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    Home » Sauces + Dips

    Vegan Cashew Caesar Salad Dressing (Oil-Free)

    Modified: May 26, 2020 | Published: May 26, 2020 by Bree Sheree

    12776 shares

    This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) should you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclaimer for more information.

    Jump to Recipe
    Caesar salad and a bottle of Caesar dressing with text that says Vegan Cashew Caesar Dressing.

    This cashew Caesar salad dressing is vegan, dairy-free, oil-free, and gluten-free. It is creamy and delicious, and is perfect drizzled on top of a bed of romaine lettuce.

    Bottle of white caesar dressing overflowing on a table with cashews, garlic cloves, and half a lemon.

    Have you been looking for a way to make a tasty vegan Caesar salad? Look no further, because this super easy Caesar dressing recipe is exactly what you need!

    Raw cashews make this dressing super creamy! They are a great based for several creamy vegan sauces, dressings, and dips.

    Garlic adds a strong flavour to this recipe to create the classic Caesar dressing taste that you love!

    A bowl of romaine lettuce topped with white creamy dressing, and cashews, garlic, and lemon on the table.

    Ingredients

    This recipe is made with only 6 simple ingredients (one of which is water). No nutritional yeast, and no oil of any kind!

    Here is what you'll need:

    • Raw cashews (no salt added!)
    • Water
    • Dijon mustard
    • Garlic (cloves or powder)
    • Fresh lemon juice
    • Ground black pepper

    How to make this vegan Caesar dressing

    The first thing you may need to do before making this recipe, is soak your cashews. If you have a high-powered blender or food processor this step may be skipped. I have a Vitamix and it is able to whip this dressing up into a perfectly smooth texture with no soaking at all.

    If you need to soak your cashews, place them in a bowl and cover with water. Let sit for several hours (I recommend at least 3, but the longer they soak, the smoother the dressing will be).

    If you're in a pinch and you know that your food processor or blender will not be able to handle the cashews without softening them first, you can boil them on the stove for at least 15 minutes. Then drain the water and they should be ready to use.

    Once your cashews are ready, decide if you'll be using garlic powder or garlic cloves. I find the cloves yield a stronger taste, but you can definitely use powder if that's what you have.

    White Caesar dressing being poured onto a bowl or green romaine lettuce.

    If using garlic powder, just toss all ingredients into your food processor or high-powered blender and blend until smooth.

    If using garlic cloves, chop them up then blend them with the water before adding the other ingredients. I recommend doing this because I find it breaks the garlic cloves up more evenly. I have tested this recipe several times, and I found that even when using my Vitamix, I was left with some fairly large chunks of garlic that left the dressing with an uneven distribution of flavour when I mixed everything all together at once. Blending the garlic cloves with water first solves this issue. It may foam up, but that will disappear upon mixing in the other ingredients!

    Close up of half a bowl of Romaine lettuce covered in white Caesar dressing.

    Tips

    Garlic creates the main taste of this recipe. To me, a classic Caesar salad dressing needs to be super garlicky, but not everyone will like the same amount. I recommend starting with less, then do a taste test and add more as desired.

    If using garlic cloves, start with two small cloves of about 3 grams each. If using garlic powder, start with 1.5 teaspoons.

    I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the healthiest dressing. Make sure you don't add any seeds, because they may yield a bitter taste.

    Storing this dressing

    This dressing should be store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It keeps fairly well for up to 5 days, and possibly a bit longer.

    This cashew Caesar dressing will thicken upon refrigeration, but it is still pourable for salads!

    A bowl of romaine lettuce covered in white dressing.

    Uses

    Of course this dressing is great on a salad. I like to pour it on a bed of romaine lettuce. You may also want to add other veggies such as cucumber, and possibly some plant-based croutons or coconut bacon.

    I even enjoy pouring this dressing onto rice bowls or a baked potato.

    This dressing is quite thick and creamy, so it's also great as a dip! Use it as a dip for veggies and tortilla chips.

    You can also spread this vegan Caesar dressing onto a wrap!

    If you are looking for more whole-foods plant-based oil-free dressings, check out this maple Dijon dressing as well!

    Recipe

    Bottle of white caesar dressing filled to the top with cashews, garlic cloves, and half a lemon on the table.
    Print Recipe
    4.75 from 4 votes

    Vegan Cashew Caesar Salad Dressing (Oil-Free)

    This cashew Caesar salad dressing is vegan, dairy-free, oil-free, and gluten-free. It is creamy and delicious, and is perfect drizzled on top of a bed of romaine lettuce.
    Total Time20 minutes mins
    Course: Condiment, dressing
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 73kcal
    Author: Bree Sheree

    Ingredients

    • 1 medium clove of garlic or ½ teaspoon garlic powder – SEE NOTE BELOW
    • ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons water
    • 1 cup cashews
    • 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 3 teaspoons capers

    Instructions

    • If you do not have a high-powered blender or food processor, start by soaking your cashews. You can soak them in a bowl for a few hours or overnight, or you can boil them on the stove for about 15 minutes. Then drain the water and your cashews are ready to use. You will need to cool them down with cold water if you intend on consuming the dressing immediately after making. I use a Vitamix and soaking isn’t necessary, so it depends on what appliance you’re using.
    • Chop your garlic and add it to your blender or food processor with the water. Blend these two ingredients first to allow the garlic to break up evenly. If you are able to finely grate your garlic or if you are using garlic powder, this step is not necessary.
    • Add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

    Notes

    Makes about 1 ¼ cups of dressing. Serving size is 2 tablespoons. 
    The amount of garlic is based on preference. I suggest starting with less and adding more as desired. So, start with about 2 small cloves or 1 medium clove and once everything is blended, give it a taste and blend in another clove if desired. For me the ideal amount is about 6 grams of garlic, but some people may think that is way too much. If you are using garlic powder, start with ½ teaspoon and add more to taste.
    Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutrition Disclaimer

    Nutrition information is an estimate generated from a nutrition calculator. There may be errors here or variations based on ingredients you use.

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    12776 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Simone Goyeneche

      February 27, 2025 at 12:37 pm

      5 stars
      I have been searching for a vegan Caesar dressing that tastes like Caesar dressing and this one is quite good. I will be making it again because it also worked so well as an Alfredo substitute.

      Reply
      • Bree Sheree

        March 10, 2025 at 11:42 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed this vegan caesar dressing! Great idea using it as an alfredo substitute as well!

        Reply
    2. Amy

      January 29, 2023 at 4:34 pm

      I didn’t have cashews or capers so made this with mayo and put a little shredded cheese in it. Delicious! Thank you!

      Reply
    3. Nikki

      February 24, 2022 at 1:08 pm

      5 stars
      This is definitely going to be a repeat around here. Super recipe! (I doubled the fresh garlic because we LOVE garlic. I can't wait for salad time!) Thank you!

      Reply
    4. Jeri

      June 23, 2021 at 8:23 am

      4 stars
      I've been trying lots of vegan ceasar dressings lately. I've never used cashews before so wanted to taste the difference. I had to add more lemon juice, grated lemon rind, more garlic and some vegan worscestershire sauce & caper brine to this recipe. I like my dressing tart and this was a bit sweeter than I would like probably due to the cashews. I am hoping when it's colder from refrigeration, it will be less sweet. I've used Vegan mayonnaise or hummus in other recipes and it has the flavor I enjoy. I'm still giving it a 4 star because it is easy to make and uses few ingredients and I'm sure others would love it!!

      Reply
    5. Dwana

      January 21, 2021 at 9:41 am

      How is this vegan if you're using capers??

      Reply
      • Bree Sheree

        January 21, 2021 at 5:41 pm

        Capers are vegan! A quick online search can help you understand what they are if you want more info about them 🙂

        Reply
      • Josse

        March 21, 2021 at 5:53 am

        5 stars
        Capers are flower buds.

        Reply
    6. Christina

      January 12, 2021 at 5:02 pm

      Love this recipe!
      Taste delicious!

      Reply

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