This homemade creamy caesar dressing is the last caesar dressing recipe you will ever need. It’s rich in umami flavors, speckled with black pepper, and has just the right amount of salty tang.
This creamy caesar salad dressing is the perfect balance of tangy, tart, and creamy. It’s inspired by the Cheesecake Factory’s beloved recipe and it’s seriously foolproof. What’s better? It’s super simple to make. All you have to do is whisk or blend the ingredients together and that’s that.
Whether you’re obsessed with a good, old-fashioned caesar or you love having homemade dressing on hand, mastering this dressing will save you from relying on store-bought varieties. You can add more or less garlic, go heavy on the lemon, or add more parmesan cheese as you see fit.
How to Make Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing
Making creamy caesar dressing couldn’t be any easier. All you have to do is mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate the dressing to let it develop. Below, find a brief overview of the recipe before you get to mixing.
- Whisk/Blend the Dressing: Whisk together the lemon juice, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pressed garlic, parmesan cheese, and black pepper.
- Add the mayonnaise and whisk until well-combined. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Toss in your favorite salads or use the dressing as a tangy dipping sauce!
Hot Tip: If you’re blending the dressing, add in your fresh cracked pepper afterward. You don’t want the blender to break apart all the pretty peppercorn kernels!
Tips for Making the Best Caesar Salad Dressing
Below, find some quick-hitter tips to help you make the best dressing.
- Use fresh lemon juice versus bottled. Bottled lemon juice tends to have additives that dilute the natural lemon flavor.
- Use fresh cracked pepper. Fresh cracked pepper not only adds more flavor, it adds a pretty, speckled appearance to the dressing.
- Press the garlic versus mincing it. Pressing the garlic will prevent you from getting chunks of raw garlic.
- Grate your parmesan off the block. Grate the parmigiano reggiano by hand versus buying it pre-shredded. Block cheese touts so much more flavor and natural oils!
Serving Caesar Salad Dressing
The most obvious way to serve creamy caesar salad dressing is mixed into a traditional caesar salad. Using two spoons, toss the dressing into crunchy romaine, garlicky croutons, and thick shaved parmesan. Yum! Although caesar salad is the most traditional use of caesar dressing, its not the only place that it’s delicious. You can use it as a spread for fresh deli wraps or sandwiches, as well as a dipping sauce for air fryer french fries or air fryer zucchini fries. Use it anywhere you would use ranch dressing for an extra zing of flavor!
Storing Caesar Salad Dressing
Store leftover caesar dressing in an airtight container or sealable canning jar. It should last for up to 10 days. What’s better? The flavor will continue to develop as it marinates in the refrigerator. Make two to three batches at a time for a quick salad or dip!
FAQ
Do all caesar salad dressings have anchovies?
All caesar salad dressings do not require anchovies. In fact, this recipe brings in the signature tang with lemon juice, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
Do all caesar salad dressings require raw eggs?
Not all caesar salad dressings require raw eggs. In this recipe, the mayonnaise will make it creamy enough without the need to fuss around with raw egg.
Is there a way to make this dressing less creamy?
To make this dressing less creamy increase the amount of lemon juice or use a lighter mayo.
Can I blend the dressing instead of whisking it?
You can blend the caesar dressing versus whisking it. It’s up to you!
How long with this dressing last?
This creamy caesar dressing will last up to two weeks when stored correctly. Keep it in an airtight container or a sealable canning jar to ensure it doesn’t absorb any lingering smells in your refrigerator.
Other Yummy Salad Dressings
- Light Ranch Dressing Recipe – Guilt-free ranch
- Beet Salad Dressing – Balsamic and dijon dressing
- China Coast Dressing – Teriyaki salad dressing
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 garlic cloves pressed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pressed garlic, parmesan cheese, and black pepper until well blended.
- Add the mayonnaise and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
This recipe is fantastic! I am trying to make homemade more often (yet keep it simple). I keep a Costco container of grated Parmesan cheese in the freezer and I used that. I added a bit more garlic and about a t. of anchovy paste and whisked it all up! We all enjoyed it very much on our kale Caesar salad (with grilled chicken, bacon bits, diced cucumber and grape tomatoes). A keeper for sure!
Hi there, that sounds so delicious! I like the tip of keeping the grated Parmesan cheese in the freezer, mine always goes bad in the fridge. Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. Enjoy!
Delicious! Way better than restaurants or anything you get in the stores. Especially the pride you get from knowing YOU made it!
Hi Kristine, I am so thrilled to hear you love the recipe as much as I do! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. Enjoy!
Can this be blended for a smoother consistency?
Hi Kayla, you can absolutely blend it for a smoother consistency! Thanks for asking! Enjoy!
How long does it last in the fridge?
Hi Raine, It will last up to two weeks when stored correctly. Keep it in an airtight container or a seal-able canning jar to ensure it doesn't absorb any lingering smells in your refrigerator.
I made this and it tasted real garlicky. I used what the recipe. How can I tone down the garlic taste?
Thanks Donna
Hi Donna- ah, I'm sorry it came out too garlicky! I would recommend adding a bit more lemon juice to see if that helps tone it down; if that doesn't work I suggest making another batch of the dressing (without the garlic though) and adding it to this garlicky batch. Hope this helps!
Thanks for this recipe!
I'm allergic to lemon, so a quick (and smaller) splash of vinegar helped out!
It all tasted delicious!
Hey Cat, thats so great to hear that you were still able to make this recipe. Thanks for that tip!
Making this tonight for the second time. Absolutely delicious!! Thank you for sharing this on your blog - our taste buds are the better for it! BTW, it is now only my husband and me, but I made the full recipe and we found a number of ways to use up this deliciousness pretty quickly!
Hi Giny- thanks so much for the feedback! There's nothing like a homemade salad dressing, right?!
Can I substitute 1 cup mayo with 1/2 cup mayo and 1/2 cup oil so as not to be too creamy?
Hi Donna- that's a great question. I haven't tried this combination so I can't say for certain, but I think it could work. As long as you're ok with it being thinner in consistency. Hope this helps! If you give it a go, let us know how it worked out!
Didn’t have any Dijon mustard so I didn’t use that. But still turned out so delicious!! Will continue to remake 👍🏻Thanks!!
Yay! So happy it turned out well for you despite the mustard. Happy New year, Halyna!
This was the perfect recipe for our dinner salad. Easy to make and full of flavor. We loved it!
I'm so glad to hear that, thank you for your feedback!
This caesar dressing recipe was amazing! Thank you!
Glad to hear that!
I absolutely love this recipe and it's great to have on hand! My family and I love Caesar salad. Perfect to go with our dinner tonight!
Yes, it is a super helpful recipe to have on hand, glad you enjoyed it too!
I am a Caesar Salad Connoisseur, and this is the best dressing I’ve come across. It is the closest to Cheesecake Factory’s, which I consider outstanding. I did add a bit more Dijon mustard, a sprinkle of Worcestershire sauce, and one more garlic clove, but that was my preference. The basic recipe is a great foundation to tweak to your preference.
Yes, I love Caesar Salad at Cheesecake! Thank you for sharing your tweaks! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Hi, I am a little confused. The listed ingredients state 1 T lemon juice, but the written instructions read "juice 2 T lemon" - which is correct?
Thanks
Oh darn, I go between 1 and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. 🙂 I guess try one and see if you want to add more.
Is there a way to make this a little less creamy? Like add more lemon juice?
I am sur wou can always add more lemon juice. Also you can try lighter mayo, maybe that would help.
I've been looking for a good Caesar dressing recipe for a long time. I don't like store bought ones because they all seem to be a little on the sour side, which I don't like. This dressing is super easy to prepare and DE-LI-CIOUS!!! Thank you! Won't have to buy Caesar dressing ever again ?
Hi Tanya, I agree with you. Homemade dressing is amazing, it is hard to buy a store bough once now because they don't live up to our expectations no more.
Thanks for all these wonderful recipes:) They all turn out great! I have a quick question though, there's a picture of all the ingredients in a blender but the directions say to whisk everything together. What are we supposed to do?
You either whisk or blend until all combined. I am lazy like that so I blend 😉
Btw, thanks for sweet words! I am glad you are enjoying the recipes!
Spaciba Natasha its delicious<3
Perfect!!! Totally agree with you! 😉
Yes, its a really good recipe. Thank you!
Usually, the ceaser dressing recipes out there scared me b/c almost every recipe involved using a raw egg and oil (to create the mayo part), but this way, it is so easy and preservative free. Love it!