This is the best honey mustard: it's sweet, tangy, and strikes just the right balance of gourmet flavor and childhood nostalgia. It's also so easy to make that you have no excuse not to make it at home! All it takes is 5 minutes. Turning this recipe into a vegan honey mustard sauce is simple—you just need to substitute 2 ingredients. Or, add 1 more ingredient to turn it into hot honey mustard instead!
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Ingredients (and substitutes)
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Dijon mustard and yellow mustard
We know what you might be thinking: "two types of mustards?!" But, hear us out. The combination of dijon and regular yellow mustard strikes the right balance of a restaurant-quality flavor (dijon) and the dipping sauce that you remember from childhood (yellow mustard).
We tested many different variations, and the dijon and yellow mustard version reigned supreme. If you are absolutely committed to only using one type of mustard here, you can skip the yellow mustard and double up on the dijon. BUT, we highly encourage you to make the recipe as written, if you can!
Rice vinegar
A small splash of vinegar adds a bit of extra tang to this sauce, which helps balance out the sweetness from the honey (keep reading for a vegan honey substitute below). This recipe calls for rice vinegar, which is a very mild tasting vinegar. If you don't have it, you could substitute white wine vinegar instead.
Vegan Honey Mustard option
If you're looking to make a vegan version, all it takes is two easy substitutions:
- Instead of honey, use agave syrup
- Instead of egg-based mayonnaise, use vegan mayonnaise
We tested this recipe using blue agave syrup, which has a light flavor and golden hue. (It also happened to be the only agave we saw on our supermarket's shelf). Agave is slightly runnier than honey, but all-in-all it looks really similar and works well in this recipe! You could use light agave instead of blue agave. But amber or dark agave would change the sauce's color and flavor so we don't recommend it here.
Hot Honey Mustard option
It's easy to modify this recipe to make it spicier. Mustard on its own is kind of spicy, but if you want to crank up the heat, add hot sauce.
Since this sauce recipe already adds some vinegar for tang, we prefer to use a Mexican-style hot sauce, such as Valentina or Cholula. Mexican-style hot sauces tend to be less vinegary than Louisiana-style hot sauces, like Frank's and Tabasco. But ultimately this is your sauce, so make it how you like!
How to make
Honey mustard sauce is really easy to make—and it takes less than 5 minutes! Simply add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk it together until smooth. Feel free to taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Either use the sauce immediately (see below for ways to use it), or cover and refrigerate.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
How to use mustard sauce
Honey mustard is an extremely versatile condiment. If you meal prep a batch of honey mustard sauce, you'll have a quick sauce base to use in weekday dinners and snacks. Here are some of the ways you can use honey mustard:
- Dip for nuggets: Honey mustard is a classic pairing for chicken nuggets. As a plant-based option, it pairs well with store-bought meatless "chicken" fingers or homemade crispy breaded tofu.
- Serve with tater tots or fries: Instead of ketchup, why not use honey mustard as a dipping sauce? It would be delicious served with these Broccoli Tater Tots, Parsnip Fries, Air Fryer Broccoli Fries, or regular french fries.
- Salad dressing: Mix some of the sauce with an olive oil, add some lemon juice (for more acidity), and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sauce for vegetable and grain bowls: Simple drizzle the sauce over roasted veggies, grains, and whatever else you're into!
- Sandwich spread: Instead of mayonnaise, you could use honey mustard as a spread on bread. If the sauce is too runny to spread, you can stir in more mayonnaise to thicken it.
- Coating for proteins: You can use mustard sauce to coat proteins like chicken, fish, or tofu. It helps keep the protein moist, and it also helps coatings (like breadcrumbs or panko) stick to the outside. In our Crispy Tofu Sticks recipe, honey mustard is both the coating for the tofu and the sauce for dipping.
Frequently asked questions
Dijon mustard and yellow mustard are made from different types of mustard seeds, which results in different color and flavor profiles. Dijon mustard is made from brown or black mustard seeds, but yellow mustard is made with yellow mustard seeds.
Color difference: Dijon mustard is a pale light yellow; whereas yellow mustard is a more vibrant yellow. Turmeric is sometimes added to yellow mustard for color.
Flavor difference: Dijon mustard has a stronger, sharper flavor. Yellow mustard seeds are more mild, so yellow mustard tends to have a bit less bite.
Yes, you should refrigerate honey mustard sauce. Store-bought honey mustard typically needs to be refrigerated after opening. And, this homemade honey mustard sauce contains mayonnaise and mustard, so it should be stored in a covered container in the fridge.
Refrigerate this homemade sauce for up to 5 days.
📖 Recipe
Best Honey Mustard (Vegan option)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup runny honey (see note 1)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise (see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1½ teaspoons rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar, see note 1)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch cayenne powder (or to taste, see note 2)
Instructions
- Mix: In a small bowl, whisk together honey, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, yellow mustard, rice vinegar, garlic powder, and cayenne until smooth.
Notes
- Vegan Honey Mustard recipe: Use agave syrup instead of honey and use vegan mayonnaise. This recipe was tested with blue agave, which tends to be quite neutral in flavor. But, light agave would work too. Since honey usually has a stronger flavor than agave, we think the vegan version benefits from an extra splash of vinegar (about ¼ to ½ teaspoon) to brighten up the flavor. Taste the sauce after mixing, and if needed, add a bit more vinegar.
- Hot Honey Mustard recipe: If you want a spicy honey mustard, also add hot sauce to taste. For this recipe, we prefer a Mexican-style hot sauce (such as Valentina or Cholula) which are less vinegar-forward than Louisiana-style hot sauces (like Frank's and Tabasco)—since this recipe already calls for adding vinegar.
- Serving suggestions: Honey Mustard is extremely versatile and can be used as a dipping sauce (for nuggets, Breaded Tofu, Crispy Tofu Sticks, Broccoli Tater Tots, or fries), sandwich spread, salad dressing—or drizzle it over proteins, vegetables, or grain bowls.
- Storage tips: Refrigerate in a small jar or airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Yield: Makes about ⅔ cup of sauce.
Andrada says
Tried this sauce along with the Crispy Tofu Sticks recipe, and I loved it! I am not a big mustard fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed this sauce. It was very easy to make and I had some left-overs for future meals. Will definitely be returning to this recipe the next time I need some honey mustard. 🙂
bri says
Hey Andrada! Woohoo, glad you loved this honey mustard sauce — and that you paired it with the Crispy Tofu Sticks! We'd love to hear how you end up using leftovers. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!