Creamy Caesar Dressing Is Easier to Make Than You Think!
I am something of a Caesar salad aficionado. I’ll take one pretty much any way I can get it but, IMHO, Caesar dressing is what takes the salad from good to ✨great✨.
Sure, crispy greens are delicious and toasted croutons add essential crunch, but the star of the show is the creamy-dreamy, super-savory dressing. 🤤
Many home cooks shy away from making Caesar dressing from scratch because of delicate ingredients like egg yolks and anchovies—don’t let it intimidate you!
Homemade Caesar salad dressing so much easier than you’d think. My recipe takes less than 5 minutes to make and is practically foolproof.
I keep the flavors traditional, but add lemon juice to brighten it up—a nice touch for a rich, savory dressing! With an immersion blender, it’s quick and easy to achieve that signature luscious texture.
This dressing is perfect a classic Romaine Caesar or a slightly heartier Kale Caesar Salad with Parmesan Croutons. But it’s also fantastic as a veggie dip, on burgers, wraps, pasta salad, and more!
A versatile classic you’ll use over and over—you’ll never buy store-bought again! 👩🏻🍳
Love Homemade Salad Dressing? ⇢ You’re in the right place! 🙌🏼 Try my Herbed Greek Yogurt Ranch, Creamy Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette, or Light and Punchy Red Wine Vinaigrette. Like this dressing, they’re all scratch-made in 5 minutes using pantry ingredients.
The Origin of Caesar Dressing—A Last-Minute Fix, Turned Icon! 💃🏻
Cesare Cardini, an Italian immigrant in the U.S., is believed to have invented Caesar salad in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1924. Running low on ingredients, he combined egg yolk, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Worcestershire sauce, and lime juice to create a creamy dressing on the spot. When he poured it over romaine leaves with toasted baguette, the iconic Caesar salad was born! 😍
What is in Caesar dressing? ⇢ Today, classic Caesar dressing is made of olive oil, egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce and/or anchovies, garlic, Dijon mustard, parmesan cheese, and black pepper. It’s naturally gluten-free, but with the anchovies and parmesan cheese, it is not a vegetarian salad dressing.
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Buy Now → How to Make Caesar Salad Dressing With An Immersion Blender
The luscious texture that makes Caesar dressing stand out comes from the emulsification of egg yolks and oil. While this process takes time by hand, with an immersion blender, it only takes 5 minutes!
No immersion blender? No problem! ⇢ You can also prep this recipe using a food processor or stand blender. Check the Recipe Notes, below, for more guidance.
Add the egg yolk, garlic, Dijon mustard, anchovy, and lemon juice to a jar with freshly ground black pepper. Submerge the immersion blender and blend until smooth. Tip! ⇢ I prefer anchovy paste since it comes in a tube—use just the right amount, then fridge the rest for later. If you have anchovy filets, they work great too!
At this point, the egg mixture should be smooth—streaming in oil thickens it up. Run the blender as you slowly pour in the oil. Why? ⇢ Slowly introducing the oil helps the mixture emulsify into a creamy dressing. I like using a combination of neutral oil and good-quality extra-virgin olive oil for the perfect balance in flavor.
Remove the blender, stir in the parmesan, and adjust seasoning as needed. Why? ⇢ Mixing in the parmesan after blending keeps those pops of umami richness and helps thicken the dressing!
Vegetarian Caesar Dressing Substitutes
Classic Caesar dressing includes fish (anchovies) and parmesan cheese. Many hard cheeses, including parmesan, are made with rennet, an animal enzyme that separates milk curds from whey.
For a vegetarian Caesar dressing ⇢ Sub in a rennet-free parmesan and swap anchovy with a few dashes of vegan Worcestershire.
I can’t wait for you to try this 5-Minute Homemade Caesar Dressing! It’s rich, creamy, and absolutely bursts with umami flavor. So easy to make and so much better than store-bought!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
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Thick & Creamy Homemade Caesar Dressing (5 Minutes)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: ½ cup 1x
- Category: Sauces & Condiments, Entree Salads & Bowls
- Method: No-Cook, Blended
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Once you learn how easy it is to make Homemade Caesar Dressing, you’ll never go back to store-bought!
This classic dressing is a creamy mix of egg yolks and oil, seasoned with garlic, parmesan, anchovy paste, and – my secret ingredient! – a touch of zesty lemon to balance the rich, savory flavor. Use an immersion blender to create a restaurant-worthy, thick, and creamy Caesar dressing in 5 minutes or less!
Easily Vegetarian—Modifications Provided!
Ingredients
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 lemon, juiced (approx. 3 tablespoons)
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 finely chopped anchovy fillets OR 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (see Recipe Notes)
- ¼ cup neutral, light oil (such as grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, “light” olive oil, etc.)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Caesar dressing prep: To the jar that came with your immersion blender, add the egg yolk, garlic, Dijon mustard, anchovy, & lemon juice. Season generously with ground black pepper. (Alternatively, you can also use another similar wide-mouth jar/container, but if you do not have an immersion blender, see Recipe notes for more guidance.)
- Emulsify the Caesar dressing: Insert the immersion blender into the jar, submerging it into the egg mixture. Blend to combine the egg mixture well. With the immersion blender running, very slowly stream in the neutral oil. The mixture will emulsify as you add the oil & blend, transforming into a beautifully thick & creamy dressing. Once all of the neutral oil is added, add the extra-virgin olive oil in a similar fashion. Once combined, remove the immersion blender & set aside.
- Finish the Caesar dressing: Stir in the parmesan cheese. Taste & season with additional salt or ground black pepper as desired. Use immediately as desired – this Kale Caesar Salad with Parmesan Croutons is my personal favorite. Enjoy!
Notes
Jess’ Tips & Tricks:
- Equipment: Preparing homemade Caesar dressing is easiest with an immersion blender & I love this cordless immersion blender. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can certainly emulsify your homemade Caesar dressing by hand, using a large whisk & lots of elbow grease. Alternatively, you can prepare Caesar dressing easily in a food processor – please note that you’ll need to double the listed ingredient quantities to successfully emulsify in the larger bowl of a food processor – use the “Scale” buttons next to the Ingredients List, above, to easily double the recipe.
- Anchovy is an essential ingredient for a classic Caesar salad dressing. For this particular Caesar dressing recipe, feel free to use canned anchovy fillets, finely chopping them before you add them into the egg mixture. I prefer the convenience of anchovy paste, which is pre-minced anchovy sold in a squeeze tube – a great shortcut ingredient! You can find anchovies & anchovy paste near other tinned fish at most conventional grocery stores – my favorite is DeLallo anchovy paste. If you prefer to make your Caesar dressing without anchovy, feel free to swap it out with a dash of Worcestershire sauce or fish sauce – they taste a little different than anchovies, but they both have similar umami & depth of flavor.
- Oil: Since Caesar dressing is very rich & flavor-forward, it’s best make it using mostly a lighter oil that won’t compete too much with the natural flavors of the Caesar dressing. I like using grapeseed oil, though any light vegetable oil (canola, light olive oil, etc.) works well.
- Dietary Restrictions: To ensure your homemade Caesar dressing is vegetarian, use your favorite rennet-free parmesan & swap anchovy with a few dashes of vegan Worcestershire.
Storage:
- Homemade Caesar dressing will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe and Food Styling by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter | Photography by Rachel Cook, Half Acre House.
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