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
How would you store this and what’s the shelf life?
Hi Gretchen, I’ve kept it refrigerated for up to a week. I would say 1 to 2 weeks since there isn’t anything too perishable in it.
I made the recipe and added two small additions. I’m a Caesar purist and love a little anchovy paste and a dash of Worcestershire sauce in my dressing. Your recipe was really great and will use it again!
Thank you for sharing that with us! How much anchovy paste did you add?
How many calories per serving?
Hi Colleen, I don’t typically include calorie counts because of the time constraint that I have. I really need to hire some help to do that for me! When I need a quick answer though; I have used Caloriecount.com (their recipe analyzer is free).
What if all I have is extra virgin olive oil? Will it just be less creamy?
Hi Crista, I have tried with extra virgin and it doesn’t form properly and also has a very strong flavor.
Not bad. Add 4 or 5 anchovies and a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to make it even better.
That sounds good! Thanks for the tip Will 🙂
How long would this last in the fridge? Thank you!
Hi Ashley, this dressing can last up to couple weeks.
Thank you for your response 🙂
I use avocado oil in my homemade mayo. It’s as perfect as a healthy salad dressing can be and so yummy! I have drizzled the oil in and have put all ingredients into a tall wide jar and used a hand blender. Just start at the bottom and slowly bring the wand up while stirring a bit as you go. Make sure your ingredients are room temperature. I take my eggs out of the frig and pour hot tap water over them into a large mug or bowl and let them sit while I assemble everything else.
Thanks for the tip Sharon! 😀
As a Caesar dressing aficionado, I was wondering why there is not any anchovies or anchovy paste in the recipe?
It is a personal preference. The flavor is pretty robust even without the anchovies.
do you know how long this would be good for after you made it if kept in an airtight container?
Christine, this dressing can last up to couple weeks.
my sister made this with avocado oil and the mayo and oil separated it looked like it was bad but it still tasted good. would you know why this happened?
Hi Sharona, what did your sister use (food processor, blender, or something else)? I have found that if you aren’t using a good food processor and adding the oil in a slow drizzle, it doesn’t form correctly. Also, extra virgin olive oil does not work well, so hopefully she wasn’t use that. I hope that helps!
maybe because i used sunflower oils and the same thing happened
I used sunflower oil and it turned out perfect
i used a blander and slowly drizzled in the oil. i made it once and it came out amazing and then that was it. i wish i knew what i was doing wrong.
Usually, if it is a high-powered blender, it should be sufficient to whip the dressing. Did you use the same blender both times, and the second time it did not work? What kind of blender are you using? Also, did you change anything about the ingredients? Did you use a different kind of oil maybe?
Amazing, I used 2% plain greek yogurt instead of mayo, sunflower oil, honey dijon and freshly grated parmesan reggiano. It was perfectly creamy and totally satisfied my caesar salad craving and provided me a healthy(er) alternative! 🙂
I’m so happy you enjoyed it and thank you so much for sharing your healthy substitutions!
Wow, I rarely have light olive oil and tonight I found out why you must have it. I love the flavor of a good olive oil but it overpowered this dressing AND I could not get the acidity level down! I tried sugar but with no luck. I added more salt but I just could not get the final flavor what I wanted it to be.
Did you try it with an extra virgin? Yes, I’ve made that mistake before and hoped to save someone some trouble by mentioning it in the post. I love the flavor of extra virgin also but it really does overpower in this dressing.
mine seperated why?
Try grape seed oil. Trader Joe’s has it at a good price.
Thanks for the tip! Have you tried grape seed oil in this recipe already?
I am NOT a fan of olive oil at all, never have been…and a lot of my recipes call for it. Is there any other oil that I can substitute for the olive oil that will give me the same flavor?
I think they’re probably are other oil’s that would work, but I have not tested anything besides olive oil.
Maybe avocado oil?
I wouldn’t call this Caesar Salad Dressing. Caesar dressing has two unique ingredients, anchovies and egg yolk, without them It wouldn’t be the same. It is possible to buy “safe” chicken eggs. I am lucky enough to get mine from friend’s who raise chickens. I love to present Caesar salad with grilled romaine lettuce. Slice down the long way leaving stem and leaves intact, brush with olive oil on the cut side then place on grill cooking until the lettuce cut side begins to brown. Place on plates and drizzle with the dressing. Its a great presentation.
Thank you for sharing that tip about grilled romaine. I’ve never tried that but I imagine it makes for a gorgeous presentation!
Hi,
I used all of the ingredients above but put everything together before I blended it in. I chose to put in the extra olive oil together with everything .I did the same with the parmesan. This resulted in my dressing to be very runny and strong taste. Why did mine not end up creamy?
Hi Douglas, I’ve had that happen before and it was because I tried it with extra virgin (this is why I specified not to use extra virgin in the recipe), also I added the oil too quickly rather than slowly adding it to the food processor – and that is the biggest reason. If you add the oil all at once and try to blend, it won’t get to a creamy consistency. I hope that helps for next time!
I made this once and it turned out perfect. Each subsequent attempt has been thin and runny. Any ideas what I may be doing wrong?
Hi Shelley, are you using a different oil possibly and are you adding it gradually? Is there anything else you might be doing differently?
how long can this stay refrigerated?
I’ve kept it refrigerated for up to a week.There isn’t anything too perishable in it so possibly longer but I haven’t tested it longer than that.
I knew this was the right recipe for me because I saw the picture of the grapeseed oil Vegenaise, and that’s exactly what I use, so I figured mine would turn out just as well. However, I did add one raw egg yolk because I wanted to make an authentic Caesar and boost the protein, and then I did not have parmesan (till I assembled the salad) so I added a little bit of feta cheese (I know, weird, but it worked) so the flavours could amalgamate in the fridge for a few hours. I only had extra virgin olive oil so I did half and half with avocado oil to mitigate the strong flavour. I even forgot to drizzle the oil slowly and it still became creamy. This was awesome and easy to make, thank you for the recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing your method and modifications! Sounds delicious!
I made this last night during a strong Caesar salad craving. I ate it straight away and thought it was a little too tart, a little too oily. Refrigerated the rest overnight and made another salad the next day, it was DELICIOUS! All the flavors had blended together and mellowed out really well. Definitely give it a little time to rest before using, it made all the difference in the texture/taste.
Hi Roxanne, Thanks for sharing that tip! 🙂