Mustard Cream Sauce (Quick and Easy Homemade Recipe)
Mustard is one of the most underused ingredients in home cooking, and this creamy Dijon mustard sauce is proof of what it can do. It is a smooth, rich pan sauce built on a simple roux base with heavy cream and two kinds of mustard that create depth without heat. It pairs well with chicken, pork, steak, salmon, and vegetables, making it one of the most practical sauces to add to your repertoire. The whole thing comes together in about 10 minutes using ingredients you likely already have on hand.
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This is a classic French-style cream sauce built around a butter-and-flour roux, whole milk, and heavy cream. The roux gives the sauce body and a silky texture that holds together well over heat. The cream rounds out the mustard’s sharpness and makes the sauce feel finished and restaurant-quality.
Two types of mustard are used here on purpose. Dry mustard contributes a deeper, more pungent mustard flavor that builds from the bottom of the sauce. Dijon adds a smoother, more rounded mustard note with subtle wine undertones. Together, they produce a more layered result than either one alone.
The finished sauce is mild by design. If you want a stronger mustard punch, a small addition of either dry or Dijon mustard at the end of cooking lets you dial it up without having to rebuild the recipe.
Why you should try this mustard sauce
This creamy mustard sauce recipe is easy to make and goes well with both meat and vegetables. It’s one of those simple homemade sauces that can transform something basic, like chicken breast, into an elegant entrée that will impress your dinner guests. When it comes to sauces, mustard is unfortunately overlooked, which is a pity because it makes an excellent accompaniment to so many different foods.
Ingredients you will need
This is what you will need to make this creamy mustard sauce recipe:
- Butter – Creates the rich base and helps thicken the sauce while adding a silky mouthfeel
- All-purpose flour – Works with butter to create a roux that thickens the sauce to the perfect consistency
- Milk – Provides the creamy base and helps create a smooth texture without being too heavy
- Heavy cream – Adds luxurious richness and balances the mustard’s sharpness with a mellow flavor
- White vinegar – Adds bright acidity that enhances the mustard flavors and balances the richness
- Dry mustard – Provides intense mustard flavor and heat that builds the sauce’s character
- Dijon mustard – Contributes smooth, sophisticated mustard taste with subtle wine notes
- Parsley – Adds fresh, herbaceous notes and beautiful color flecks throughout the sauce
- Salt and pepper – Season the sauce and enhance all other flavors
How to make Dijon Mustard Cream Sauce
This sauce is very easy to make. Here’s what you do:
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and stir in the flour.
- Add the milk and, constantly stirring, cook over high heat until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the cream, vinegar, mustards, parsley, salt, and a few grindings of black pepper.
This mustard cream sauce recipe makes a rather mild sauce. To increase the flavor, add a little more of either the dry mustard or Dijon mustard.
Recipe variations
This is a versatile sauce that can be adapted in many ways. Here are a few ideas:
- Sour cream mustard sauce: Use sour cream instead of heavy cream.
- Whole grain mustard cream sauce: Use whole grain Dijon mustard.
- Mustard dill cream sauce: Add a tablespoon of finely chopped dill.
- Honey mustard cream sauce: Add a tablespoon of honey for a touch of sweetness.
- Mustard and brandy cream sauce: Add a little brandy for a beautiful depth of flavor. If you don’t have brandy, cognac is a good substitute. A sauce like this can effortlessly elevate a home-cooked meal to a restaurant-quality feast!
- Mustard and horseradish cream sauce: Give your sauce a little more kick with a tablespoon of horseradish. Perfect if you are serving beef.
- Gluten-free mustard cream sauce: You can make this sauce gluten-free by using gluten-free flour. Note that, although mustard is generally gluten-free, you should check the ingredients. Malt vinegar, for instance, is made from barley, which contains gluten.
How to serve mustard sauce
This creamy Dijon mustard sauce recipe makes so many things taste better. Here are some ideas:
- Mustard cream sauce for chicken: Creamy mustard is the perfect sauce for baked chicken.
- Mustard cream sauce for pork: Perfect for pork chops, pork tenderloin, etc.
- Mustard cream sauce for steak: Flavorsome enough to go with cuts of beef like filet mignon, tenderloin, and smoked steak.
- Mustard cream sauce for salmon: This sauce is terrific over salmon.
- Mustard cream sauce for vegetables: Delicious over all kinds of veggies. Also, serve it cold as a creamy salad dressing or warm over fresh green vegetables like spinach or cabbage.
- Mustard cream dipping sauce: This sauce is also fantastic as a mustard dipping sauce – try it with chicken nuggets or zucchini chips!
How to store leftovers
- Refrigerator: This Dijon mustard cream sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Allow it to cool, then place it in an airtight jar. Heat gently before serving.
- Freezer: You can freeze Dijon mustard sauce for up to 6 months in an airtight container or freezer bag.
- Reheating from frozen: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place the sauce in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat and gently whisk for 10 to 15 minutes.
The thawing process can slightly change the sauce’s consistency, so when reheating, you may need to add a little more cream to reconstitute it.
Favorite Sauce Recipes
- Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- Campfire Sauce
- Chick-fil-A Sauce
- Garlic Pizza Sauce
- Hibachi Mustard Sauce
- Katsu Sauce
- Raising Canes Sauce
- Red Clam Sauce
- Smash Burger Sauce
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Mustard Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat. Add the flour and mix thoroughly.
- Add the milk and cook over high heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Beat in the cream, vinegar, dry mustard, Dijon mustard, dried parsley, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Whisk constantly while adding the milk to avoid lumps. If lumps do form, press them against the side of the pan with a spoon or strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve before adding the cream and mustards.
- The sauce thickens further as it cools. If it becomes too thick when reheating or resting, stir in a splash of milk or cream and heat gently while whisking until it loosens to your preferred consistency.
- This sauce is intentionally mild in mustard flavor so it works across a wide range of proteins and vegetables. Taste it at the end and adjust to your preference before serving.
- Do not boil the sauce after adding the cream. Boiling heavy cream in an acidic sauce can cause it to break. Keep the heat low once the cream is in.
Is the salt table or Kosher? Is the parsley fresh or dried?
You can use either type of salt, I used dry parsley for the recipe.
I know I can use either kind of salt. I’m asking because you gave the amount by volume. They each are a very different amount o0f actual salt by volume. That’s why I want to know if the amount given was for table or Kosher. If the former, then I need to use a good bit more if I’m using Kosher.
Thank you for bringing that up. This recipe was designed with iodized salt, not kosher salt.
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