Author: This ultra-creamy Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing tastes shockingly close to classic Caesar, but it's completely dairy-free, egg-free, and oil-free. Made with simple pantry ingredients and blended cashews, this silky dressing comes together in minutes and is perfect for salads, wraps, bowls, or dipping veggies.
This vegan Caesar dressing is thick enough to coat every bite of lettuce and packed with bold, savory flavor, all made from wholesome ingredients you likely already have on hand. No anchovies and no raw eggs needed. Just a handful of simple ingredients that blend into the creamiest, dreamiest dressing. Bonus: it thickens as it chills, making it perfect for dipping too.
Why This Vegan Caesar Dressing Works
- Ultra creamy texture: Blended cashews create that classic thick, silky consistency without dairy or oil.
- Bold, authentic flavor: Dijon, capers, lemon, and nutritional yeast combine to mimic that traditional umami depth of Caesar dressing.
- Oil-free: You get all the richness without any added oil.
- Quick to make: Just blend and chill. This is an easy 5-minute recipe!
Ingredients for Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
- Raw cashews: As with Vegan Cashew Ranch Dressing, the cashews blend into a smooth, creamy texture that forms the base of the dressing.
- Water: Helps blend everything into a pourable consistency.
- Lemon juice: Provides brightness and that signature Caesar tang.
- Nutritional yeast: For savory, cheesy depth and umami flavor without Parmesan.
- Dijon mustard: Brings sharpness and complexity.
- Capers: The secret to mimicking anchovy flavor. They add saltiness and briny depth.
- Garlic: Essential for that bold, garlicky Caesar kick.
- Salt and pepper: Adjust to taste to bring everything together.
How to Make Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
- Combine: If needed, soften the cashews by boiling for about 10 minutes until tender, or soak overnight in cold water. Drain and add to a blender along with the water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, capers, and garlic.
- Blend: Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Adjust the texture: The dressing may look slightly thin at first, but it thickens as it chills. Use less water for a thicker dressing or add a splash more for a pourable consistency. Chill before serving for best flavor.
- Serve: Use immediately or chill for at least 30 minutes to thicken and deepen the flavor. Toss with romaine for a classic Caesar salad, or use as a dip, spread, or drizzle for wraps, bowls, and roasted veggies.
Recipe Variations
- Extra garlicky: Add another clove of garlic if you love a bold garlic flavor (just note raw garlic is potent).
- Extra-thick: Reduce the water to ¾ cup and blend, adding more only if needed (it thickens even more as it chills).
- Tangier: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons more lemon juice.
- More briny: Add an extra teaspoon of caper brine.
- Nut substitutes: Use blanched almonds, macadamia nuts, or raw sunflower seeds instead of cashews. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes to soften.
How to Use Vegan Caesar Dressing
This dressing is amazing on:
- Classic Caesar salad with romaine, croutons, and vegan parmesan
- Kale Caesar salad
- Wraps and sandwiches (try it in a Vegan BLT instead of mayo)
- Grain bowls
- As a veggie dip
- Drizzled over roasted potatoes or tofu (try it with The Best Air Fryer Tofu)
Storage
Store your vegan Caesar dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. The dressing thickens as it chills, and the flavor deepens after a day or two. Stir or shake before using.
If you try this vegan Caesar salad dressing recipe, let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing (Creamy, Garlicky & 5 Minutes!)
This ultra-creamy Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing tastes shockingly close to the classic Caesar, but it's totally dairy-free, egg-free, and oil-free. Made with simple pantry ingredients and blended cashews, this silky dressing comes together in minutes and is perfect for salads, wraps, bowls, or dipping veggies.
Servings: (makes about 2 ½ cups)
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Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup water, (or as needed)
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 teaspoons capers
- 1 large clove garlic
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Softening the cashews (optional): Softening the cashews helps them blend into a smooth and creamy dressing. If you have a high-powered blender you can skip this step, but if not, softening is recommended. To soften, add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until very tender. Alternatively, cover the cashews with cold water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse before using.
- Blend the dressing: Add the cashews, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, Dijon, capers, and garlic to your blender and blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Adjust the texture: Don't worry if the dressing seems thin at first. It thickens as it chills. Use less water for a thicker dressing, or add a splash more for a classic pourable Caesar consistency.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. The dressing continues to thicken as it cools, and the flavor melds beautifully by day two.
Cashew substitutes: Use blanched almonds, macadamia nuts, or raw sunflower seeds. Boil any of these options for 10–15 minutes to soften. They won’t blend quite as silky, but they’re still delicious.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (2 tablespoons) | Calories: 40kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
Alyssa McCord says
SO GOOD!!!!!! This is the first recipe I've made of yours and WOW! So very good! You are a beautiful genius!
Sam says
Awww thank you!!! Yeah, it's still one of my most favourite dressing recipes 🙂
angie s says
Dang. This was REALLY good!!! Thank you for a great recipe that I'll return to over and over!
Sam says
Haha! You're welcome Angie!! So happy you loved it 😀
Elise says
I can't wait to make this. Do you use raw or roasted cashews? Thank you.
Sam says
Hi Elise!
Raw cashews work best. Enjoy the recipe!
Anna says
Wow. Just made this...it is honestly better than the bottled Ceasar dressing that has been my favorite for years. Thanks for making something so delicious and nutritious! I'm a total convert.
Sam says
Awww shucks!! That's the best Anna! So very happy you loved the recipe so much! (And I agree, way better and more nutritious than bottled).
Priscilla says
Can almonds do the job??? :))
Sam says
I've never tried them. My guess is they won't be as creamy. Cashews have an awesome creamy texture when blended, so I tend to use them a lot in sauces for that reason. Not sure how it will turn out with almonds, but you are welcome to try! If you do, I recommend using almonds without skins, and boiling or soaking the almonds so they are soft and bendable. If you give it a go, let us know how it turns out!
Christina says
I am soooooo excited to try this!!!! I recently found out I'm allergic to dairy and have been craving a Caesar salad but they all have milk 🙁 Thanks so much!
Sam says
You're sooooooo welcome Christina! Haha. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Ole-E. Nesse says
Hello Samantha!
This sounds and look like something I NEED to (un)cook! Wow!
And btw, LUVE your URL! Made me laugh out loud! XD
/Ole
Sam says
Haha! Thank you Ole-E.! So happy to have you here. I hope you love the recipe 😀
Anj says
This sound delicious. Is nutritional yeast the same kind of yeast that you actually bake with? Turkey bacon is the staple in our house 🙂 YUM
Sam says
Hi Anj,
No, nutritional yeast is a different thing. It isn't an active yeast and has no rising properties. You can find nutritional yeast in in the health food section of your grocery store. It's a flaky yellow powdery looking stuff and it has a sort of cheesy nutty taste. I use it in a lot in my recipes because I love the umami flavour it provides! I'm a big fan of mushroom bacon in my house 😀
Nancy says
OMG, this looks delicious!
Sam says
Thank you Nancy!
staci says
Can this be made yeast free? I just learned I'm sensitive to yeast and am looking for new ideas. No yeast, dairy, or eggs.
Sam says
Hi Staci,
Welcome! Yes, the yeast here is for flavour. So it might be a bit bland, but it will work fine, just add more seasonings as desired. Enjoy!
Madelyne says
Can this be made with macadamia nuts??
Sam says
Welcome Madelyne!
I don't see why not. I haven't tried it myself, but usually macadamia nuts work great for any creamy textures as well. If you give it a try, let us know how it turns out 🙂
Susan R says
I thank you for bringing capers back into my life! hehe This is my new fav dressing. Ive made it 3 times in 2 weeks 🙂 The faux bacon adds something special for sure. tastes even better the next day! Thanks again!
Sam says
Hi Susan,
Welcome 😀
So happy you love the dressing as much as I do! It does get better, I always make a double batch because you can never have too much delicious dressing around!
Anonymous says
Do you have any substitutes for the capers? Or do you think it would work out without adding them?
Sam says
You could just leave them out. I use them to replace the anchovy favour of non-vegan caesar salad dressings, but leaving them out won't make a huge difference. You could also try a bit of the juice from a dill pickle jar.
jen says
This may b a funny question but do I put the lake in the dressing
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Jen,
The lake? Do you mean the kale? If you do, no don't put it in the dressing. Just use the dressing on whatever kind of salad you like! (Doesn't have to be kale).
Brittni says
How much kale do you use?
Samantha Turnbull says
However much you like! The dressing makes enough for about 4 servings, so dress to your taste. 🙂
Lissa @ Kitchen Rebellion says
This recipe looks so great! I have been craving creamy salad dressings lately and have had my eye out for a creamed cashew based one 🙂
Also, this New Zealand based lady thanks you for NOT including a product like Vegannaise (sp?) in the ingredient list. There is literally nothing like that available here - and either way it is always way more awesome to make something completely from scratch!
Samantha Turnbull says
Thank you Lissa! I try to use mostly whole foods, products like veganaise are convenient but I know not everyone has access to them. From scratch is totally the best!! This is honestly my favourite salad dressing recipe. I often double it so I can have monstrous salads all week long! haha
Natasha says
Does anyone know about how much dressing this recipe makes? Thanks! 🙂
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Natasha! It will make about 1 cup of dressing. Enough for about 4 servings.
Anonymous says
About 1 1/2 cups. Or 3/4 of a pint jar. It's wonderful!!!
Samantha Turnbull says
Thank you for sharing! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Laura Lee says
Even my boyfriend liked it....that's big because he likes to stick with his same old (non healthy) store bottle salad dressing. I LOVED it with lots of simulated bacon bits on top. I'll have to make it for potluck, picnics this summer
itdoesnttastelikechicken says
Haha! Love the boyfriend test! ...although mine seems to like everything I make, which isn't a very good test. Isn't it weird that those simulated bacon bits are actually vegan!? So glad you loved it...you are making me want to go on a picnic now.
Kate Blackburn says
Just made this for lunch and it was GOOD! Thanks so much for the recipe. 😀
itdoesnttastelikechicken says
Hi Kate. Yay! So glad you liked it too. 🙂
Connie Trowbridge says
ohhhhhh mannn! You are speaking my language! I LOVE salads. I used to be very anti-salad (sad I know) and didn't even eat one until I was in my early-mid 20's. Now I have them every day, and like you, they are the main attraction not a side dish. My husband laughs, because I'll sit with this HUGE serving salad bowl and eat right out of it. It's the only one big enough to hold all the salad I want! I can't wait to try this dressing, I'm printing it as we speak. My usual one does consist of vegenaise and it will be awesome to make a dressing without it. Rock on girlfriend!
itdoesnttastelikechicken says
Haha! Thanks Connie!! I too have serving bowl sized salads. If you're going to eat a salad for a meal, it's really the only way. I look at a salad fork and am always confused that it isn't the larger one!
Nena says
Hello,
Can I make this dressing and freeze it for later use?