This is the best vegan Caesar dressing recipe! It's rich and creamy and tastes just like a classic Caesar salad dressing but is made with cashews, capers, and nutritional yeast to keep it dairy-free. This plant based dressing is also oil free and gluten-free.
Homemade salad dressings like my strawberry basil vinaigrette, walnut dressing and pickle juice dressing taste so much better than store bought salad dressings and are a great way to save money on groceries, which is why I can't wait for you to try the healthy caesar salad dressing recipe I am sharing with you today!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this dressing:
- The taste! This dairy-free Caesar dressing tastes just like traditional Caesar salad dressing.
- It's quick and easy to make and is ready in under 5 minutes.
- This simple homemade dressing is made without mayonnaise and without olive oil, and instead uses cashews and capers to give it that perfect flavour.
- Besides being vegan this plant-based dressing is also healthy, dairy-free, gluten-free, egg free, sugar free, paleo and Whole30 compliant - just like my cilantro lime salad dressing and vegan buffalo sauce recipe.
Ingredient notes:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post.
Jump to the Recipe Card.- Raw Cashews - these are the base of this vegan salad dressing and help give it that rich, creamy texture while keeping it dairy free. You could swap these for pine nuts instead. Be sure to use raw cashews and not roasted cashews.
- Capers - are the secret ingredient used to give this healthy dressing that perfect umami flavour. Capers are a great replacement for the anchovies that are normally used in classic Caesar dressing recipes.
- Coconut milk - to help give this dressing a rich and creamy texture. I recommend using full fat coconut milk.
- Dijon mustard - this helps add some delicious flavour to this dressing.
- Apple cider vinegar - to add that perfect tang to this dressing. You could swap this for lemon juice.
- Lemon juice - fresh lemon juice helps add the perfect tangy flavour to this delicious vegan caesar salad dressing recipe.
- Nutritional yeast - to give it a little cheesy flavour, without the dairy and without cheese.
- Seasonings and spices: garlic, sea salt and ground black pepper are all you need to complete this delicious dressing recipe.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- If you don’t like garlic you can omit it.
- If you like a thinner vegan caesar dressing: add a bit more water.
- Instead of coconut milk you can use a different dairy-free milk such as almond milk or cashew milk. I don't recommend using oat milk as it is too sweet.
- If you like a sweeter dressing: add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup.
How to make vegan caesar dressing:
- Step 1: First, place all the ingredients into your high-speed blender or food processor.
- Step 2: Blend everything until the dressing is smooth and creamy. Then serve and enjoy!
Top tips:
- This dressing will thicken when stored in the fridge - simply add a bit of water and stir it into the dressing to thin it out again before using.
- Feel free to double or triple this recipe if you are serving a crowd.
- Storage: this dressing stores well in the fridge in an airtight container or jar for up to a week.
Serving ideas:
You can use this raw vegan caesar dressing in so many ways. You can use it to make a vegan caesar salad or kale caesar salad, but it also makes a great dip for raw veggies, crackers or chips. It also makes a delicious sauce for sandwiches, wraps and burgers.
Vegan Caesar dressing FAQs:
You can still make this dressing, but you will have to soak the cashews for 1-2 hours to soften them before blending. You could also use a food processor instead of a blender.
I would use pine nuts instead.
Hellman’s caesar dressing is not vegan. It is made with cheese, eggs and anchovies, all of which cannot be eaten by vegans.
Instead of eggs, caesar dressing can be made with ingredients such as cashews, mayo, tofu, aquafaba or tahini to give it a similar creamy texture.
Other vegan sauces and dips you will love:
Recipe
Vegan Caesar Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon capers plus juice
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into your Vitamix or other high speed blender and blend well until smooth.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Store this dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- This dressing thickens in the fridge - simply stir in a bit of water to thin it out before using.
- This recipe makes a large batch of dressing so feel free to cut the recipe in half if you want a smaller amount.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Nutrition
Kristie
Delicious!!