This recipe for dairy free caesar dressing is soon going to become a staple in your kitchen and something you want to top off all of your salads with. It is made using my homemade paleo mayo as the base and prepared with anchovies, red wine vinegar, and fresh garlic. The dressing is dairy free, paleo, keto, and Whole30.
Why is this creamy caesar dressing so good?
This dressing is a STAR. After making it for the first time for my creamy kale caesar salad, I knew I had to make it again and give it its own recipe post.
- It can all be made in a wide mouth glass jar using an immersion blender.
- The dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
- It pairs perfectly with my creamy kale caesar salad. So delicious!
- The dressing is completely dairy free... you could make this for any salad and pleasantly surprised anyone who is dairy free! 🙂
You can absolutely try your hand at making caesar dressing using a blender, and for that, I'd check out:
Caesar Dressing by Gimme Some Oven.
Her recipe looks absolutely delicious and includes freshly grated parmesan cheese- yum!
Homemade caesar dressing ingredients
You don't need much to have this dairy free caesar dressing come together.
- Avocado oil or safflower oil: This will be the base of your dressing. I do not recommend using extra virgin olive oil as the taste will be way too strong.
- Lemon: Please use fresh lemon juice if you can. Sometimes, bottled lemon juice will leave behind a residual after taste that is unpleasant.
- Egg: That is what you will need in order for the dressing to emulsify properly. If you are uncomfortable with eating raw egg, be sure to use pasteurized egg yolks instead.
- Anchovies: These can be found with the canned fish at the grocery store. I like to purchased anchovy filets that are soaking in olive oil.
- Garlic cloves: I love the robust flavor that the raw garlic cloves bring to this dressing. If you are sensitive to the taste of garlic, just cut back to 2 cloves instead.
- Dijon mustard: It really just brings together all of the savory flavors in this dressing.
- Red wine vinegar: More acid to cut through the rich flavors from the anchovies.
I'd recommend starting with ½ teaspoon of salt, tasting the dressing and adding more if needed.
The anchovies are fairly salty on their own, so you won't need much after adding those in!
I even love having this dressing on hand and using it as a dip for roasted veggies... the pairing is really nice.
How to make dairy free caesar dressing
In a glass jar (see notes), pour in the oil. Add egg to the oil and let the ingredients settle for 1 minute.
Take the immersion blender and let it touch the bottom of the container, piercing the egg yolk completely. Turn the immersion blender on and leave it on the bottom for about 20-30 seconds, until the whole bottom has turned white in color.
VERY SLOWLY lift it up to continue emulsifying. This process should take anywhere between 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Continue blending until the mixture has thickened to your desired amount.
Add the rest of the dressing ingredients to the jar. Blend again, moving the blender up and down until smooth and creamy throughout. Set aside.
More Whole30 recipes you'll love:
Dairy Free Whole30 Potato Salad
Dairy Free Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup avocado oil or safflower oil see notes
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 lemon juiced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 5 anchovies
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Instructions
- In a glass jar (see notes), pour in the oil. Add egg to the oil and let the ingredients settle for 1 minute.
- Take the immersion blender and let it touch the bottom of the container, piercing the egg yolk completely. Turn the immersion blender on and leave it on the bottom for about 20-30 seconds, until the whole bottom has turned white in color.
- VERY SLOWLY lift it up to continue emulsifying. This process should take anywhere between 30 seconds to 1 minute. Continue blending until the mixture has thickened to your desired amount.
- Add the rest of the dressing ingredients to the jar. Blend again, moving the blender up and down until smooth and creamy throughout. Set aside.
Notes
- You can alternatively use safflower oil or a light-tasting olive oil for the base of the mayo/dressing.
- You can use 1 ½ tablespoons of apple cider vinegar instead of the lemon juice.
- If your mayo does break, here is an incredible tutorial that will get it emulsified and creamy!
- If you'd like your dressing thinner, simply add in room temperature water 1 tablespoon at a time and stir until it reaches your desired consistency.
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