While making honey mustard dipping sauce at home requires more work than purchasing it, it allows the cook to utilize his or her choice of ingredients. A home cook can choose to use Dijon, whole-grain, or spicy brown mustard in his or her recipe, and honey can be purchased that is fresh from the comb or out of a squeeze bottle. The last ingredient, a binder such as mayonnaise or apple cider vinegar, is added to give the sauce a smooth texture and additional flavor. Ingredients can be based upon a recipe or added until the flavor of the honey mustard dipping sauce is enjoyable to the cook. These ingredients can easily be combined by placing them into a bowl and stirring them with a spoon, or by using a mixer or blender to provide a fluffy and smooth texture.
Different types of mustard can be utilized to create unique flavors within the honey mustard dipping sauce, though honey should be used with all varieties. Spicy mustard provides a kick to the sauce that would not always be present, while mustard that is combined with sugar will be slightly sweet and should be used with less honey. Whole-grain mustard gives a sauce a grainier texture due to the whole mustard seeds.
There are no precise proportions that have to be used when making honey mustard dipping sauce, as the amount of each ingredient depends on the preference of the cook and those eating it. The amount of mayonnaise, sour cream, or yogurt should be approximately equal to the amount of mustard used. When an acidic ingredient is used instead, such as apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, the amount should be less than that of the mustard so the dish does not have an overwhelmingly tart flavor. Once these ingredients are combined, the honey can be added until the sauce is to the preferred sweetness level of the cook, but is usually around 2 tablespoons (40 ml) per cup or milliliters.
The other ingredient that helps to bind the honey and mustard together is mayonnaise, which provides a creaminess to the sauce for those who prefer this type of texture. Individuals who are trying to cut down on fat can substitute low-fat or light mayonnaise, yogurt, or light sour cream for a similar texture. If the cook prefers a tangier honey mustard, he or she can add apple cider vinegar or lemon juice instead. Once made, it can last refrigerated for up to one week.