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Spiced Maple Mustard Sauce

This is a bold, balanced sauce that walks the line between sweet, sharp, and gently smoky heat. The pure maple syrup softens the Dijon’s bite while the smoked paprika and chipotle powder add depth and a slow-building warmth that never overwhelms. It’s excellent with roasted or grilled pork, chicken, sausages, venison, or as a finishing glaze and dipping sauce.

The quality of the ingredients matters here more than in most simple sauces. Use a true Dijon (Maille is ideal), pure maple syrup with character (Runamok is excellent), and a raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the mother (unpasteurized). The smoked paprika and chipotle powder should be fresh and fragrant; jars that smell strongly of smoke and chile when first opened will give the best result (I like Frontier Co-op brand spices).

Yield: about ¾ cup
Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon chipotle powder

Method

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until completely smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust if needed. The sauce will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks. Stir before using, as it may separate slightly.

Variations

Milder (almost no heat)

Omit the chipotle powder entirely. Replace the smoked paprika with ¼–½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (start with ¼ tsp and adjust to taste).You’ll get a smooth, sweet-tangy maple mustard with soft warmth from the cinnamon and no heat at all. Excellent with pork, chicken, or roasted root vegetables.

Spicier

Increase the chipotle powder to ¾–1 teaspoon, or add an extra ¼ teaspoon of chipotle plus a small pinch of cayenne. The heat becomes more pronounced and lingering while the maple still keeps it balanced.

Peppery

Add ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (or more to taste) along with the original spices. The black pepper brings a sharper, more aromatic bite that sits nicely alongside the smoke and maple.