With this homemade yellow mustard recipe, you'll never need to buy overprocessed yellow mustard again. All you need is mustard powder, water, vinegar, and a few other optional ingredients.
Yellow Mustard Recipe
Are you a fan of yellow mustard? Many of us start out with yellow mustard as kids, the cheap stuff squirted from bright yellow bottles. It's a classic American condiment, easy to find, and essential as a topping for certain foods.
I couldn't imagine as a kid not having some simple yellow mustard on hand for squeezing onto my hot dog, my favorite sandwiches, or a burger fresh off the grill.
The thing is, you don't have to limit yourself to store bought condiments, classic yellow mustard included. This homemade version is so much better. You can make it yourself at home with a few simple ingredients. Once you've learned how to make yellow mustard, the world opens up to experimentation.
You're free to include additional ingredients and vary up the ratios and flavors.
What is Yellow Mustard Made From?
Yellow mustard is made by mixing yellow mustard powder with some sort of liquid, such as water, vinegar, wine or beer, along with salt and other spices. The simplest yellow mustard is made simply with ground mustard or dry mustard powder and water. They are mixed together to form a paste that you can flavor to your liking and adjust to your own personal tastes.
Read more about some possible adjustments in the Recipe Notes section below.
The Flavor of Yellow Mustard
The flavors of yellow mustard are often described as pungent, spicy, hot, or sharp, much like the powder of horseradish or wasabi.
Yellow mustard powder is itself made by grinding yellow mustard seeds, which come from the mustard plant, into a powder form. There are three different types of mustard seeds - white or yellow mustard seeds, brown mustard seeds, and black mustard seeds. You can make mustard from whole mustard seeds as well, but that would result in more of a grain mustard, not a smooth mustard.
When you mix ground mustard seeds with water, a chemical reaction occurs, forming a mustard oil, which can vary from plant to plant and with different colored seeds. This variability can result in different flavors, intensity and pungency.
You can learn more about them and also how to make mustard from my post, How to Make Mustard - the Basics.
Let's talk about how we make it at home, shall we?
Homemade Yellow Mustard Ingredients
- Yellow Mustard Powder.
- Water.
- Distilled White Vinegar.
Optional Seasonings
- Turmeric. Turmeric brings in the vibrant yellow color of a yellow mustard. Feel free to use only a half a teaspoon or even less to less vibrant color.
- Garlic Powder.
- Salt.
- Cayenne Powder. Or use paprika for a milder heat.
How to Make Homemade Yellow Mustard - The Recipe Method
First, gather up your ingredients. For this recipe, I'm using ¾ cup yellow mustard powder, 1 cup water, ½ cup distilled white vinegar, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder.
Once your ingredients are ready, whisk together the mustard powder, water, vinegar and seasonings together in a medium bowl. Make sure there are no lumps.
Next, pour the mixture into a wide pan or pot and bring to a quick boil. Reduce the heat and simmer on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until you achieve your desired thickness.
Think of your typical “yellow mustard”. I’ve made this recipe many times and the thickening time can vary, usually depending on the amount of heat.
Remove from heat and cool. Store in a sealable container in the refrigerator. It will thicken as it cools.
Boom! Quite easy, right? Who knew making homemade yellow mustard would be so simple. It's such an uber American condiment, widely loved across the United States.
Recipe Tips & Notes
This is a basic recipe, with many optional ingredients you can add. You really only need mustard powder, water and vinegar, maybe some salt. By adjusting the basic ingredients and bringing in others, you can make a huge variety of mustard.
The Spice Factor
I like a bit of kick to my mustards, so I've opted to include cayenne pepper here. You can omit altogether for a yellow mustard that is more like what you get in the store, or use paprika or smoked paprika for a touch of heat. If you'd like a much hotter version, try using ghost pepper powder.
Thickening the Mustard
I've seen some recipes that call for flour in them, using the flour as a thickener. Flour is not needed. Your mustard will thicken up just fine if you stick to this recipe and the ratios I've provided.
Thickening time really has to do with the HEAT. Simmer on low and it will take longer to thicken. Kick up the heat a bit and it will thicken more quickly, but it can splatter. Keep this in mind.
Also, do not add extra mustard powder after the fact to thicken it up. Just keep heating it and stirring, and it will thicken up accordingly.
Texture
This yellow mustard is noticeably grainier than what you're used to from the grocery store. This is because the mustard is not overly processed or strained. You can, of course, strain it through a fine mesh sieve to achieve a smoother mustard, but it is not necessary. The grainy texture gives it an interesting character.
About the Vinegar
I've used a simple distilled white vinegar for this recipe, but feel free to experiment. Different types of vinegar will give you different results and flavors. Apple cider vinegar, for example, is sweeter and juicier.
About the Liquids
Instead of water, try substituting it for wine or light beer, or a combination of wine and vinegar. There are many options for flavorful liquids, such as fruit juices and more, that will achieve the same results with different flavors. This is why making mustard at home is so fun. I've always loved a good beer mustard.
Bitterness
Some people have reported a bitter flavor to the mustard, which comes from the powder being used. You can battle the bitterness in the following ways:
- Soak the mustard powder for 20 minutes before using, strain, then proceed with the recipe.
- Swirl in a bit of lemon juice (or vinegar) and a bit more salt to reduce the bitter taste.
- Swirl in a bit of honey to balance it out with sweetness.
If you're interested in learning more about the awesome world of mustard making, check out my post - How to Make Mustard - the Basics.
Using Yellow Mustard
Yellow mustard is essential for recipes like the famous Chicago-Style Hot Dog, the Cuban Sandwich or Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce.
Squirt some onto your burgers, corn dogs, sandwiches, you name it! What's your favorite way to use yellow mustard? I'd love to hear it.
Storage & Leftovers
Storing your Homemade Yellow Mustard in an airtight container in the fridge may allow you to store the leftovers for up to 1-2 months. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate the mustard promptly.
Try Some of My Other Popular Mustard Recipes
- Roasted Hatch Chile-Beer Mustard – Recipe
- Homemade Whole Grain Spicy Beer Mustard
- Homemade Spicy Mustard
- Beer-Honey Mustard Recipe
- Pickled Mustard Seeds
See the list of mustard recipes in our Homemade Condiments Recipes. Try it alongside my homemade ketchup recipe. Ketchup and mustard are best friends.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Homemade Yellow Mustard Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup yellow mustard powder
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
OPTIONAL SEASONINGS
- 1 teaspoon turmeric for color – use ¼ to ½ teaspoon for less pronounced yellow color
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder or use paprika for a milder heat
Instructions
- Whisk together the mustard powder, water, vinegar and seasonings together in a medium bowl. Make sure there are no lumps.
- Pour into a wide pan or pot and bring to a quick boil. Reduce the heat and simmer on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until you achieve your desired thickness. Think of your typical “yellow mustard”. I’ve made this recipe many times and the thickening time can vary, usually depending on the amount of heat.
- Remove from heat and cool. Store in a sealable container in the refrigerator. It will thicken as it cools.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Pamela Leza says
I liked this so much I just spent an hour trying to find it again. Although I use steens cane sugar vinegar as I am allergic to corn. Thank you for such an easy and tasty recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoy this one, Pamela! We do love it, too. It converted Patty to liking yellow mustard!
John Richard Russell says
Very nice taste and texture. Wow!
Has anybody made a double batch by doubling the recipe? How does it taste?
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, John. You can double or even triple this batch pretty easily.
Karen says
Mike, I just tried your homemade yellow mustard (without the garlic powder because it doesn't agree with me) and it turned out AMAZING! I used it for a thousand island dressing recipe and I could still taste the unique mustard flavour. I do ministry work with the homeless and need to be frugal with food costs, so it was a real blessing to run across your website today. Thank you so much for experimenting in the kitchen and creating such great recipes!
Karen
Mike H. says
You are very welcome, Karen! Super happy to read your review.
Allen Henderson says
But the one that I remember being sold in the shops and at BBQ's was also sweet in flavor and tasted slightly like pickles. I buy/use a lot of mustard, almost daily on my ham salad rolls, sometimes I add honey, but from last week I suddenly felt like yellow mustard. Thinking back to my childhood. I found two bottles in the one shop only, and they were very expensive, and small. So I now intend to make my own, but I want that same traditional taste. Yours is close, I think a bit of sugar will help it. Any other ideas would be appreciated, thanks in advance.
Mike Hultquist says
Allen, you can add in more honey/brown sugar to up the sweetness, and extra vinegar for the "pickle" flavor. Try apple cider vinegar, or the pickling juice from either pickles or a jar of pickled jalapenos. Much will be experimenting with ratios to get close to the one you know and love. Good luck!
Jenny Hooper says
Thank you so much for this recipe. Due to an illness I have, I have had to cut out a lot of foods. Now I'm at the reintroduction stage of my diet, and have been blocked at reintroducing some things because of other ingredients they contain. With my illness and the diet I am on I cannot have distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or any vinegars made from grapes(wine vinegars). I happen to come across coconut vinegar which actually smells and taste a little bit like apple cider vinegar. I used that in this recipe and I am stoked to say I know have mustard! Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad this helped, Jenny. I'm sure it's a HUGE change for you, very jarring! Wishing you the best in adapting as quickly as possible.
Tracy Kozinski says
The end product always turns out bitter, even after letting it sit. any ideas, anyone?
Mike Hultquist says
Tracy, you can add a bit of honey or other sweet element to counteract any bitterness that you taste. It is likely from the powder you started with, which CAN have some bitterness. Also, if you let it sit a few days, some of that bitterness should mellow. Let me know how it goes for you.
Tawnia says
I routinely check your site for different condiments. Im on a mission to make everything I can, eliminating unnecessary ingredients from our foods. I tried another mustard recipe, it was ok. I'm very pleased with this one and it will be my go to. I have found if I don't taste the mustard for at least 24 hours, the bitterness others mentioned goes away. I almost threw my first try away until I read that it needs to sit a couple days. Been my experience anyway. Thank you for another great recipe!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Tawnia! Thanks!