The best honey mustard has sweetness, tang, and gentle spice. That said, there’s no one right way for a honey mustard to taste. Some may favor honey’s richness over mustard’s zest, while others may boldly showcase the sharp bite of dijon. Whether it’s so thick and sticky it clings to a spoon, creamy enough to easily smear on a burger bun, or so grainy you can practically chew it, the beauty of the best store bought honey mustard lies in its versatility. 

Fried chicken tenders and sweet honey mustard go together like bees and honey. What a cute sentence I just wrote, reader. Anyway, that’s not really relevant, I just felt like reminding you of things that make life worth living. Here’s something you should know before going into this ranking: The honey mustard biz is buzzing! There are so many brands out there vying to the best store bought honey mustard, and many of them bring something new and unique to the table. 

Since this is our second taste test of the best honey mustard, we knew we had to be thorough. We tried these honey mustards straight from a spoon, as a dip with some chicken nuggets we had in the freezer, and even slathered on some toasted hot dog buns. Whether you’re trying to stock up on the best honey mustard dressing for salads, the best honey mustard dipping sauce, or just the best store bought honey mustard in general, we’ve got you covered with these (*smiles cornily*) un-bee-lievably great options! Spread the buzz. 

Best for Sandwiches

Boar’s Head honey mustard is a good mustard, but we could see it being a little too mustardy and not sweet enough for some people. When it comes to honey mustard, we generally want something we can pour all over fried food to add a nice, sugary zip. This is honey mustard for when you don’t want something overly sweet. It’s the best honey mustard for a savory sandwich or a nice steamed brat. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best Honey Mustard Dressing

If you like honey mustard salad dressing, Ken is your guy. Confidently drizzle it on a chef’s salad; the sweet-and-tangy flavor is a nice complement to rich hard boiled eggs and salty deli meats. It contains a good amount of sugar (6 grams), but that makes it a great pairing for some down-and-dirty fast food meals, too. If you’re bringing home some french fries, chicken tenders, or nuggets from your preferred fast food spot, this is the perfect dipping sauce. Keep it in your fridge. It’s multi-purpose, and that makes it the best honey mustard dressing we tried. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Hot Sauce

This is more of a hot sauce than a honey mustard, but Melinda’s advertises it as a honey mustard, so we had to try it. This has a nice kick and some good, subtle sweetness. It leans heavily into that sharp habanero pepper, and it would absolutely rock on a fish taco or a fried chicken sandwich. Think hot honey but with a faint mustard flavor. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best for Honey Lovers

Simply put, this is mustard honey, not honey mustard. The consistency is overwhelmingly honey-like. It’s thick, gloopy, and sticky. Stonewall Kitchen went rogue and redefined the honey to mustard ratio, and they created something wholly different (and delicious) in the process. Drizzle a spoonful over some fried chicken if you want a kind of a chicken and waffles vibe. Or, shoot, dip a soft pretzel in this and get nasty with some sticky, sugary honey. Stonewall Kitchen is good (and hey, easily one of the best honey mustard dipping sauces we tried) as long as you know what you’re getting into. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Dijon Hot Honey

Oh, Maille, how we just adore you here at Sporked. Your sharp, bold dijon tang is unmistakable. You have so much depth, so much sweetness. And as much as I would love to give you the final rose and secure your title as the best spicy honey mustard on this list, I simply have to leave you with this: as bold and beautiful as you are, Maille, well, honey… you just aren’t very hot. Don’t get me wrong—you’re still great at what you do. You have a lovely, light spice that permeates your creamy texture. But it’s not enough to truly win my heart. (That said, if you’re looking for an exquisite hot honey mustard with a nice, gentle heat, buy this—immediately.) —Ariana Losch

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Artisan Honey

Honeycup Mustard is aptly named—like Stonewall Kitchen, this little guy is basically honey in a cup. It’s delightfully sweet and so texturally unique, closer to honey dripping slowly off the comb than a creamy condiment. It’s thick, a little grainy, and deeply golden in color, like sweet nectar of the gods. Or, more realistically, a jar of hand-mixed honey mustard from a beekeeper’s artisan storefront. You could spread this on a slice of toast and charge someone $17 for it. You could toss this in with salted pretzels and lure a few bears into your home. Winnie the Pooh would go nuts for this stuff, I’m telling you. And so did we! —Ariana Losch

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Spicy Honey Mustard

Leave it to Beaver to earn the coveted superlative for the best hot honey mustard we’ve tried to date. Remember Goldilocks and the three bears (beavers, in this case)? The first is too hot (Melinda’s), the second isn’t hot enough (Maille), and the third is just right. Beaver Sweet Hot Mustard hits the perfect balance of sweet, spicy heat. It’s an insta classic, and it’s not trying too hard to be anything unique. This is the best spicy mustard condiment for pretty much any use. —Ariana Losch

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best for Cookouts

French’s is a brown honey mustard that would be great on a hot dog. That might sound crazy, but French’s has a solid, mustardy base with a pleasant hint of sweetness that will complement any meat tube stuffed in a casing. The mustard itself squirts out in a thin, delicate squiggle. Set it on a picnic table with the other condiments to provide another option for your guests. This is the best honey mustard for a cookout all the way. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Mustard Flavor

This is tangy and mustardy, but not overly sweet like some other best honey mustards on our list. Inglehoffer is the honey mustard that’s most like an actual mustard. It’s got that spicy dijon kick going for it, but there’s still some delightful sweetness as well. This is honey mustard for grownups. Enjoy it with some fried chicken tenders or maybe a sandwich prepared with great deli meat. The flavor is really excellent—but it is more expensive than Beaver (see #2). —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Liv Averett / Kroger

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Runner-Up

What does a beaver have to do with honey mustard? Look, you’re already asking too many questions. Just go with it. Beaver’s sweet rendition is everything you want in honey mustard. It’s perfectly viscous, and has a strong dijon flavor along with a sweet, nectar-like honey taste. This is honey mustard for every occasion. Whether you’re in a suit and tie eating some buttermilk fried chicken, or if you’re business casual and enjoying some fast food nuggets, Beaver will do you right. It’s a strong, flavorful honey mustard, plus, the price for the flavor here is impossible to beat. This was the best honey mustard we tried in our first taste test, but it was dethroned in our second taste test (read on to find out why). —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Maille, hopefully this makes up for what I said about your hot honey mustard. I mean, who cares about the best hot honey mustard when you make the best honey mustard, period?! (Hotness is overrated, anyway.) The sheer depth of flavor in Maille is unmatched. One spoonful and you’re tasting layers of bright sweetness, zesty tang, and a bold bite of dijon that keeps you totally hooked on the stuff. Paradoxically, the mustard’s texture is thick and heavy, yet super creamy, smooth, and easy to spread. All I can say, Maille, is that it’s a privilege and honor to keep you forever stocked in my fridge. Will you accept this final rose? —Ariana Losch

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other Honey Mustards We Tried: Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Mustard, Great Value Honey Mustard, G Hughes Honey Mustard, First Street Honey Mustard, Heinz Honey Mustard, Sir Kensington’s Honey Mustard, True Made Foods Honey Mustard, Kroger Honey Mustard, Sprouts Organic Honey Mustard, Bornier Dijon Mustard

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