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.