Balsamic Date Vinaigrette

This Balsamic Date Vinaigrette is a thick & creamy salad dressing that is delicious on all kinds of salad recipes. It’s made with only 5 ingredients in under 10 minutes.

If you love vinaigrette dressings (dressings made with a mixture of oil and balsamic vinegar), this date version is one you definitely have to try. 

It has the same balsamic tang as a classic vinaigrette, but with an added sweetness from the dates as well as a dash of tahini. 

It is much thicker than a classic vinaigrette which means it coats leafy greens and other ingredients well. For another vinaigrette recipe, try this Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette.

I love this dressing on any salad with kale and chickpeas, but there are more ideas on how to use this dressing below.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• How To Make Balsamic Date Vinaigrette
• Expert Tips & Variations
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Thick & Creamy —  This is a thick and super creamy dressing that tastes so good you will want to make salad just to eat it. It is also easily customizable so if you want a thinner dressing, it is easy to adjust the recipe to get the consistency you like. 
• Versatile — There are so many salad types that would work well with this dressing. From kale, spinach, goat cheese, feta, apples, cranberries or sunflower seeds — the list of compatible ingredients is large so you can build your own delicious salad.
• Stores well — This dressing doesn’t separate in the fridge and last well for at least a week so it is a great one to make at the start of the week or use with meal prepping.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Dates: I like to use Deglet Noor dates, but you can use whatever type you prefer. Medjool dates will be slightly sweeter than Deglet dates. If you have the option, pitted dates are easier since it saves time having to remove the pit yourself. You can use either fresh or packaged dates. 
• Balsamic Vinegar: Use your favorite type of balsamic vinegar. As a substitute, you can use white balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
• Olive Oil: Use high quality extra virgin olive oil. 
• Water: This recipe uses a bit of water to thin out the dressing and to give it the right consistency.  
• Tahini: I like to add in some tahini which makes this dressing creamy and give a slight sesame flavor. As a substitute for tahini, you can use almond butter or cashew butter.

How To Make Balsamic Date Vinaigrette

Step 1: Soak the dates in water for 5 minutes until they are soft. 

Step 2: Add the dates, water, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and tahini to a food processor. 

Step 3: Pulse a few times and then blend for about 30 seconds until smooth. 

Step 4: Strain the dressing through a fine mesh sieve to remove any small chunks of dates.

Expert Tips & Variations

• Hold the lid of the food processor while blending. This dressing is mostly liquid with a few solids (dates). I find this imbalance can cause my food processor to spray out the lid a bit when blended. Press down on your food processor’s lid to hold it in place as you blend to avoid any messes. 
• Add in a bit of water to thin out the dressing. This vinaigrette is a thicker dressing. If you prefer a thinner dressing, add in a bit of water, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. 
• Add in some nuts. You can add in a few nuts to this dressing, such as cashews or almonds. You may need to add a bit more liquid to compensate.

Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to use this Balsamic Date Vinaigrette is in a kale based salad with some roasted chickpeas, feta and some sort of seed. 

However, there are lots of ingredients that pair well with this dressing and that you can use to build your own salad. Here are some ideas:

• kale
• spinach
• arugula
• roasted chickpeas
• roasted sweet potatoes
• roasted butternut squash
• feta
• goat cheese
• brie
• red onion
• green onion
• pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds
• walnuts
• almonds
• pecans
• cashews
• strawberries
• carrots
• apples
• apricots
• cranberries

Recipe FAQs

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