Creamy Vegan Avocado Dressing
Loaded with healthy fats, this creamy vegan avocado dressing recipe may just be your new favorite! This naturally dairy free salad dressing is made with simple, fresh ingredients like ripe avocados, fresh lime juice, vinegar, fresh herbs, and garlic. This is the perfect vegan dressing for salads, burrito bowls, lettuce wraps, or veggie dip platters!
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Avocado dressing was the first salad dressing I ever made from scratch. I was just learning how to cook, and T suggested I make my own dressing one time when we had no salad dressings in the fridge. When I heard this, I scoffed!
I had no idea people made their own dressings for salad. Remember, I said I was JUST learning to cook. I thought there was no way it would ever turn out as good as a salad dressing from a bottle.
Wow, I was wrong! I couldn’t believe I had made my own avocado salad dressing! And now I make my own salad dressings all the time!
Homemade dressings are the best, and SO easy with such simple ingredients. That early version of this updated vegan avocado dressing I’m sharing with you today changed my whole view on the topic. Not only is it simple, but it is so satisfying with so much flavor.
You really must try making your own homemade salad dressings, and this one is a great place to start because it’s easy to make and versatile to use. Once you try it, there’ll be no looking back!
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Why We Love This Avocado Dressing (Vegan)
- Creamy texture: Loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats, avocados are a great plant-based way to create creamy dressings and sauces, and this recipe really highlights that!
- Loads of fresh flavor: Fresh avocado with tangy lime and fresh garlic create a terrifically tangy salad dressing.
- It’s versatile: Not only is this a great vegan salad dressing, but it’s also great as a dipping sauce for things like french fries, sweet potato fries or just baked sweet potatoes
- The recipe is no-cook: Which means it’s a great thing for those hot days when you want something light but definitely don’t want to turn on the oven
Ingredients for Avocado Lime Dressing
You’ll need 9 ingredients to make this creamy salad dressing:
- Ripe avocado – Make sure they’re ripe!
- Limes – Juiced
- Nutritional yeast – If you’re new to nutritional yeast, note that this is NOT interchangeable with things like brewer’s yeast. It’s a deactivated yeast with a savory, nutty flavor that is a staple in most plant-based pantries. You can find it from brands like Red Star and Bob’s Red Mill in many US grocery stores or order it online!
- Extra virgin olive oil – Make sure you use something high-quality for great flavor! We love Botticelli olive oils.
- Water – More or less depending on your desired consistency. Slowly add a little more water for thinner consistency.
- Rice wine vinegar
- Fresh scallions – Chopped and packed firm
- Garlic cloves
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
Substitution Options for This Vegan Creamy Dressing
If you don’t have or can’t tolerate one of the above ingredients, here are our best substitution tips. Remember though, substituting any of the ingredients may lead to a varied degree of difference in the final product. Let us know in the comments if you try any subs and how they work out for you!
For the lime: You can sub lemon juice for lime juice if desired
For the nutritional yeast: A good alternative would be vegan parmesan or half as much ground mustard You can also leave it out if needed. If you cut it entirely, you may need to use less water.
For the olive oil: You can use avocado oil or make it oil-free by subbing a little more vinegar, some vegetable broth (made with our vegan bouillon powder), or even some dry white wine.
For the scallions: Chives, parsley, basil, shallots…even fresh cilantro might be nice. And I’m not even a fan of cilantro!
For the garlic: You can use jarred minced garlic if needed. Substitute 1 Tbsp minced garlic for each garlic clove required in the recipe.
For the vinegar: Feel free to sub white vinegar, rice vinegar, white wine vinegar, or even apple cider vinegar for the rice wine vinegar in this recipe. Just stay away from heavy red wine or balsamic vinegars.
How to Make Dairy Free Avocado Salad Dressing
This vegan avocado dressing could not be simpler to make. Even if you’re a total novice in the kitchen, you’ll love how easy it is to make your own healthy homemade salad dressings! And you’ll feel so accomplished!
Just add all the ingredients to a medium food processor and blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. That’s it! You’ve just made your own dressing!
How to Serve This Perfect Salad Dressing
Use this avocado dressing (with a lovely green colour! ) immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Here are some of our favorite ways to use this creamy avocado dressing:
- Use as a salad dressing on our Southwest Salad recipe with black beans and sweet corn or your favorite summer salad
- Alongside our vegan buttermilk ranch as an avocado dip on a veggie dip tray with plenty of hummus, cherry tomatoes, other veggies for dipping, and crackers.
- Add a drizzle to sandwiches or avocado toast
- Use it as a replacement for sour cream on nachos, tacos, and burrito bowls!
How to Store Leftover Dressing
FRIDGE: Store leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. The acid in the lime juice will help prevent the dressing from turning brown. Squeezing an extra layer of lime juice on top of the avocado dressing before storing can help too!
FREEZER: You can also freeze this dressing in small batches (we like to use our 2 Tbsp or even 1/2 cup Souper Cubes for this) for up to 6 weeks. Freezing in small batches like this will let you defrost exactly what you need and keep the rest fresh!
DEFROST: When ready to defrost, remove the amount of avocado dressing you need and transfer it to an airtight container in the fridge until completely thawed through. The amount of time it takes to thaw will depend on the portion you froze. When completely defrosted, give it a good stir to reincorporate everything and use it within 2-3 days of thawing.
More Vegan Avocado Recipes:
- Creamy Vegan Avocado Ranch Dressing
- Creamy Chickpea Avocado Sandwiches
- Avocado Pesto Barley Risotto
- Avocado Tequila Lime Pasta
When you make this vegan avocado dressing, let us know all about it!
We would SO appreciate it if you left a star rating and review on this post in the comments below. It helps our recipes get to more people like yourself!
We also just love it when you tag us in photos of your beautiful vegan creations on Instagram (we’re @theplantpowercouple with the ‘the’).
Avocado Lime Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 2 limes juiced
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped scallions packed firm
- 4-5 large garlic cloves
- 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- BLEND THE INGREDIENTS: Add all ingredients to a small blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- TO SERVE: Use as a salad dressing, sandwich spread, or veggie dip, a drizzle on tacos or taco salad, burrito bowls or lettuce wraps. We love this dressing on our vegan southwest salad!
- TO STORE: Store leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. The acid in the lime juice will help prevent the dressing from turning brown. Squeezing an extra layer of lime juice on top of the avocado dressing before storing can help too! You can also freeze this dressing in small batches (we like to use our 2 Tbsp Souper Cubes for this) for up to 6 weeks.
Video
Notes
- TEXTURE: You may need more or less water depending on the size and water content of the avocados you're using and the texture you prefer.
- SCALLION OPTIONS: Either chopped scallions or chives can be used.
- FOR OIL-FREE: Feel free to omit the olive oil or replace it with more vinegar, lime juice, and/or water.
- NUTRITIONAL YEAST: This is a deactivated yeast with a savory flavor that is popular in plant-based cooking. It is not interchangeable with things like Brewers' yeast, nor is it the same as the yeast you use to make bread. I wouldn't skip this, but if you must, you can try using 1-2 Tbsp ground mustard.
- Looking for an avocado ranch-style dressing? Check out our Copycat Taco Bell Avocado Ranch Sauce!
- To defrost frozen avocado dressing: When ready to defrost, remove the amount of avocado dressing you need and transfer it to an airtight container in the fridge until completely thawed through. The amount of time it takes to thaw will depend on the portion you froze. When completely defrosted, give it a good stir to reincorporate everything and use it within 2-3 days of thawing.
Nutrition
Click here to watch our Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing Web Story!
