This post may include affiliate links; see our disclosure policy.
This creamy Parmesan peppercorn dressing has irresistibly creamy flavor! Versatile ands simple, it takes just 5 minutes to whisk up.
Here’s a salad dressing that’s both irresistibly tasty and undeniably simple: making it a new go-to we reach for every time we buy salad greens. Try this Parmesan Peppercorn dressing! It’s tangy and savory, essentially a simplified version of Caesar dressing that’s just as bold with less ingredients. You can whisk it up in 5 minutes: no blender, no zesting of lemons: nothing fussy at all! When we serve this to guests, they can’t help remarking, “What’s in this dressing?” Here are all our secrets.
Ingredients in Parmesan peppercorn dressing
Parmesan peppercorn dressing is a creamy dressing made with Parmesan cheese and black pepper. There are several bottled versions from various brands on the market, but it’s easy to make at home. Even better, you can customize the spiciness of the pepper to taste when you make homemade. Using Greek yogurt to add creaminess helps to cut some calories, making this a healthy dressing to boot. The ingredients for Parmesan peppercorn dressing are:
- Mayonnaise
- Greek yogurt
- Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- Red wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Water
All you have to do? Whisk together the ingredients in a bowl. That’s it! No blender, no zesting lemons, no fancy moves.
Customize the pepper flavor to taste
The base level of pepper in this Parmesan peppercorn dressing is mild. Follow the recipe below, and it has a subtle pepper flavor. The great thing about this recipe is that you can customize it to taste! If you want a spicy pepper dressing, add more! Here are a few things to note:
- Remember that fine ground pepper is stronger than coarse ground. The recipe below calls for fresh ground black pepper from a pepper grinder. If all you have is fine ground pepper in a bottle, note that it will taste stronger than the same measurement of fresh ground pepper.
- Add pepper to taste. Taste and add more black pepper until you’ve got the spiciness of your choosing.
- Want it spicier? Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the mix.
Ways to use Parmesan peppercorn dressing
This Parmesan peppercorn dressing is a favorite of ours because of its versatility. A little like ranch dressing, it goes with just about anything! But the best types of salads are those with crunchy green lettuce that can stand up to the rich texture. You can also use it as a dip for veggies, just like ranch dressing! Here are a few ways to use it:
- Drizzle on a Butter Lettuce Salad
- Try it on a Romaine Salad
- Go for it on a Classic Wedge Salad
- Throw it on a Simple Spring Mix Salad
- Use as a dip for veggie sticks, pretzels or potato chips
How are you planning to use it? Let us know in the comments below.
More salad dressing recipes
Homemade salad dressing is the way to go: it’s fresher, tastier and healthier than those storebought bottles! Here are a few more favorite salad dressing recipes to try:
- Grab our top 10 Easy Healthy Salad Dressings
- Go classic with Caesar Dressing, Easy Vinaigrette or Best Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Opt for Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Try Green Goddess Dressing
- Go for Ginger Dressing, Sesame Ginger Dressing or Carrot Ginger Dressing
This Parmesan peppercorn dressing is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free.
Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: About 1 cup 1x
- Category: Salad dressing
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Salad
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper*, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, grated Parmesan cheese, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and water until a creamy dressing forms.
- Taste and if you’d like a bolder pepper flavor, add more ground black pepper to taste. Store refrigerated up to 1 to 2 weeks.
Notes
*If all you have is fine ground pepper, keep in mind it has more volume than fresh coarse ground pepper and will have a stronger flavor.
Love this flavorful recipe! Thank you for sharing this delicious, low-fat salad dressing idea.
I just made this recipe and it was absolutely
How long does this dressing keep in the fridge? Embarking on an all home-made salad dressing adventure! No more store-bought or premade foods!
Hi! We keep the dressing up to two weeks for this one. Enjoy!
Hello. I was wondering how much sodium is in the peppercorn dressing. Wasn’t listed in the nutritional value
Thanks
Our calculator doesn’t do a great job on sodium, so it is omitted. Sorry!
This was so easy to make and is so delicious! Definitely beats any store bought salad dressing.
Any substitute if you have no Greek yogurt?
You could try whole milk yogurt and omit the water. Or, use another 1/4 cup mayo and omit the water, then add more mayo to taste if necessary.
This is late, but I use greek yogurt in place sour cream. It’s less fattening and provides more protein. So I image the reverse would be true in terms of taste and consistency. Try using sour cream as a 1 to 1 replacement for the yogurt and you shouldn’t need to adjust anything else.
This dressing was very good and super easy. Next time I might use slightly less yogurt, but that’s just my taste. For some reason, bottled Parmesan Peppercorn dressing disappeared from my local grocery shelves in the last year, but now that isn’t a problem!
So glad you enjoy it!
This dressing was so easy to make, and my husband LOVED it :)
Let us know if you have any questions!