This homemade Caesar Dressing recipe is so easy to make. With just a handful of ingredients, you’ll create a creamy Caesar dressing that is better than storebought or restaurant versions. And guess what? The anchovies are optional.
It’s surprisingly easy to make your own dressings like Homemade Ranch Dressing or Italian Dressing from scratch and creamy Caesar dressing is no exception.
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Use this creamy dressing to make a Classic Caesar Salad, tossed with crisp romaine lettuce, and Homemade Croutons. Sure, you could buy a storebought dressing, but why would you when you can effortlessly make your own umami-packed, lemony, garlicky, parmesan-cheesy, and creamy dressing that tastes so much better?
Our Caesar dressing is kid-friendly – it tastes like the creamy restaurant-style Caesar dressing that my kids love, yet it’s made with the best ingredients right at home. My kids get excited when I make Caesar salad because of this dressing.
Easy Caesar Dressing Recipe Video
Watch Natasha make this homemade Caesar dressing. Don’t blink, because it’s so simple to make and comes together quickly. You’ll make this Caesar dressing again and again once you see how easy it is.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One-Bowl – Instead of hauling out a blender, food processor, or immersion blender, (which always creates issues for people, plus it’s messy), I’m so excited to finally have a Caesar dressing that’s easy to whip up in one bowl with just a whisk.
- Easy – I find myself making this dressing way more often for my kids (who love it!) because it’s so easy (measure, pour, stir) and mess-free.
- Keeps Well – The creamy texture remains intact, allowing you to enjoy it straight from the fridge.
Ingredients
- Mayonnaise – Use real mayo for the best flavor. The eggs in the mayo thicken this dressing so you don’t have to worry about the mixture separating. A Homemade Mayonnaise will make your dressing taste even better!
- Dijon mustard – We like to use the Grey Poupon brand, but any dijon will work
- Worcestershire sauce – Adds a rich umami flavor. If you are a vegetarian, see the pro tip below for more information.
- Oil – use a neutral oil like extra light olive oil and avoid using extra virgin olive oil which will give it a different flavor profile.
- Garlic – use fresh, not canned. It will give you more punch and flavor.
- Lemon juice – Opt for freshly squeezed lemon juice and not from concentrate.
- Parmesan cheese – We use freshly grated cheese, but finely shredded will work as well. You can also use pre-grated parmesan and add it according to taste since it’s more finely grated.
Pro Tip:
Did you know anchovies are an ingredient in Worcestershire sauce? So you can skip anchovies or anchovy paste since they’re technically already in there! If you are vegetarian or have a fish allergy, choose a Worcestershire sauce that does not have anchovies listed in the ingredients.
How to Make Homemade Caesar Dressing
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until combined.
- While whisking vigorously, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Once all of the olive oil is in, continue whisking until it’s well incorporated. Add parmesan cheese and whisk together to combine.
- Transfer to a mason jar, cover with a lid, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Pro Tip:
The key to a thicker dressing is to slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking vigorously. This keeps the dressing emulsified and also helps incorporate more air into the dressing to help it thicken up. It will get even thicker in the refrigerator as the oil cools.
Storage
Transfer to a mason jar or airtight container and store homemade dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week. Add a label to track how old the dressing is and refrigerate promptly after use to maintain its freshness. You will love that it doesn’t separate when chilled and you can use it directly out of the refrigerator without re-whisking.
How to Serve Caesar Dressing
This dressing is so tasty you’ll be tempted to use it on everything, not just salads. Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy this homemade Caesar dressing:
- Caesar Salad: add baked chicken breast to make it a complete meal, or make a chicken Caesar wrap for a healthy lunch option.
- As a dip for raw vegetables such as cut carrots, sliced cucumbers, or cauliflower florets – perfect for snacking!
- Pasta Salad Dressing – try it in Caesar Pasta Salad, Tortellini Salad with diced broccoli and tomato, tossed with parmesan cheese, or Macaroni Salad.
- As a grilling marinade for meat or chicken to tenderize the meat and add flavor.
- Potato Salad dressing – try this as the creamy base for a Classic Potato Salad.
More Homemade Dressings and Sauces
If you enjoy this homemade Caesar salad dressing recipe, you’ll love our other dressings and sauces made from scratch. They’re so fresh and easy to make and, in my opinion, taste better than anything store-bought.
- Chimichurri Recipe
- Classic Pesto
- Tartar Sauce
- Easy Marinara Sauce
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Barbecue Sauce
- Creamy Horseradish Sauce
Easy Caesar Dressing Recipe (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, *
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or pressed
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra light olive oil, not extra virgin*
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, grated garlic, 3 Tbs lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and whisk to combine.
- While whisking vigorously*, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil. Once all of the olive oil is in, continue whisking until it’s well incorporated. Add parmesan and whisk together to combine.
- Transfer to a mason jar, cover with a lid, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Natasha, this is fantastic! You’re right- you can’t compare to a store bought brand! Makes me want to eat a salad every meal ..
Oh I’m glad you enjoyed it. I also made it this past weekend 🙂
How do I make my wife follow the recipe? She looks at the picture, reads the instructions and then does something completely different. I try to tell her she wouldn’t want the pharmacist to do that but it’s just not getting through. Please help! Desperate of Avonhead.
Lol. pharmacist. I’m not sure what to tell you; just that recipes tend to work better when you follow the instructions 🙂 I guess it’s good that I include a photo tutorial 😉
You could always, you know… show her how it’s done?
Yum! I want to make this but I’m wondering…after you make it and store it, does the oil come to the top of the dressing or does it stay mixed in with the rest of the ingredients?
It stays mixed 🙂
I made it and it is honestly the best dressing I have ever had! My dad says we wont be buying store bought from now on because of all the junk in it and it does not compare in taste!
Thank you so much!
Awww that’s awesome! Thanks for sharing that with me. It makes my heart glad 🙂
I’ve made this dressing twice now, and here’s the hot tip….
It will never thicken in a blender. It will, however come out amazing..
in a Bullet w/the whipping blade. I Add 3 anchovies, and use TJoes organic mayonnaise which is better than anything out there. Also, a mixture of light
and extra virgin olive oils is perfect. The first round was too green and grassy, not to mention thin(blender) The 2nd go round, was in a word, exceptional.
THE TEXTURE IS PERFECT IN A BULLET.
A serving suggestion…use whole hearts of romain, and drizzle over the top,
micro plane Parmesan cheese, and grind lots of pepper.
Ur guests will go crazy over this, guaranteed!
Ooh sounds pretty! Thanks Patrick! I need to get myself a bullet. I’ve heard good reviews about it! Thanks so much for sharing your tips and insights 🙂
Hey Patrick …how do you pour the oil while blending in a bullet? I have the magic bullet too but there is no way you can pour the oil while blending?
Annett
I make mine with fine Parmesan and a whisk since I hate cleanup. It comes out nicely… like the very little mayo involved in the recipe.
Does it come out thick enough with the whisk?
I made this today. It turned out well! I made it in a food processor so it didn’t turn out watery, but it was still not as creamy as store bought dressing. Your recipe called for a 1/2 cup of lemon juice and after squeezing out two medium sized lemons, I had only 1/4 cup. I used another lemon and ended up with a little more than 1/4 cup lemon juice. I’m glad I didn’t decide to keep squeezing more lemons because the dressing turned out pretty sour, though still good in it’s own unique way.
Love your site! I’m trying the Cheesecake Danish next!
A good citrus juicer will get the most juice out of your lemons. I recommend this one :).
I’ll have to get one, it seems that I’m picking all the recipes with lemon juice! lol
I made this recipe exactly. epic fail!!!! Tastes nothing like Caesar dressing.
Weirdly tart, with chunks of Parmesan. Had to throw it out and now have to go to the grocery store to buy Caesar
I’ve had a couple people say that it didn’t work out for them when they used a blender instead of a food processor. Was that the case? I didn’t have any chunks of parmesan after blending it in a food processor. If you were using a food processor, I’d blend it a little more to break up the parmesan. Fresh caesar dressing does taste a little different than store-bought because it is fresh; I thought it tasted better. Sorry it didn’t work out for you. That’s a bummer 🙁
Natasha, does the dressing turn out kind of runny or more solid like traditional ranch dressing? Mine turned out kind of runny but that may be because I used a mixer cause I don’t have a food processor.
You do need a food processor for this recipe. I think it’s the way the blades cut through the dressing that thickens it. It’s not as thick as ranch dressing, but it should be pretty creamy.
My processor doesn’t work with lid off…which doesn’t allow me to add oil per instructions. What do you suggest?
Does your processor have a hole on top with a plunger? I pour mine through that opening.
I followed the directions exactly (especially regarding the oil), and it came out great!
Awesome!! Glad you liked it 🙂
I updated the recipe to emphasize that the oil must be added very slowly. And, thanks to Alina’s advice; a blender does not work well in thickening this dressing. Use a food processor for best results. An electric hand mixer may work but I haven’t tried it yet.
I tried this twice and it would not thicken at all:( I used a vitamix blender but it was still as water. What am i doing wrong? How is a food processor different from a blender in this recipe?
I read up on it and I guess it’s kind of like making mayo; it sometimes works with a blender and sometimes does not (not sure why exactly). I know it works with a food processor and I’ve also read that an electric hand mixer works well (but haven’t tried an electric hand mixer myself). You also have to add the oil really slowly. I think it has something to do with how the blade cuts through the oil. It’s good to know that a blender doesn’t work well. I’ll add that to the recipe; It’s a bummer that it didn’t thicken with the blender; that must have been disappointing 🙁 Thanks for letting me know.
Natasha, am I able to use the extra virgin olive oil for this?
The original recipe called for a mild/regular olive oil and I never tested any other oil. Sorry that’s not very helpful. It probably would taste different since the extra virgin has a distinct flavor.
Hmm.. Interesting because I never heard of mild olive oil and sadly haven’t come across one. What brand do you use? I’ll try to but it online perhaps.
Thanks so much!
I purchased the “pure olive oil” at Costco. The “extra light” one should work too.
Mouth watering!! Looks amazing!!
Thank you Maria, I hope you love it :).
How clever! I have all the ingredients, and will make this tonight for dinner! With a baked salmon and fresh salad! Thank YOU!!
That sounds like an ideal dinner! Hope you love it!
This sounds so yummy and delicious! I love to split my chicken into freezer bags and pour in some ceasar dressing and freeze, so easy and delicious! But no anchovies/paste in this recipe? But if I was to add anchovy paste, how much would you recommend?
It’s good to know that ceasar makes a good marinade. I suspected that it would. The original recipe said to add 8 to 10 anchovy fillets. I’m not sure how that converts to anchovy paste. P.S. sorry for the late reply; I haven’t been home all day to get my hands on the recipe.
I’m excited to try this. It sounds so good and looks perfect. Thanks!
You’re welcome Veronica! I hope you love it as much as we do! We finished our last bottle; I better buy more lemons and make another batch. It motivates us to eat more salad. 😉
Can you use a blender?
I’ve only made it with a food processor since that was the recommendation from Ina Garten. A blender might be ok for a smaller batch but I’m not sure if it will bring this recipe to the proper thickness. Honestly I just haven’t tried it with a blender.
Wow, it sure sounds simple enough to make and very delicious. I will have to try it for my next salad. I love making home made dressing for salads. Have you ever made a homemade mayo? I heard its really good, but I have not tried it yet.
I haven’t tried yet but I hear it’s a similar process with pouring the oil in slowly.
if you replace the mayo with egg in this recipe, you have made your own mayo 🙂
That’s true, I was trying to make this a recipe that was safer for all ages to eat; one without a raw egg :).
I love all real ingredients in this and though I can’t sniff through the screen, I can tell its delicious! Will definitely make this. Any idea how long it can be refrigerated for?
All of the ingredients in the dressing hold pretty well. I’d say it’s freshest the first week but will probably last a good two weeks. Mine was gone by day 2!!; I made a big Ukrainian family sized salad and everyone just loved it!