Creamy Coleslaw Dressing – Immaculate Bites

Creamy Coleslaw Dressing – Coleslaw deserves a dressing with a perfect balance of tang, sweetness, and freshness. This dressing ticks all the boxes. Plus, it’s creamy enough to bind your favorite coleslaw recipe without being soupy or soggy.

This creamy coleslaw salad dressing recipe is a twist on a classic. Instead of relying solely on mayo, I’ve come up with a mayo-yogurt combination as the base. The ultra-tangy dressing comes with fewer calories! 🙌

It’s also insanely easy to make. All you have to do is mix the ingredients thoroughly and store them in a jar in the fridge. When you’re ready to use it, just pour it all over your bowl of crunchy coleslaw and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour before you serve so the flavors meld in completely. Easy peasy!

And you know coleslaw is a classic picnic and cookout staple. What are BBQ ribs without a side of crispy cabbage slaw smothered in a rich, creamy dressing? You know what I’m talkin’ about.

The Best Vinegar for Creamy Coleslaw Dressing

This recipe calls for a simple white vinegar (food grade, of course), but you do have other options. White wine vinegar works if you find white distilled vinegar a little too harsh for your taste buds. And so does apple cider vinegar or a combination of both.

Vinegar gives coleslaw dressing its distinct tang, so choose your favorite vinegar or simply use what you have on hand. Fresh out of vinegar? Lemon juice works as a substitute, too!

Recipe Ingredients

1. Mayonnaise – Creamy mayo makes this dressing even silkier and richer—full-fat and low-fat both work.
2. Flavor – Mustard, black pepper, onion powder, and celery seed add extra layers of flavor. Then salt and sugar enhance it even more. Feel free to use something like agave syrup or honey if you prefer not to use sugar.
3. Yogurt adds a nice tang and is also rich and creamy but with less fat than the mayo. Sour cream also works if you’re not counting calories.
4. White Vinegar – The real zest and tang comes from this ingredient. Vinegar also draws water out of the cabbage, softening it up. Apple cider or white wine vinegar are delicious substitutes.

How to Make Creamy Coleslaw Dressing

• Seasonings – In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, salt, sugar, vinegar, mayonnaise, pepper, celery seeds, and onion powder. Whisk. (Photo 1)
• Yogurt – Then, add the yogurt and continue whisking until thoroughly combined. (Photo 2)
• Refrigerate until ready to use. (Photos 3-4)

Recipe Variations

1. Turn up the heat. ​​Add hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or finely chopped jalapeños to your creamy dressing for a spicy kick. ❤️‍🔥
2. Include Asian flavors. Mix in some soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, and a dash of ginger for an Asian-inspired coleslaw dressing.
3. Try Mexican coleslaw dressing. Blend in a squeeze of lime juice, chopped cilantro, a drizzle of honey, and a pinch of cumin for a zesty and flavorful dressing.
4. Vinaigrette dressing. Replace the mayo and yogurt with a cup of olive oil for a dairy-free, mayo-free dressing.
5. Blue cheese coleslaw dressing. Leave out the mustard and add a ¼ cup of crumbled blue cheese to the dressing for a non-traditional coleslaw.
6. Sauerkraut slaw. Add half a cup of sauerkraut to your cole slaw before adding the dressing for a nice tangy cabbage slaw.

Tips and Tricks

1. Use fresh ingredients. The fresher your ingredients, seasonings included, the tastier your dressing will be. 
2. Whisk for a few minutes. Keep whisking even after the ingredients seem to fully combine. That way, you’ll be sure the sugar has dissolved. 
3. Shake before using. Give your creamy coleslaw dressing a good shake or stir before applying it to your freshly shaved cabbage to make sure the ingredients haven’t separated. 

Make-Ahead Instructions

This dressing will stay fresh for up to two weeks in the fridge, so feel free to make it well ahead of time.

I love having a jar of this versatile dressing on hand because it goes so well with more than just coleslaw. Try slathering it on hamburgers or dipping chicken nuggets in it.

Serving and Storage Instructions 

Toss your coleslaw with the dressing and then let it sit in the fridge for about an hour before serving.

As with all mayo-containing salads, please refrigerate leftover coleslaw within two hours of making it. If possible, only dress as much salad as you’ll use for the meal and store leftover coleslaw and dressing in separate containers.

Easy, No-Fuss, Recipe-Free Coleslaw

Cabbage is the only required ingredient for it to be genuine coleslaw. Honestly, I rarely use a recipe because it’s so super easy to throw together, and I use what I’ve got. Grated carrots, diced white and red onions, minced garlic, chopped pickles, and bell peppers (red, yellow, and green) all go great with finely sliced red and green cabbage. The more colors you have, the more beautiful it will be.

Some non-traditional additions to your coleslaw include dried cranberries, diced pineapple, raisins, sliced almonds, and even toasted pecans. Chopped broccoli, cauliflower, and celery are also tasty additions.

What Goes With Creamy Coleslaw Dressing

​​Toss this dressing over a bowl of finely chopped cabbage or a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw. It goes perfectly with grilled meals like grilled ribeye or Southern fried chicken. I always serve it with other classic sides like Southern potato salad or black-eyed peas and collards. 👌

More Delightful Dressing Recipes to Try

1. Honey Mustard Dressing
2. Homemade Ranch Dressing
3. Poppy Seed Dressing
4. Thousand Island Dressing
5. Blue Cheese Dressing

Watch How to Make It

This blog post was originally published in May 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.