Vegan Avocado Dressing (Dairy-Free, Creamy & Easy)
This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
This creamy vegan avocado dressing is rich, smooth, and completely dairy-free. It comes together in minutes and makes the perfect healthy salad dressing or sauce—and it can even double as a dip.
My family just LOVES avocados, and I do mean love.
Whenever avocados go on sale, we stock up, and I do mean STOCK UP.
As in we buy way too many tons of them.
We let them ripen at room temp, then transfer them to the fridge, and then get busy processing them (freezing the avocados or even freeze drying them) and eating lots of lovely avocado recipes along the way.
One of our fave recipes to use when we have an abundance of avocados is this Vegan Avocado Dressing.
This dressing is just amazing.
There are never any leftovers when I make this, even if I make several batches.
It's that good.
Just get some cut up veggies or some chips or even serve it as a dip if you’d like. It is guaranteed to be gone in a flash.
If you'd like a little less zing in your dairy-free avocado dressing, then reduce the garlic or lemon juice. Or you could add in another half or whole avocado.
Why Make Avocado Dressing at Home?
Store-bought avocado dressings often contain ingredients that many people prefer to avoid, like refined vegetable oils, added sugars, and preservatives.
They also typically contain very little actual avocado—sometimes less than 2%—which means you’re not getting the same fresh flavor or nutritional benefits.
Making your own avocado dressing at home lets you:
- use real, whole-food ingredients
- control the flavor and texture
- skip unnecessary additives
Plus, it tastes so much better!
How to Make Avocado Dressing Creamy (Not Watery)
Here are my best tips for the perfect creamy avocado dressing.
- use lemon or lime juice which helps keep a thick consistency while boosting flavor
- in addition to water, blending with olive oil helps create a smooth, creamy texture
- blend well with a food processor or even a high-speed blender for a smooth consistency
- add the olive oil in a slow stream while blending to create an emulsion
- start with 1/4 cup water and add about 1–2 tablespoons at a time, if necessary until you reach your desired consistency
- use ripe avocados to avoid graininess
How to Keep Avocado Dressing from Turning Brown
Here are some helpful tips to keep your avocado dressing from oxidizing and turning brown.
- Acid: Lemon or lime juice is the perfect ingredient because the citric acid acts to prevent oxidation.
- Olive oil or sour cream seal: Pour a thin layer of olive oil or spread a bit of sour cream on top of the dressing to block oxygen. Some recommend using water, but you have to pour that off before serving. I personally love the drizzle of olive oil the most.
- Airtight container: Use the smallest container possible to minimize exposure to air inside.
- Plastic wrap: Pressing plastic wrap onto the surface of the dressing works well, but I prefer other methods due to trying to avoid plastic.
How To Use
- dressing on traditional salads or even non-traditional salads like this Quinoa Garden Salad
- drizzled on cooked veggies
- a dip for veggies, chips, flatbreads (like this Focaccia Flax Bread)
- a sub for mayo with in premade salads (chicken or tuna) or on sandwiches, wraps, or burgers
- as a sauce for tacos, burritos, or fajitas
So many options. You may need to make a double batch!
Health Benefits of Avocado Dressing
Avocados are known for their healthy fats, fiber, and important nutrients like potassium and vitamin K. These nutrients can help support heart health, digestion, and overall wellness.
This homemade avocado dressing also avoids many of the additives found in store-bought versions, making it a simple, wholesome option for everyday meals.
Can You Use This as an Avocado Dip?
Yes! This recipe easily doubles as a creamy avocado dip.
If you prefer a thicker texture for dipping, simply reduce the amount of water. Start with less liquid and blend until smooth, adding just enough to reach your desired consistency.
This thicker version works great as:
- a dip for veggies or chips
- a spread for sandwiches or wraps
- a topping for tacos or bowls
Keep in mind that the dip version will be richer and more concentrated, while the dressing version is lighter and more pourable—perfect for salads.
How to Store
This dressing should keep in the fridge in a covered container for about 3-5 days, or possibly up to a week, depending on how ripe your avocados were to being with.
You could also freeze it and it should keep quite well. This post on how to freeze avocados can give you tips on how to do just that.
Recipe Notes/Special Diet Options
- This recipe is quite flavorful. If you prefer a more mild dressing, then simply add in another avocado.
- This recipe was written using lemon and parsley, and it tastes amazing that way, but a lime/cilantro combo, or any combination of those four is great too.
- To make this recipe AIP (autoimmune paleo) compliant, or if you'd simply like to do so, you can use honey or maple syrup (1 – 1.5 tablespoons) instead of the stevia.
- This recipe qualifies as an “S” on the Trim Healthy Mama plan.
More Great Avocado Recipes
- Chocolate Avocado Truffles – sooo easy and delish
- No-Bake Grasshopper Bars – healthy chocolate mint goodness
- Avocado Lime Pudding – refreshing and easy
- Buckwheat Crepe Cake with Chocolate Avocado Filling
- AIP Guacamole – possibly the best guac you've ever had
More Homemade Dressing Recipes
And these dressing recipes would also be great on your table!
- Nutritional Yeast Dressing – zingy and delicious
- Balsamic Vinaigrette five variations to choose from
- Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing this is literally in our fridge and on our table all the time
- Moroccan Vinaigrette mildy spiced just right
Creamy Avocado Dressing (Dairy-Free, Vegan, Low-Carb)
Ingredients
- 3 medium (approximately 5 ounces each) avocados
- 1/8 cup lemon juice (or juice of 1 lemon. Lime works great too.)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3/8 cup water (add more for a thinner dressing)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried. Cilantro is a great alternative.)
- 1/32 teaspoon stevia (basically a dash. See Recipe Notes and post for more info and alternatives.)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender or food processor.
- Combine until smooth.
- Pour over salad and toss to combine, or use as a dip if desired.
Notes
- This recipe is quite flavorful. If you prefer a more mild dressing, then simply add in some more avocado or a bit more olive oil.
- A lime/cilantro combo, or any variation of those or the lemon parsley (as in the original recipe) would be great.
- Start with 1/4 cup water, then add more as needed until the dressing reaches your desired consistency. Use less water for a thicker, dip-like texture.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
Please let me know what you think about this recipe after you've tried it!
Delicious! Made this morning for a breakfast salad. Highly recommend. I used maple syrup to sweeten
So glad to hear, Toni! We love this dressing. Question – if you are willing, I would love to hear what was on your breakfast salad :).
This is NOT AIP compliant with the use of stevia. U would need to use honey or maple syrup to sweeten it. Otherwise it sounds yummy.
Hi Missy! Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. I have alternatives mentioned in the “Special Diet” section of the post – I just made that more clear.
It’s hard to let people know about the trouble I go to to share how to make my recipes work for other diets so it’s obvious. I’ll try to see if there’s something I can put in the recipe card to make that work better. Hope that helps and that you can try it. It is yummy :).
I made this dressing with lime juice instead of lemon and also with cider vinegar and loved both variations. I may nevr buy salad dressing again!!!
Hi Nancia! I’m so thankful that you enjoyed it so much!
I NEVER buy it!
Well, I did 3 years ago on vacation. LOL
This one is really good too – we have it all the time. Check out the other sauces we serve with it, as mentioned in the post – Trader Joe’s ones or just a hot sauce. Hope you like it as well!
Is this really 489cal per 2tbsp?
So sorry about that. We are updating our nutritional information as some things got goofed up. It should be fixed now. And no, it’s not 489 cal per 2 Tbsp! Thankfully no! :).
Way too many ads. So stressful
Hi there.
I’m so sorry to hear this! I try to strike a real balance b/t the ads and user experience. Can you tell me, please, what bothered you about them? I will add that ads are the main way that most bloggers make an income so without them, we couldn’t really keep providing free content on the internet. It’s just the way that it goes. It isn’t cheap to keep a blog running and current and it takes a load of time.
Thank you and please do let me know your thoughts. Sorry you had a bad experience!
Does this recipe “brown” with age and exposure to air as avocados do?
It shouldn’t because of the lemon.
What makes it zingy? The garlic? I was expecting cayenne or something.
The lemon juice and garlic together give it a nice tang / or zing. Hope you like it! This recipes has a “kick” of cayenne that you might like: https://wholenewmom.com/recipes/chocolate-avocado-truffles-chocolate-truffles-recipe-truffle-recipe/
I’m sorry, but do you put sweetener in EVERYTHING?? I NEVER put a sweetener of any kind in my salad dressings, as it doesn’t need any.
This does have the makings of a good dressing, though. I love the combinations. I would add more healthy oils, (keto diet requires more fats) eliminate the water and use lime instead of lemon juice. (or maybe some of both! …I do prefer limes to lemons)
Thank you for the recipe.
Hello Carol. Sorry you feel this way, but actually putting sweetener in salad dressings is a bit like putting salt in desserts–it brings out the flavor of the other ingredients. https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/why-you-should-add-sugar-honey-agave-to-salad-dressing-vinaigrette-recipes-article
Is it necessary? No. But I like it that way. You are free to leave it out if you like, just as you can adjust any of my other recipes as you wish. I don’t think I have sweeteners in other dressing recipes on my site (yet…now maybe I might have to go back and change that :)) and there are quite a few main dish recipes without any. I have noticed that I want to go back and add salt to all / most of my dessert recipes, however. I did that with my Almond Joy Bars and it made them so much better.
Hope that helps!
Thank you for the comment.
Dressing sounds yummy. Questions: How much does this yield? Do you have nutritional data for this recipe? (Maybe it was listed somewhere on your site and I missed it). 2 tsp. of salt seems like a lot, but maybe not based on the yield (I’m following a reduced sodium diet). Thanks!
Hello Darcy – first of all, sorry for the delay in responding. Your comment got buried under a bunch of others. I just updated the post w/ a volume estimate. We are working on getting the nutrition data up and running on the site. Feel free to reduce the sodium per your needs and thanks for your patience. In the meantime, you can use another online calculator if you like. Hope you like it!
For a variation, I substituted 1/4 cup cilantro for the parsley and the juice of 2 limes for the juice of 1 lemon. I added 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and 5 T. of chia seeds for some protein. I also added cumin, black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste. I love it on a salad with a Mexican food meal.
Sounds good and my husband would like that, however, to be AIP, no seeds or pepper(s) are allowed, nor is anything with gluten. I do like the idea of ACV though. 🙂