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I don’t know why it’s never occurred to me, before now, to try making mustard.

homemade spicy mustard

A friend of mine suggested that we make some homemade mustard for a recent dinner party, and boy, am I glad we did!

As it turns out, mustard is surprisingly easy to make. In fact, it’s pretty difficult to mess it up! Feel free to experiment with this basic recipe until you find the perfect flavor combination to fit your tastes. Since it’s so easy to prepare, you could easily make a few different flavors to keep on hand in the fridge!

Homemade Spicy Mustard
makes about 6 ounces

Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds (also called white mustard seeds)
2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, or coconut vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions:

To get started, you’ll need to grind the mustard seeds.

You can grind them by hand the old-fashioned way, using a mortar and pestle, for a bit of an arm workout!

grinding mustard seeds

Or, the faster way is to use a spice grinder.

grinding mustard seeds and spices

Once the spices are ground, transfer to a glass storage jar and add in the rest of the ingredients. Stir well to mix.

pouring water into mustard seed mixture

For best flavor, allow the mustard to sit at room temperature for up to 8 hours before storing in the fridge. (You can actually let the mustard “cure” for a few days on the counter, if you like. Once you put it in the fridge, it will stop ripening.)

If the mustard has a little too much “bite,” try adding a bit of honey or coconut crystals to balance the flavor.

homemade spicy mustard in a glass container

The mustard flavor will get better with time, so it’s best to make homemade mustard a few days before you plan on serving it. Store in the fridge, and use it to make your favorite sandwiches and salad dressings!

A few notes:

  • The more finely ground your mustard seeds, the more potent and spicy the flavor will be. For a more mild mustard, try soaking the seeds whole, with the rest of the ingredients, then briefly pulsing in the food processor for a chunkier whole grain mustard.
  • Instead of water, you can use white wine, beer or apple cider for a more complex flavor.
  • I recommend apple cider vinegar or coconut vinegar because they are less acidic and yeast-feeding than traditional vinegars, but any type of vinegar can be used to make mustard.
  • Feel free to add any herbs you like, such as fresh dill.
  • For a spicier mustard, try adding a bit of horseradish or garlic.
  • For a honey mustard, try adding a 1/4 cup of honey.
  • For a yellow mustard, try this recipe.

homemade spicy mustard in glass jars and ramekin

Homemade Spicy Mustard

5 from 5 votes
A quick and easy homemade mustard!
prep10 mins total10 mins
Servings:6 oz.

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds (also called white mustard seeds)
  • 2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar , or coconut vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

  • To get started, you'll need to grind the mustard seeds. You can grind them by hand the old-fashioned way, using a mortar and pestle, for a bit of an arm workout! Or, use a spice grinder to make the process faster.
  • Once the spices are ground, transfer to a glass storage jar and add in the rest of the ingredients. Stir well to mix.
  • For best flavor, allow the mustard to sit at room temperature for up to 8 hours before storing in the fridge. (You can actually let the mustard "cure" for a few days on the counter, if you like, but I haven't tried it myself.)
  • If the mustard has a little too much "bite," try adding a bit of honey or coconut crystals to balance the flavor.
  • The mustard flavor will get better with time, so it's best to make homemade mustard a few days before you plan on serving it.
  • Store in the fridge, and use it to make your favorite sandwiches and salad dressings!

Notes

The more finely ground your mustard seeds, the more potent and spicy the flavor will be. For a more mild mustard, try soaking the seeds whole, with the rest of the ingredients, then briefly pulsing in the food processor for a chunkier whole grain mustard. Instead of water, you can use white wine, beer or apple cider for a more complex flavor. I recommend apple cider vinegar or coconut vinegar because they are less acidic and yeast-feeding than traditional vinegars, but any type of vinegar can be used to make mustard. Feel free to add any herbs you like, such as fresh dill. For a spicier mustard, try adding a bit of horseradish or garlic. For a honey mustard, try adding a 1/4 cup of honey.

Nutrition

Calories: 39kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 61mg | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.7mg
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dairy free, healthy, vegan
Calories per ounce: 39, Fat: 2g, Carbohydrates: 2g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 1g

Hope you enjoy it! I’m using the rest of mine to make a batch of Honey Dijon Dressing.

Reader Feedback: Have you ever tried making your own mustard before? If so, share your favorite combinations!

Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. I create healthy recipes made with simple ingredients to make your life easier.

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Comments

  1. This recipe is very good and I never knew how easy it was to make spicy mustard. I had the seed from when I was canning pickles and ordered them off Amazon. This mustard will go very will with pastrami and ky pretzels. Thank for the wonderful recipe!

  2. I need a mustard recipe without vinegar. Can I substitute lemon or lime juice for the vinegar? My husband is on a special diet and can’t have vinegar.

    1. Yes, you might need to use a little more lemon juice in that case, but you can taste-test this recipe as you go! I hope it turns out well for you.

  3. After mixing mustard powder with cold water it reaches it’s hottest in 15 minutes on the counter. Adding vinegar stops the process and slows down the degradation. You want milder mustard add vinegar sooner. You want hot mustard then don’t add vinegar for about 20 minutes. The heat will still fade though so you might cure it for flavor it won’t help the heat.

  4. This looks great! Where did you buy whole mustard seed? I’m having trouble finding mustard seed that’s not already ground. Thanks!

  5. I would love to make horseradish mustard – like what we would normally buy back in NorthAmerica, but just doesn’t exist in Asia. What I can find here is imported Wasabi powder. Yes it would make my mustard a funny green colour, but beggars can’t be choosers. Any thoughts?

  6. I would love to make my own whole grain mustard. I have bought it before ready made, but this sounds much better. At least I would know what is in it.