Easy Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

Easy Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

Whip up this easy Caesar salad dressing for a rich, creamy addition to your meal. Perfectly salty and tangy with simple ingredients you can feel good about, this Caesar dressing comes together fast!

One of my favorite salad dressings has always been Caesar salad dressing, but for a long time, I was honestly too scared to make it because it involved eggs and anchovies!

I started making my own salad dressings several years ago, back when I found out that most of them contained hydrogenated oils, and I quickly discovered that making your own salad dressings is also way cheaper!

Thankfully, I’ve overcome my fear and after some testing, I’ve found the perfect, no-fail recipe for homemade Caesar salad dressing!

HOMEMADE CAESAR SALAD DRESSING RECIPE

The best Caesar salad dressing recipe is inspired by my stepmom. Making Caesar dressing was her specialty, and she was so good at it that not only did the kids literally cheer when she served it at family dinners, but she intentionally made extra for us to take home too.

Although I know our methods for making the Caesar dressing are different, mine has her same signature tang and it’s one of the easiest dressings I’ve ever made. And the kids still cheer when I say we’re having Caesar salad for dinner! Here’s why I love this recipe:

  • Simple. It comes together fast with just a few ingredients!
  • Delicious. The whole family LOVES this dressing. It’s perfectly salty, tangy, and creamy.
  • Real food ingredients. No questionable ingredients here!
  • Super easy to make. Combine the ingredients in a blender and that’s it!
  • Customizable. You can easily swap ingredients to tweak this recipe.
Glass jar of homemade Caesar dressing, several cloves of garlic, half of a lemon, and yogurt in a measuring cup.

AUTHENTIC CAESAR DRESSING RECIPE INGREDIENTS

This authentic Caesar dressing recipe uses these simple real food ingredients:

  • Mayonnaise. Here’s how to make it homemade.
  • Yogurt. You can make this too! Use Greek yogurt for a thicker dressing if you like. You could even try replacing some of the yogurt with kefir instead.
  • Spicy brown mustard. Use Dijon mustard or yellow mustard instead if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Garlic cloves. If you don’t have fresh garlic, use ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder for each garlic clove.
  • Worcestershire sauce. This adds to that umami flavor in Caesar dressing.
  • Freshly ground black pepper. Normally we do salt and pepper to taste, but since you get plenty of salty goodness from the anchovies, just pepper is fine here.
  • Anchovy fillets. You can substitute anchovy paste for the fillets in this recipe. I recommend starting with 2 teaspoons. Find canned anchovies near the canned tuna at the grocery store.
  • Fresh lemon juice. If you want more lemon flavor, consider adding some lemon zest as well.

As always, adjust the traditional Caesar dressing ingredients to your own liking. I love the dressing as written, but if you like it saltier, add more anchovies. If you want to make it with more mayo and less yogurt (whether for taste or because of pantry limitations), go for it!

CAN YOU MAKE CLASSIC CAESAR SALAD DRESSING WITHOUT PARMESAN CHEESE?

Many Caesar salad dressing recipes call for adding Parmesan cheese. Parmesan IS a required element in Caesar Salad, but I don’t think it’s necessary for the dressing itself, which is why I do not list it as an ingredient.

As I was developing this recipe, I experimented with several versions of recipes using Parmesan, including grated parmesan cheese, and wasn’t pleased with any of them. When I made my recipe without it, it was a winner!

As a bonus, skipping the Parmesan in the Caesar dressing recipe helps keep our costs down on the dressing, since quality Parmesan cheese is not cheap.

Glass jar of homemade Caesar dressing.

HOW TO MAKE CAESAR DRESSING

You won’t believe how easy this Caesar salad dressing is to make!

Step 1. Simply combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Puree on low until smooth, about 30-45 seconds.

Note: If you are using anchovy paste instead of whole anchovy fillets, you can whisk all of the ingredients together well in a large bowl instead of using the blender. You could also use a small bowl and an immersion blender.

That’s it! It comes together super fast.

Because we’re using homemade mayo without preservatives to make this Caesar dressing, it should be good for about a week in the fridge. Fortunately, this Caesar dressing recipe doesn’t make enormous portions, so using it up before it goes bad shouldn’t be too difficult!

P.S. I LOVE using mason jars for homemade dressing and these lids make it super easy to shake and pour!

Glass jar of homemade Caesar dressing, lemon, and measuring cup of yogurt.

FAVORITE CAESAR SALAD DRESSING RECIPES

Of course, you can serve a classic Caesar salad recipe with Romaine lettuce, croutons, and Parmesan cheese. But these are some of my favorite Caesar salad dressing recipes:

CAESAR SALAD DRESSING FAQS

How do you make Caesar salad dressing without mayo?

Is traditional Caesar salad dressing bad for you?

Personally, I believe that making Caesar salad dressing from scratch is what makes the best Caesar dressing. One of the best parts of making your own homemade Caesar dressing is having 100%, full control over the ingredients. There won’t be any trans fats, artificial sweeteners, or MSG – all of which are ingredients that should be avoided whenever possible.

Does Caesar dressing taste like fish?

Even though this Caesar dressing recipe includes anchovies, it doesn’t taste fishy once it’s blended together. Instead, the anchovies add a savory, salty flavor to the finished dressing. Don’t skip the key ingredients!

MORE EASY SALAD DRESSING RECIPES

Fight Inflation Workshop!

Sign up for my FREE Fight Inflation Workshop and learn simple strategies to save money, even with rising food costs!

Caesar Salad Dressing

Authentic Caesar salad dressing recipe that uses healthy ingredients and is so easy to make! This traditional dressing is great on salads, wraps, & more! :: DontWastetheCrumbs.com

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Whip up this easy Caesar salad dressing for a rich, creamy addition to your meal. Perfectly salty and tangy with simple ingredients you can feel good about, this Caesar dressing comes together fast!

  • Author: Tiffany
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 cups 1x
  • Category: Sauces/Condiments
  • Method: Blender
  • Cuisine: American

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Puree on low until smooth, about 30-45 seconds.

Notes

  • If you are using anchovy paste instead of whole anchovy fillets, you can whisk all of the ingredients together well in a large bowl instead of using the blender. You could also use a small bowl and an immersion blender.

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment below and give it a 5-star rating!

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *