This quick homemade creamy Caesar dressing is more delicious than store bought and it’s made without raw anchovies or anchovy paste! Caesar salad is one of my favorite comfort foods, and I love being able to easily make it at home.
Caesar Dressing Without Anchovies
Where I live, anchovies and anchovy paste are a hard ingredient to find, so this recipe was born out of necessity. After probably the fifth time that I was looking for anchovies at a store, I finally started wondering “Can Caesar dressing be made without anchovies?” It turns out that yes, it can!
After a little testing, I’m super happy with how this quick homemade salad dressing came out, and I think you’re all going to love it! It’s the perfect mixture of creamy, garlic-infused, and tangy.
Try making an amazing Caesar salad by serving this best Caesar dressing with some homemade garlic croutons, plenty of romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, grilled chicken, and freshly cracked black pepper.
What Can I Substitute For Anchovies In Caesar Dressing?
If you’re wondering “how to make Caesar dressing without anchovies”, this recipe has you covered. Anchovies add a salty and umami flavor, and we’re mimicking it with the combination of Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. If you love the anchovy flavor, you can definitely add more Worcestershire sauce.
Did The Original Caesar Salad Have Anchovies?
Caesar Cardini, the person that Caesar salad is attributed to, actually didn’t use anchovies in his dressing recipe. In fact, it’s said that he opposed them in his recipe.
Why Use Worcestershire Sauce?
Some people search for a homemade Caesar dressing with no anchovies because they can’t find anchovy paste at the store, and some people search for it because they’re vegetarian or can’t eat fish.
Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, so it’s a great addition if you want the flavor but can’t find anchovy paste. My favorite brand of traditional Worcestershire sauce is Lea & Perrins.
What Type Of Oil Should I Use?
I used grapeseed oil, but you could also vegetable oil. The key is to use a neutral tasting oil so that the oil doesn’t overpower the flavor of the dressing. If you want to use olive oil, I’d recommend using extra light olive oil.
Do I Have To Use Mayonnaise?
I’d recommend using it if you can. It allows us to skip using raw eggs in the dressing, and it also helps speed up the emulsifying process.
Do I Need To Use a Food Processor?
This dressing needs to emulsified to become creamy, and that’s a lot easier to accomplish with either a food processor or a high speed blender. You can whisk it by hand if you’d like, just be prepared that it will be a lot more work.
How To Make It Vegan
You’ll need to substitute both the mayonnaise and the Worcestershire sauce for vegan varieties. My favorite vegan gluten free brand or Worcestershire sauce is The Wizard’s Worcestershire Sauce. My favorite vegan mayonnaise brand for this recipe is the Follow Your Heart Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise.
Is It Keto?
Yes, this recipe is keto friendly and low carb as it is written.
Is It Gluten Free?
As long as you use a certified gluten free Worcestershire sauce, this recipe will be gluten free.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
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Caesar Dressing Without Anchovies Recipe
This quick homemade creamy Caesar dressing is more delicious than store bought and it’s made without raw anchovies or anchovy paste!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 medium garlic cloves (pressed)
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce *(see notes, contains anchovies, optional - but recommended)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Blend until the ingredients are pureed.
- Very slowly pour the oil into the food processor while it’s pureeing until the mixture has thickened and emulsified. If you’re worried that you’ll pour it in too quickly, it’s best to do this a Tablespoon at a time.
- Add in the parmesan cheese and pulse about 5 or 6 times.
Notes
*For this recipe to be gluten free, it's very important to make sure that you're using a certified gluten free Worcestershire sauce.
*Some people search for a homemade Caesar dressing with no anchovies because they can’t find anchovy paste at the store, and some people search for it because they’re vegetarian or can’t eat fish. Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, so it’s a great addition if you want the flavor but can’t find anchovy paste. If you need this dressing to have no fish, then either omit the Worcestershire sauce or replace it with a vegan Worcestershire sauce. The favorite brand of traditional Worcestershire sauce is Lea & Perrins, and my favorite vegan gluten free brand is The Wizard’s Worcestershire Sauce.
If you want this recipe to be egg-free, replace the mayonnaise with a vegan brand. My favorite brand for this recipe is the Follow Your Heart Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/12Amount Per Serving: Calories: 143Total Fat: 14.8gCarbohydrates: 1.2gNet Carbohydrates: 1.1gFiber: 0.1gSugar: 0.2gProtein: 1.3g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Make your own Caesar dressing at home with this quick and delicious recipe!
35 thoughts on “Caesar Dressing Without Anchovies Recipe”
Easy to make and has tons of flavor. Thanks so much.
Hi Annie, So happy to hear you liked this homemade Caesar dressing! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback, I really appreciate it. -Alexa
Hi! Just FYI that Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies!
Hi Alissa, Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! Worcestershire sauce does contain anchovies, which is why the recipe was written with it being optional. It was also addressed in both the notes and the article for the recipe. The tricky thing with this search term is that some people look it up because they can’t find anchovies in the store, and some people look it up because they can’t or don’t want to eat anchovies. I did my best to give both sets of people the best available option for them, and included a recommendation for a vegan brand of Worcestershire sauce for the people that want the flavor without using a fish ingredient. I appreciate you taking the time to comment! -Alexa
How far in advance of use can I make this? Thank you!
Hi Donna, This should last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Hope that helps! -Alexa
If I don’t have grape seed oil is light olive okay to use?
Hi Kim, Yes, light olive oil should work well. Please let me know how it turns out for you! -Alexa
Made this for the first time this morning. It is excellent tasting and I will be making this on a regular basis.
Oh and I used Extra Light Olive Oil !!!
Hi Debbie, So happy to hear you enjoyed this easy Caesar dressing recipe! Thanks so much for leaving feedback. -Alexa
We loved it! Used vegan Worcestershire sauce and because it seemed a tad tangy, added a but more mayo and pepper. It’s a keeper!
Excellemente! Best homemade salad dressing I have ever made. Better than restaurant Caesar Salads. So glad you posted. Thank you.
Awesome!
I make this exact recipe every week for our after church salad potluck. I’ve had people tell me the main reason they come to church is for my Caesar salad. Lol
Hi Ernest, That’s so awesome – so happy to hear everyone’s enjoying this Caesar dressing so much! Thanks so much for the feedback. -Alexa
I have never liked store bought dressing. I only use sherry vinegar and olive oil. I saw this recipe and Gabe it a try, my oh my I have become a convert. The only ingredient i exchanged for the anchovies is I added a tablespoon of capers I had none at home. This is a keeper. Delicious
Hi Yolanda, I agree – homemade salad dressings always taste better than store bought ones. So happy to hear you like this Caesar dressing! -Alexa
Quickly made this recipe before company was coming, just read the ingredients but didn’t follow the instructions properly as I ended up putting the oil in with everything and blending it, but it still turned out amazing even after I pulsed the Parmesan cheese in. I also substituted regular mustard for Dijon and canola oil for grapeseed oil as that is what I had on hand. Will definitely use this recipe over and over thank you! Delicious
Made this for an evening dinner with friends. Absolutely wonderful recipe! Enjoyed by all. It is light, very tasty, lemony – just what I’ve been looking for awhile. Will be making this a lot as my go to best Caesar dressing. Thank you so much. Happy holidays!
This is our new go-to salad dressing! Not buying dressing at store anymore! Question: can I substitute mayo with yogurt? Or will it change the flavor too much?
Hi Stephanie, I included the mayo to speed up the emulsifying process, and yogurt wouldn’t have the same effect. Hope that helps and so happy to hear you like this recipe so much! -Alexa
I just made this recipe and it’s delicious. My husband said it’s the best Caesar salad I’ve made. I sprinkled on sunflower seeds as my crouton to reduce carbs. Of course I was out of anchovies so using Worcestershire sauce was an easy sub for me. I did add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice, extra teaspoon of pre-minced garlic clove (blasphemous to some people but so convenient) and I used extra virgin olive oil (I can’t taste it since the other ingredients are so strong but I love the taste of olive oil) and a tablespoon of capers after tasting the sauce. The capers do make it tastes so “authentic”.
Because I was lazy, I threw all the ingredients into my nutribullet and the sauce came out fine. I just had to mix once with a small spatula since the Mayo stuck to the bottom. Next time, I will dump the oil down first so I won’t have to open and mix at all with the spatula. Thanks for a great and easy recipe!
Genius! I’m making this now and was planning on tossing everything into the magic bullet. Going to add the olive oil first… Thanks for the tip!
This recipe is perfect! I was craving a Caesar salad and could’ve sworn I had anchovies. I didn’t, and I definitely wasn’t going back to the store! But with this recipe, I may never add them again! Thank you!
This recipe is easy and perfect, exactly as written.
I made this dressing yesterday for a family dinner. First time I’ve made it. Everybody said how amazing it was, and my daughter begged for the leftover dressing so she could use it throughout the week. I’ll DEFINITELY be making this again instead of buying store-bought from now on!!! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe with us!!
Fantastic! I’ve been searching for a Caesar dressing I’d love just as much as Outback’s old recipe minus anchovies because my husband hates them, and this is it! I had to use red wine vinegar because that’s what I had on hand, as well as canola oil. I grated my garlic on a rasp grater so it would just disappear into the dressing. This was perfect. Thank you. My search is over.
Can this dressing be made without the Parmesan cheese for someone lactose in tolerance?
Hi Lisa, Yes, you can make this Caesar dressing without the Parmesan cheese for someone who is lactose intolerant. The Parmesan cheese provides a bit of saltiness and umami flavor in traditional Caesar dressing, but the dressing will still have plenty of flavor without it thanks to the garlic, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. If you want to replace the Parmesan with a non-dairy substitute, you could try adding a bit of nutritional yeast. If you miss the thicker consistency that the cheese provides, you could use a bit more mayonnaise. Just remember to taste and adjust the dressing as needed. You might need to add a bit more salt, since Parmesan cheese is quite salty, or more lemon juice or garlic for additional flavor. Hope that helps! -Alexa
Thanks for the quick response!!! It was absolutely delicious. I just added a bit more mayonnaise!
Hi there
I made this recipe – very good! I tasted it just before I added the Parm and nearly didn’t add it because it was pretty much perfect without it. I added it anyway and it’s lovely but next time I think I may withhold the Parm or only do a couple tablespoons. Anyway, as a vegetarian, I used A-1 Steak Sauce (no meat products) instead of Worcestershire. With or without the Parm, it’s a very good and easy recipe with simple and common ingredients. I used my immersion blender instead of my Cuisinart. Much easier clean up.
Delish – thanks!
This was DELICIOUS! So easy. So flavorful. It is my new GoTo for Ceasar salad. I’m also going to make a thick vegetable dip out of it.
I make this all the time. My daughter requested it for a party tomorrow. I am not fond of anchovies so this was perfect. I always double the recipe so I will have leftover dressing for other food. Love love it.
Fun fact. Ceasar Salad was never intended to have anchovies in it, and not should it.