sauce that’s ready in just 15 minutes.
- Use up those fresh herbs with a batch of this garlicky basil pesto recipe or this chimichurri recipe!
- From enchiladas to marinades, these two sauces — homemade enchilada sauce and adobo sauce — are packed with Mexican flavors.
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I went with the vinegar instead of lemon juice, and I only had spicy brown mustard so that’s what I used. Family loved it!
WOW – Shockingly Good
I don’t even like honey mustard that much but I could almost drink this! It’s that good. There should be a warning that you’ll never be able to buy it again because this tastes that superior to store bought. I followed the recipe exactly and it filled a jelly size jar, which was also perfect to keep it fresh!
Dang, this rocks! I’m not a honey mustard lover but I used some Dijon mustard produced in France. The end result was outstanding.
I love the addition of the cayenne in this recipe. Just enough kick to make this interesting. I used vegan Hellmann’s mayo, because I like that it doesn’t have that eggy funk that other mayo tends to impart in dressings and dips. Please fix the recipe to read the proper yield: it says 3 Cups but this only adds up to about a cup the way the recipe currently reads.
This is my go to honey mustard dressing!
I don’t like honey mustard but my family does. Apparently I hadn’t had the *right* honey mustard. Delish!
I totally bookmarked this recipe and will make again, next time I think we’ll use some local honey.
I avoid raw egg in foods. The other ingredients are fine, yet mayo does not enhance this condiment.
Mayo is what makes it creamy, but you can skip it if you prefer.
Found this recipe after needing a quick honey mustard for some chicken tenders. It was delicious and easy to make. I’m not a huge mayo fan, but the positive comments convinced me to try it. I was out of cayenne pepper so I substituted a dash of crushed red pepper to give it some heat. Also added a squeeze of spicy brown mustard. This will be a keeper!
I used Creamed Honey & a smidge of Maple Syrup. Still a bit harsh for my taste. Thinking of bringing it down a bit with additional Mayo.
NOT a huge fan of Honey Mustard – but my husband is!!! So, it’s for him.
“Wow”……my husband’s reaction. Absolutely delicious. My only issue was it was pretty runny. Any suggestions to make it thicker?
Hmm, is your honey thinner? The main ingredients are all pretty thick (mayo, dijon mustard and honey), with just 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to thin it out slightly.
I want to try this recipe but substitute honey for golden syrup. Would it work? Should I use the same quantities?
Hi Nathan, I haven’t used golden syrup before, but I believe it should work just fine in a 1:1 swap. Please let me now how it goes if you try it!
This was delicious and simple to make. I made this for lunch today along with chicken tenders. My husband ate almost half the batch I made, I’d say he’s a huge fan! I shared this recipe with family members, I’m sure they’ll be big fans as well. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Great job!
I made this for lunch today along with some chicken strips. It was delicious and so simple to make. I shared this recipe with some family members. I’m sure they’ll agree this recipe is amazing. Thanks for sharing!
This was so quick to make and tasted amazing! Thank you!
I’m not a huge fan of mayonnaise, but I want ro give this a try. Would I be able to substitute yogurt? Or have you ever tried that?
Hi Taylor, I haven’t tried it. Depending on the type of yogurt I think it would work, but be a tangier sauce. Just FYI – I promise you won’t taste the mayo. I do not personally like mayo, but you can’t taste it in this sauce. Hope this helps!
I’ve only tried honey mustard sauce twice in my life and hated it both times. For whatever reason I decided to make this recipe, and it was very good. Big improvement over the supermarket stuff. I will definitely be making it again.
Where are the jars from?
They are Weck Jars!
Nice recipe, but what I can’t find any where on the web is how to make it thicker. There is mayo in there so can I add extra oil or egg to thicken it, or would I need to cook it somehow and add cornstarch?
Hi Roger, I have personally never tried to thicken honey mustard sauce, but you should be able to thicken it with cornstarch. Mix together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water until smooth and then whisk it into the sauce in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Continue cooking, simmering, until it thickens and then you could let it cool or serve it warm if you enjoy it that way.
YOUR recipe is delicious! But I was on a mission to recreate chick fa le sauce. I added 1 TBS of sweet baby Ray’s bbq sauce and 5 drops liquid smoke. and my wife didn’t know what I was making. She LOVES chic fa le sauce. When I brought the chicken strips out of the oven, she dipped she TOTALLY had a mouthgasm right then and there
Ooohh! I also love chick fil a sauce! I will definitely try this soon, thanks for sharing Michael!
I’ll never buy honey mustard again!!! After tasting it I found myself tasting it. I could drink it.
Haha best review yet!
Absolutely the best honey mustard I’ve had. Works as a salad dressing, dipping sauce, or marinade. I make double batches cause it goes so fast. We love this recipe.
Cant wait to try this recipe. I use Durkees and regular mustard often and think I am going to try that mix for this recipe. Not so much a Dijon fan so how do you think this combo will work. It sounds delicious and with Football playoffs this will be perfect for wings and more.