10 Store-Bought Coleslaw Dressings, Ranked
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With its flavorful crunchiness, coleslaw is tasty, healthy, and versatile. It's one of those useful dishes that's always a good idea to keep on hand in the fridge. Need a quick topping for taco night? Some citrusy coleslaw can come to the rescue. Looking to get some raw veggies to go with your grilled chicken or cheeseburgers? Coleslaw is an easy answer. Need a side dish for some pulled pork or a club sandwich? Once again, coleslaw is a practical solution that deliciously knocks it out of the park.
Part of the beauty of coleslaw is that it's fairly easy to prepare. The basic ingredients usually just consist of diced or shredded cabbage and carrots tossed in coleslaw dressing. Coleslaw dressing usually falls into one of two categories: a creamy dressing or a thin vinaigrette. These different types of coleslaw dressing have their own distinctive textures and flavors. While making your own coleslaw dressing definitely comes with its advantages, there's no doubt that it's easier to just use some store-bought coleslaw dressing instead.
The problem is that having so many brands to choose from can feel like a paradox of choice: the abundance of options at your fingertips often ends up complicating your ability to make a decision. The good news is that we're here to give you a helping hand. Here are 10 store-bought coleslaw dressings, ranked.
10. Kraft
Kraft is one of those brands that feels completely immersed in our entire food system. In fact, a recent analysis of the market done by The Guardian shows that nearly 80% of our grocery goods are produced by only a few massive corporations. Back in 2015, Kraft merged with Heinz to create one of the world's biggest food companies. Kraft Heinz owns everything from Velveeta and Oscar Meyer to Lunchables. When you're shopping at just about any grocery store, there's a good chance that you'll see Kraft's Coleslaw Dressing.
The best thing about Kraft's Coleslaw Dressing is that it's relatively cheap. If you're in a pinch and you need some coleslaw dressing, it should do the trick. At the same time, this isn't exactly the kind of Coleslaw Dressing that we crave or go out of our way for. For starters, customers often report that this dressing is a bit on the bland side. Some even resort to adding extra ingredients like vinegar and mayonnaise to amp up the flavor.
Let's face it: the beauty of store-bought dressing is its convenience. The last thing you want to do after dropping some hard-earned cash on premade dressing is spend time prepping it up to be more palatable. Expending that kind of time and energy on doctoring up premade dressing kind of defeats the purpose of buying it in the first place, doesn't it? At that point, you might as well have just made the dressing from scratch.
9. Litehouse
Litehouse makes a variety of products but mostly focuses on salad dressings. The company also makes cheeses, dips, and seasoning blends. Litehouse's Coleslaw Dressing comes in a 13-ounce jar or a larger 20-ounce family size. This coleslaw is mostly made with water, canola oil, sugar, apple cider vinegar, egg yolks, and salt.
Although this coleslaw dressing has a respectable rating on Amazon, one common complaint among some consumers is that this dressing is too sweet. This really comes down to preference, and the issue of how sweet coleslaw should be is certainly up for debate. While some like it on the sweeter side, others prefer it a bit more tangy.
We happen to prefer the latter; when the coleslaw is too sweet, it can be overpowering. The taste of overly-sweetened cabbage is a flavor that we aren't too keen on. On the plus side, this dressing is thicker, so a little goes a long way and it's easy to stretch this dressing out for multiple batches of coleslaw. If this coleslaw dressing were a little less sweet, it would've ranked a little higher on our list.
8. Hellman's
Hellman's is well-known for its rich mayonnaise. Considering that mayonnaise tends to be one of the main ingredients in creamy coleslaw dressing, it makes perfect sense for Hellman's to throw its hat in the ring and compete with other brands in this realm.
Hellman's Coleslaw Dressing includes a mix of soybean oil, high fructose corn syrup, vinegar, egg yolks, and spices such as mustard flour. The seasoning blend in Hellman's Coleslaw Dressing is visible throughout the container, peppering the dressing with speckles of spices. This coleslaw dressing has a strong egg flavor to it — one that Hellman's is known for — which adds a level of richness.
The biggest issue here is the use of high fructose corn syrup, which is an artificial sweetener. To be fair, high fructose corn syrup is used in countless other food products. However, in this case, the taste and texture are noticeable in a way that doesn't work. We wish that Hellman's — along with other food companies — used a touch of honey instead, as honey is more flavorful and nutritious. We dig Hellman's mayo from time to time, but the company's coleslaw dressing misses the mark a bit.
7. Hidden Valley
Hidden Valley is pretty much synonymous with ranch dressing. The company has a huge inventory of different ranch dressing flavors, including pickle, buffalo, and avocado. Hidden Valley also carries a ranch-based Coleslaw Dressing.
Hidden Valley's Coleslaw Dressing mostly contains vegetable oil, water, sugar, and egg yolks. Like so many other premade coleslaw dressings, this product is a bit too sweet: Only two tablespoons of this dressing contains 4 grams of sugar. That amount of sugar might be okay if the flavor were a bit more complex and balanced out with other ingredients and spices. But this dressing ends up falling flat into a very one-dimensional flavor that teeters into bland territory.
In fact, one complaint that customers often have is that this doesn't taste like coleslaw dressing at all; it tastes more like mild ranch. That said, if you like sweet coleslaw and you're looking for an easy way to dress up your shredded cabbage, this is an easy option. Because Hidden Valley is so widely accessible in grocery stores, this dressing is also usually easy to track down, which gives it a degree of dependability.
6. Duke's
Duke's is another brand that's beloved for its mayonnaise. What makes Duke's mayonnaise different from many of its competitors is that the recipe consists of more egg yolks. This creates a richer flavor with a thicker consistency. Duke's Coleslaw Dressing benefits from a similar texture.
This coleslaw dressing is made with a mix that includes soybean oil, water, vinegar, egg yolks, salt, mustard seed, onion, and garlic. The addition of some additional spices like celery seed gives this coleslaw dressing some extra flavor.
The downside? Duke's falls victim to sugar, like many of its other competitors. But in this case, it's even worse. Every 2 tablespoons of Duke's Coleslaw Dressing contains a shocking 7 grams of sugar. The good news here is that although the sweetness is certainly prominent, the amount of other spices in the recipe helps balance out the sugar. The bolder balance of seasonings in this coleslaw is what helps Duke's beat out some of the other brands that suffer from a duller flavor profile.
5. G Hughes
G Hughes specializes in featuring sugar-free dressings, sauces, and marinades. Instead of using sugar, G Hughes uses sucralose, which is a sweetener that can be found in products like baked goods, frozen dairy, and gelatins. Consuming sucralose can be a good option for those with certain health concerns since sucralose is calorie-free and doesn't cause the body to produce insulin.
Even though this coleslaw dressing doesn't contain sugar, it still has a hint of sweetness, thanks to sucralose. This dressing also contains ingredients that include vinegar, salt, egg yolks, and lemon juice. The main issue here is the reverse of what so many other dressings fall prey to. Rather than being too sweet, some customers feel that this dressing is actually a little too sour.
Once again, this really just comes down to preferences. Those of us who like our coleslaw more acidic than sweet are sure to dig this dressing. But those who enjoy their coleslaw extra sweetened might find this dressing to be a letdown. That said, we're happy to see a sugar-free dressing like this on the market that takes a different approach to the recipe.
4. Marzetti
One thing that we appreciate about Marzetti's Coleslaw Dressing is how simple the recipe is. With only around 10 ingredients, this coleslaw dressing is definitely one of the most simple store-bought options you'll find on the market. Marzetti's Coleslaw Dressing is made with soybean oil, sugar, corn vinegar, water, egg yolk, cider vinegar, salt, mustard, and xanthan gum (a common food additive used as a thickener).
This coleslaw dressing has earned a nearly perfect rating on Amazon after hundreds of reviews. Some customers even say that this is their favorite dressing for coleslaw. It's easy to see why, since this dressing has such a fresh taste, thanks to the fact that it doesn't use any preservatives or artificial sweeteners. Marzetti's Coleslaw Dressing also has a nice touch of tang to it from the two different types of vinegar in the recipe.
On Amazon, one customer succinctly sums up the bittersweet reality of this coleslaw dressing: "It is hard to find, and relatively expensive, but I don't think it can be matched." While we love the flavor of this dressing, at the end of the day, we still feel that it's hard to justify its price. There are other options on the table that can give you more bang for your buck.
3. Chosen Foods
Chosen Foods sells a lot of avocado oil-based products, including salad dressing. Some of Chosen Foods' dressings include Ranch, Caesar, Lemon Garlic, and Apple Cider Vinaigrette. The company also makes a Chipotle Ranch that's extremely delicious.
Coleslaw Dressing is essentially just a creamy sauce with a touch of vinegar — which is what this Chipotle Ranch Dressing is made of. Even though this dressing is technically ranch, there's no doubt that there are striking similarities between ranch and coleslaw dressing. Those who like coleslaw dressing on the tangier side will enjoy this chipotle ranch. Because this is seasoned with ingredients such as dijon, smoked paprika, and chipotle pepper, this dressing has a bold and smoky flavor that's pleasantly assertive. Even though it has a little zing to it, it's still not overly spicy.
Instead, there's just a subtle sparkle of warmth from the chipotle peppers. This subdued heat makes it a great choice to make a coleslaw topping for tacos. Between its deliciously complex flavor and avocado-based ingredients, this is one of our favorite dressings to make coleslaw. It's a close call at this point, but there are still some other options that beat this out.
2. Walden Farms
Walden Farms sells everything from taco sauce to Italian dressing to blueberry syrup. The company makes products that are calorie-free (or low-calorie) and free of sugar. Instead of using sugar, Walden Farms relies on ingredients such as real fruit, vegetable extracts, and cocoa powder. The company also uses stevia, which is a sweetener derived from the leaves of the stevia plant.
Walden Farms' Coleslaw Dressing contains organic apple cider vinegar and organic white vinegar. This coleslaw is also highly affordable, especially considering the high quality of the ingredients used in its recipe. The only thing holding this coleslaw dressing from perfection? The texture. It's a little too heavy on the vinegar, which makes it a bit too thin and briny for our liking. If this dressing were a little creamier and lighter on the vinegar, it would be even more tasty. This is one of your best options.
1. Marie's
When it comes to store-bought dressings, you can always count on Marie's to deliver the deliciousness. The company is particularly well-known for its Chunky Blue Cheese dressing, which is perfectly creamy, funky, and flavorful. Marie's brings the same level of tasty magic to its Coleslaw Dressing, which is mostly made with soybean oil, sugar, apple cider vinegar, and egg yolks.
What's truly exceptional about this coleslaw dressing is how perfectly balanced everything is. It's not too thick or too thin, striking a harmonious middle between extremes. It's tangy from the apple cider vinegar, without being overly sour. There's sugar in the recipe, but it isn't cloying. Instead, it complements the tang of the vinegar and the richness of the egg yolks. The hint of celery seed is present and noticeable, yet restrained enough to not be overpowering.
The recipe here is expertly crafted, showcasing a knack for building a symphony of flavors for mass consumption. Marie's also happens to be a great value, costing just a fraction of the price of some other store-bought dressings. Marie's Coleslaw Dressing is luscious, easy on the wallet, and widely accessible — making it the best store-bought dressing on the market.