Lemony Paleo Caesar Salad Dressing made dairy-free and paleo-friendly. This may just be the best Caesar Salad Dressing recipe youโ€™ve ever tasted!

Jar of lemony Caesar Salad Dressing

For YEARS, I have been in hot pursuit of the perfect homemade Caesar salad dressing recipe. Well. By George, I think Iโ€™ve got it!

Obviously โ€œthe bestโ€ and โ€œperfectโ€ are up to individual interpretation, so let me just tell you what โ€œperfectโ€ means to me in regards to a Caesar dressing.

  • More vinaigrette-like than creamy/ranch-like
  • SUPER flavorful
  • Lemon-forward
  • Definitely includes anchovy paste (it really isnโ€™t a Caesar without in my opinion!)
  • Less mayonnaise
  • Perfect amount of garlic 

Most recipes for Caesar salad dressing call for a lot of mayonnaise and canola oil. I go very light on the mayo here (1 Tbsp only) and use avocado oil instead of canola. 

The big flavors come from the lemon juice and anchovy paste. The zesty sting is offset by a touch of pure maple syrup (which you can omit if you are keeping it keto). All ingredients combined leaves you with a super fresh and flavorful healthy dressing that is perfect for all your salad needs.

Top down photograph of jar of Caesar salad dressing with lemons and garlic to the side

Ingredients for Caesar Salad Dressing:

Garlic: Lends a great deal of flavor to any salad dressing. I donโ€™t recommend skipping it unless you follow a Low-FODMAP diet…in which case, replace it with an additional tablespoon of stone ground mustard.

Lemon Juice: The star of the show here. The lemon juice boosts the flavor of the dressing and makes it taste extra fresh. Plus, havenโ€™t you heard? Lemon juice is fabulous for digestion and has a kick of Vitamin C.

Avocado Oil: My preference for cooking in general, avocado oil is super light in flavor, which allows the other flavors of a dressing to shine through. Plus, it includes healthy fats.

Mayonnaise: donโ€™t freak out, itโ€™s only 1 Tbsp. If youโ€™re like me and you canโ€™t stand mayo, I get it. We use just a smidge in this recipe to help bind all the ingredients together and keep the texture creamy and uniform.

Anchovy Paste: A little goes a long way! Even if you think you donโ€™t like anchovies, I recommend at least trying it! You can scale it down if need be, but the anchovy paste is what gives the dressing that unmistakable CAESAR flair. I buy mine in a tube in the canned meats section of the grocery store.

Stone Ground Mustard: Adds additional tangy flavor. You can use dijon mustard as well!

Pure Maple Syrup: Not super mandatory, but recommended. You donโ€™t even notice the dressing is particularly sweet with the maple syrup, but without it, you notice the acidity much more. If you follow a low-carb diet or prefer a zero sugar-diet, you can skip it or replace it with a sugar-free sweetener

Parmesan Cheese is an optional add-in. I leave it out because I donโ€™t eat dairy, but for those of you who tolerate dairy well, I HIGHLY recommend the parm! It really adds that authentic Caesar essence.

Top down photo of jar of caesar dressing with bowl of lettuce to the side with a napkin and halved lemons

How to Make Lemony Caesar Salad Dressing:

Add all the ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Bowl of Chicken Caesar Salad

More Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes:

Stay tuned for an epic Caesar Salad Recipe!

Get your Caesar on!

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!

Jar of lemony Caesar Salad Dressing

Lemony Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe

5 from 3 votes
Paleo Caesar Salad Dressing recipe made with lemon juice and avocado oil mayo.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup avocado oil
  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp anchovy paste
  • 2 tsp stone ground mustard
  • 2 tsp pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt to taste
  • 2 Tbsp parmesan grated, optional

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth. Taste for flavor and add more sea salt, anchovy paste, and/or mustard to taste. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Tbsp ยท Calories: 97kcal ยท Carbohydrates: 1g ยท Protein: 1g ยท Fat: 10g ยท Fiber: 1g
Author: Julia
Course: Condiment, Dressing
Cuisine: American
Keyword: broccoli salad, caesar salad, garlic, healthy, lemon, low-carb, paleo
Did You Make This Recipe?I want to see it! Tag @the.roasted.root on social media!

Lemony Paleo Caesar Salad Dressing made mayo-light, paleo, keto, healthy and delicious!

Julia Mueller
Meet the Author

Julia Mueller

Julia Mueller is a recipe developer, cookbook author, and founder of The Roasted Root. She has authored three bestselling cookbooks, – Paleo Power Powers, Delicious Probiotic Drinks, and The Quintessential Kale Cookbook. Her recipes have been featured in several national publications such as BuzzFeed, Self, Tasty, Country Living, Brit.co, etc.

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Questions and Reviews

    1. Hi Anastasia! You can store it for up to 1 week. The dressing should last much longer than that, but I usually play it safe and pitch it if it lasts longer than a week. Enjoy! xo

  1. wow, haven’t really had an alternative to the traditional dressing, thank you, love all of these ingredient swaps, great research and development!