Homemade Creamy Caesar Dressing

This Homemade Creamy Caesar Dressing recipe rivals any store bought dressing I have ever tried. This recipe is made with lots of fresh parmesan cheese, garlic, and mustard, but no raw eggs or anchovies.


Homemade Creamy Caesar Dressing in a small mason jar on a white and teal paisley background.

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I consider myself a caesar dressing snob.  Well, maybe not a snob, but I like what I like.  I've found that most people are incredibly picky when it comes to dressing choices.

I have tried bottle after bottle of caesar salad dressing on my favorite caesar salad recipe and have only come up with one brand that I will buy on a consistent basis. It's Ken's Steakhouse creamy caesar dressing for those of you wondering. But, unfortunately, none of them ever came close to the cheesy, garlicky, creamy dressing of my dreams.

Until now.

Mark my words, I will never buy creamy caesar salad dressing from the store again. This dressing is spot on what I have been looking for, but could never find in a bottle.  The best part?  I already had every single thing I needed to make this dressing in my pantry.

So, what makes it so good?  First, there's the garlic.  I looooove me some garlic, so I always go a little overboard.  This batch was...potent.  Let's just say you wouldn't have wanted to have a conversation with me after I ate it.  Especially if you're a vampire.

Homemade Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing in a small mason jar with a teal and white paisley background.

Then, there's all of that glorious grated parmesan cheese.  Cheese is up there in my top three favorite foods of all time and there's plenty of it in this recipe.  I have been a cheese lover forever and I think I could live on just cheese if I had to.

I'm also big on mustard, but that's a more recent food love for me.  Horseradish mustard?  Drool.  I adore it.  But, not for this recipe.  For this one, we use a nice coarse ground variety.  Yum.

What this recipe doesn't have is the traditional raw egg.  Sorry to those of you who are going to chastise me for not going all the way to the classic caesar's roots with this one.  BUT, mayo is made from eggs.  So there.  Close enough for me.

I didn't use anchovies, either.  Go ahead, I'll duck while you throw things at me. A "real" caesar has them, but I don't keep them in the pantry (who does?), so I went with Worcestershire sauce, which is made from anchovies.  Again, close enough for me.

If you have been searching for the perfect creamy, cheesy, bold, and garlicky caesar salad dressing recipe that you can make at home, I implore you to try this recipe.  It is truly the best!

A food processor with minced garlic in it.

How To Make Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

It is super easy to make delicious, creamy, bold caesar salad dressing at home. All you have to do is process garlic, mayonnaise, mustard, ground mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire, parmesan cheese, and olive oil in your food processor. It takes just five minutes! See below for a detailed ingredients list and instructions.

Caesar Salad Dressing Ingredients

The basic ingredients in this caesar salad dressing are common items you probably already have in your pantry! Here are my tips and ingredient recommendations:
  • Garlic: Stick with fresh garlic cloves for this caesar recipe as opposed to pre-minced.
  • Mayonnaise: To keep things simple, mayo is used instead of raw eggs.
  • Mustard: A coarse grain mustard add texture and flavor, but dijon will also work.
  • Ground Mustard: Pump up the mustard flavor with powdered ground mustard.
  • Vinegar: I recommend white wine vinegar, but red wine vinegar works as well.
  • Worcestershire: Skip the anchovies and use bold Worcestershire sauce.
  • Parmesan Cheese: I like to use fresh grated parmesan from a block for the fullest flavor.
  • Olive Oil: Extra virgin, the good stuuf.

Fresh parmesan cheese, garlic, mustard and mayo in a food processor.

Homemade Caesar Dressing Variations

While I think this creamy caesar dressing is perfect as is, don't be afaid to mix it up and get creative with it. Try one of these fun and tasty variations:
  • Horseradish twist: Use horseradish mustard in place of the whole grain mustard.
  • Lighten it up: Use light mayo to cut a few calories off the top.
  • Change the cheese: Try using another hard, salty cheese like asiago in place of the parmesan.

What To Do With Leftover Caesar Dressing

Caesar dressing is not just for chicken caesar salads! Here are a few ways to use this homemade caesar dressing recipe:

Fresh cracked black pepper is added to Homemade Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing.

Storing Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

Store caesar salad dressing in an air tight container in your refrigerator for up to one week...if it lasts that long!

More Yummy Salad Dressing Recipes

Looking for more awesome homemade salad dressing recipes? Check out these popular recipes from the archives:


Homemade Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing in a food processor.


If you try this recipe, I'd love to know what you think in the comments below. Enjoy!



Homemade Creamy Caesar Dressing

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 5 MINUTES
Cook time: 0 MINUTES
Total time: 15 MINUTES
This Homemade Creamy Caesar Dressing recipe rivals any store-bought dressing I have ever tried. This recipe is made with lots of fresh parmesan cheese, garlic, and mustard, but no raw eggs or anchovies.

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INGREDIENTS

2 cloves garlic
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons coarse grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In your food processor, process the garlic until minced.  Add the mayonnaise, mustard, ground mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire, and parmesan cheese.  Begin processing, then slowly add the olive oil while the machine is on.  Process until the dressing reaches your desired consistency.  To thin, add a little more olive oil.  Add the pepper and pulse until combined.


NOTES

I got the little yellow wooden spoon pictured above at Crystal Springs Museum of Modern Art while on my trip for No Kid Hungry in Arkansas.  I'd love for you to check out the post I wrote about it if you've got time!

Author: Becky Tarala

Adapted from Simply Scratch

Nutrition data should not be considered a guarantee. Please see our full Nutrition Data Disclosure.


25 comments

  1. Oh yum! I love Caesar, but always feel a little bit leery about the raw egg and anchovies, so this is perfect! Can't wait to try it. Curious what you mean by coarse grain mustard. Can you recommend a brand? I'm not much of a mustard connoisseur and only stock regular and the spicy brown version.

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    1. Do a google search for it and the photos will show you what it is. I don't buy it regularly, but it definitely is available in your local grocery store.

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    2. Worcester sauce has anchovies in it...

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    3. Not all brands have anchovy.

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  2. It says no eggs... but surely the mayo contains eggs?

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    1. I meant a raw eggs like traditional caesar. :) I will edit the post to clarify.

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  3. Thank you! I don't like anchovies or egg either so this recipe is just what I needed!

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  4. What kind of mayonnaise do you use/recommend?

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  5. Excellent recipe, I did add a bit more parmesan and extra pepper. Thank you. It is going to be my go to Cesar's dressing recipe.

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  6. Oh my gosh yes to all the nasty bottled ones! I've been making my own for years, but always felt like it was missing something... The wort was it! Delish! Thank you.

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  7. I so love Caesar Salad–I’m going to bookmark this and make it for lunch next week!

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  8. This recipe is really good. A "Keeper" for sure!

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  9. BY FAR, the BEST Caesar dressing I have ever made or tasted from the bottle.... I will keep this jarred in my refrig!

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  10. I've made three times now and have deleted all my other pinned Caesar dressing recipes!

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  11. I swapped out the white wine vinegar for lemon juice instead. Soooo good! My new fav Caesar dressing.

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  12. How long does this last in the refrigerator?

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  13. Just curious if you could add anchovy paste with this recipe?

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  14. Hi, mine tasted bitter, I think 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard did that. I will try next time without but I wasn’t impressed.

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  15. just found this recipe, out the clear blue, made a batch just for a trial run and was more than please with the results! i have to confess that i do add anchovies, which only enhances this outstanding recipe--after 45 years in the restaurant business -- I HIGHLY ENDORSE, THIS IS A KEEPER!!

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    1. How much anchovies did you add?

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  16. Loved your recipe!…..second time I made it found no mayo in fridge but had plain greek style yogurt…..excellent sub!

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  17. I’ve been using this recipe for years for my Caesar salads. I keep forgetting to let you (and anyone considering making it) how amazing it is! It has so much flavor! I usually have all the ingredients on hand. The best thing is: EVERYONE LOVES IT! Every time I make it, people ask for the recipe. And then I hear that my friends and family make it and then their friends and family ask for the recipe. People rave about it. I rave about it! One of my friends was finally able to eat Caesar dressing and enjoy it. She has a fish allergy and can’t have the typical anchovies in the dressing. She was so excited that she could have it again (and actually enjoy it). Truly life changing in the world of salads for my circle!! Thanks a million for creating and sharing!!

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  18. Hello for how long I can keep it in the refrigerator? Thank you

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