Cranberry Salad Dressing with tart cranberries, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and tahini will be your go-to holiday salad dressing! It's smooth and creamy, without oil or dairy, and it comes together easily with just five ingredients.

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For years, I've been making this salad dressing to go with my roasted beet and carrot salad. It has a unique flavour with the combination of cranberries, tahini, maple syrup and balsamic, but it's the perfect balance of sweet, savoury and tart.

If you're looking to change up your salad dressings, you'll love this cranberry salad dressing. It makes a nice addition to a Christmas salad and you can even use frozen cranberries to make it all year long.

Details on the ingredients

Cranberries: I normally use fresh cranberries, but if they're not available where you are, you can just use frozen. As the cranberries get simmered into a jam, there's no need to defrost them either.

Tahini: Tahini is made from sesame seeds that have been ground into a paste. It has a creamy texture similar to most nut and seed butters. I often use it in dairy-free and vegan recipes to add a creamy texture.

Balsamic vinegar: This vinegar has a dark colour and intense flavour, and adds a tangy taste to this salad dressing. I don't recommend substituting with another vinegar as it will change the flavour of the dressing.

Maple syrup: One tablespoon of maple syrup is added to the dressing for a little sweetness to balance out the tart cranberries. If you like your dressing sweeter, you can always add a little bit more.

Salt: I like to add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavours, but you can leave it out if you prefer.

How to make this cranberry salad dressing

It's super simple to make!

Add the cranberries and two tablespoons of water to a small sauce pan. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, or until the cranberries get soft. Mash them with a fork to make them jammy.

Scoop the cranberries into a blender along with more water, tahini, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and salt. Blend until creamy.

Frequently asked questions

How do you store this dairy-free salad dressing? This dressing should be stored in an airtight glass container or jar in the refrigerator.

How long will it last? If stored properly, it should last for 4-5 days.

Can I substitute other berries for the cranberries? I haven't tried this recipe with other berries, but it will likely work with partridgeberries (lingonberries), which have a similar tart flavour to cranberries. Other berries, such as blueberries, blackberries or raspberries, could also work. Just note that the salad dressing will be sweeter and less tart.

I don't have tahini. Is there a substitute I can use? Tahini adds a unique flavour to this dressing and pairs nicely with the other ingredients. While I haven't tested this recipe with a substitute, you could try sunflower seed butter. It will change the taste of the dressing, but the texture will be similar.

What to serve with a cranberry salad dressing

This creamy dressing goes perfectly with warm and hearty salads and roasted vegetables, such as beets, carrots and Brussels sprouts. Here are a few recipes I usually pair it with:

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with mixed greens, quinoa and candied walnuts.

Air Fryer Beets with a mix of red, golden and candy cane beets that roast up quickly in the air fryer.

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with warm kale and roasted beets, carrots, parsnip and sweet potato.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with cranberries and prosciutto.

Additional recipe tips and substitutions

This recipe makes about half a cup of dressing, so feel free to double it if you think you'll need more.

If you like your salad dressings a little less creamy, just add more water. If you like it thicker, add less water.

If you like your dressings sweeter, just add a bit more maple syrup.

You'll need a blender for this recipe. I like to prepare salad dressings in the small smoothie cup that came with our blender as it blitzes up the ingredients quickly and tends to result in a smoother texture than the larger blender jar.

If you make this cranberry salad dressing, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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