Creamy Vegan Caesar Dressing
Are you craving caesar salad, but struggling to find a dairy-free, anchovy-free way? Try this nut-free 3-ingredient Vegan Caesar Dressing!
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My love for caesar salad runs deep and I frequently make it at home for dinner because my family loves it, too. Especially with my homemade garlic croutons. It makes for a great lunch if you add some tofu or chickpeas for that satiating protein element. Of course, store-bought caesar dressings contain dairy, eggs, and anchovies. The good news is that it’s super easy to make at home.
This vegan caesar dressing recipe is:
- super creamy
- made without a blender
- made with 3 ingredients
Ingredients
- Vegan mayo: There are several options out there now for vegan mayo! Hellmann’s (or Best Foods) is my favorite. You can also use plain vegan yogurt.
- Capers: These little balls of salt goodness are a great substitute for anchovies in this dressing. We’ll be using some of the brine in the jar, as well.
- Lemon juice
You may also want to add some water as needed to get the consistency you prefer!
Instructions
This recipe is as simple as whisking together the vegan mayo, capers and caper brine, and lemon juice.
That’s it. No blending or fancy equipment is needed. The days of cashew-based vegan dressings are over!
Substitutions
- Mayo substitute: Try using vegan yogurt as well. Choose a yogurt that is plain and unsweetened.
- Use balsamic vinegar instead of lemon juice
- If you can’t find capers (they are usually located near the olives) or prefer not to use them, just use salt to taste and ¼ teaspoon of thyme.
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Try my recipe for Vegan Ranch next! It has over 200 5-star reviews.
Vegan Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan mayo
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon capers roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons caper brine
- water as needed for consistency
Instructions
- Whisk together all of the ingredients until creamy.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated as of March 9, 2023. If you’re looking for the old recipe, here it is: Blend together 1 cup soaked cashews, ⅔ cup vegan mayo, ¾ cup water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper, and salt to taste.
Magnificent Caesar salad!! And this sauce, OMG …
Thanks so much.
Oh my goodness, this was amazing!!!! I made it along with your chickpea Caesar salad for my dairy loving husband and he couldn’t believe how great it tasted. Thank you!
Excellent! Thank you for leaving a comment!
For anyone thinking about making this – I make it without vegan mayo, extra garlic and Dijon and LOVE it!! I’ve even taken it to omni potlucks, didn’t tell anyone it was vegan and everyone loved it!
Hi greetings from the UK this looks fabulous. I have just stumbled across your blog… looks brilliant. Question…. when the recipe reads 2/3 rd cups. Water does it mean I fill a 1/3 rd cup up twice? OR does it mean that I fill a 1/3rd. cup to 2/3rds? Excuse my ignorance, but I am not familiar with cup measirements
Hi Nina! 2/3 cups is two 1/3 cups. Hope that helps.
I am allergic to hummus as well as nuts and peanuts. Any further suggestions?
My sister is allergic to nuts. Is there something I can use instead of cashews? I really want to try this!
Hmmm, you could try substituting 1 cup of plain hummus for the cashews. I think it would be really good!
I read in a different blog comment someone used white beans (cannellini beans) as a replacement for cashews.
Holy CRAP! I just made this and WOW!!! It’s epic. I will NEVER buy a vegan dressing again. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
YAY!
Do I drain cashews before blending or does the liquid go in there too?
Drain first 🙂