A delicious vegan Cilantro Lime Dressing recipe made with creamy avocado! It's easy to make and an amazing pairing with southwestern-style salads. (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free option.)
I've wanted to make my own creamy cilantro lime dressing ever since we tried the one from Trader Joe's last year.
Store-bought dressings are convenient, but making your own brings a whole new level of flavor and freshness that's hard to beat.
Plus you can control the ingredients and adjust the flavors exactly how you want!
Ingredients for Cilantro Lime Dressing
For this recipe you will blend in a blender or food processor:
- Fresh cilantro: If you're not a fan of cilantro, readers have reported success with substituting fresh parsley instead. (And some people who normally don't care for cilantro say they actually enjoy it in this dressing!)
- Avocado: Or substitute plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt, vegan sour cream, or mayonnaise. This helps create the creamy texture.
- Fresh lime juice: You will need about one lime for this recipe, or more to taste if desired.
- Garlic cloves: I like fresh garlic best, but you can try substituting with garlic powder if needed.
- Olive oil: For an oil-free version, simply use water to thin the dressing.
- White wine vinegar: Or you can use apple cider vinegar instead.
- Salt: I use fine grain salt for this recipe.
- Agave and ground cumin: These are optional additions, but recommended for best flavor.
Serving
This dressing is great on salads, wraps, drizzled on tacos like a flavorful sauce, burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, taco salad, and also as a vegetable dip.
My personal favorite: Try it on this Southwestern Chopped Salad (pictured above).
Customizing
This recipe is very versatile depending on your favorite flavors:
- Make it spicy: Add a dash of cayenne pepper or jalapeno pepper.
- More flavor: Add ground cumin, tomatillos, or more garlic to taste.
- Acidity: Squeeze in more lime juice or even a little lime zest.
- Sweetness: Add a half teaspoon or more of agave nectar or pure maple syrup to sweeten. This helps to help balance the flavors and tone down the tartness.
Storing
Either serve this dressing right away or save it in a sealed jar or container in the fridge for later. We find it keeps for about 3-4 days.
For more inspiration, also browse all salad dressing recipes or cilantro recipes.
Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro (stems removed and roughly chopped)
- 1/2 avocado (or 1/2 cup plain vegan yogurt)
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil (can omit or replace with water as needed)
- 1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
- 1/8 tsp. salt
Optional (but recommended):
- Agave to sweeten, ground cumin to taste
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.
If you are enjoying this vegan creamy avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing recipe, also check out:
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Elle says
This recipe has been a household staple for years now--we can't have carnitas without it anymore. 🙂 Thx!
Kaitlin says
Wonderful to hear you've been enjoying it, Elle! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know. Very appreciated!
Carla says
I read one of the comments who said she always "tinkers" with recipes so I followed suit and added cumin, paprika, honey, extra lime. I cannot have oil so I substituted with aquafaba and replaced the avocado with white beans. I liked the recipe so much, that I doubled it right after making the first batch. Taking it to a dinner party tonight. Cannot wait to serve it on the salad. Thank you!
Kaitlin says
Wow, this is spectacular, Carla! I love how you made it your own, and what a great idea with the aquafaba and white beans. So awesome. Thanks for coming back to share your very kind and helpful feedback. It's really appreciated. Wishing you all a fun and wonderful dinner party tonight!
Dar says
Delicious, added cashews!
Kaitlin says
Fantastic addition, Dar! So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing.
Sheila says
I made a version of this tonight. Omitted a couple things though as I didn't have them on hand, but it still came out amazing. Its kinda thick, but really creamy. I will definitely be making this again. Even my four year old loves it.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Glad you were able to adapt it. Thanks for sharing!
Unknown says
I just made this, and it was amazing. Don't think I can have a burrito without it again. Thank you!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Great to hear!
Sherrylyn says
Have made the Southwestern chopped salad with this dressing several times for family and friends. So good! The salad is bright and fresh and the dressing is delish! I add some grilled chicken breasts on the side. Perfect summer meal. Love it!!
Kaitlin says
Wonderful, Sherrylyn! So thrilled to hear you've been enjoying the salad and dressing, and love that you've shared it with friends + family too. I appreciate your very kind feedback!
Rosa Beaty says
Made the recipe with the Southwestern chopped salad & grilled chicken. The whole family loved it! Thanks for adding to my recipe box.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Thanks for sharing!
Anonymous says
Just made this today with vanilla Greek yogurt and it turned out delicious! Both on salad and on grilled salmon!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Thank you for sharing!
Erika Layne says
I made this twice now and both times it got an amazing response. My sister loved it and I did not at all think she would. I never use a recipe to its entirety, I always modify it like crazy. With this one, I added more cilantro (about 1 1/4 cup), cumin, paprika, honey, a couple shakes cayenne pepper sauce, juice & zest of 1/2 lime and 1 oz of tequila. The paprika and cayenne pepper sauce added a subtle kick at the end and the tequila added a unique flavor. Still stuck with the 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt, 2 cloves garlic, and 1/4 (ish) EVOO. I omitted the vinegar because I didn't have any and I am not a huge fan anyway. Thank you for sharing this!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
I love that you made this your own! Thanks for sharing!
Linda says
I made this today, and thought it needed a little something extra so I added 1/2 teaspoon each cumin, red pepper flakes and Vegeta seasoning, so yummy!!! Gave it a spicy kick!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Great idea!
jamileena says
This turned out great. Here are my tweaks according to what my pantry and fridge had: I used Meyer lemon (just squeezed about 2 quarts last weekend) added about one Tablespoon of oil to help emulsify, apple cider vinegar and.. this is the best part - as well as 1 clove of garlic, I added 1 teaspoon of GARLIC JELLY. Yes, Garlic Jelly! It added some sweetness to the acidic lemon/vinegar and more garlic flavor. I got the jelly as a travel gift to myself while driving thru Gilroy, CA (the Garlic Capitol) To give this gift to anyone else, I would include a recipe card or two - this recipe being one of them. Thanks for being here and posting this great, totally tweakable recipe! Have a great day.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
I loved reading your message and am so happy you enjoyed this recipe. Your version sounds incredible! Thanks for sharing!
Deuce says
Just made this tonight and it was so easy but with big bite. I may have put in too much garlic for my hubby's liking but I LOVED it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Great to hear, thank you for the feedback!
Anonymous says
This looks delicious! Any idea how long it keeps? I have some cilantro that is about to go bad, and I am wondering if I might be able to preserve its life by turning it into salad dressing... thoughts?
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Hi! We've kept this in the fridge for about 4-5 days before it gets eaten up (so anything past that I'm not sure.)
Anonymous says
I don't like cilantro - what can I substitute?
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Hi! You could use parsley or basil!
Cameospot says
I cook weekly dinners at church, and this is my most frequently requested recipe. Everyone loves it! I always add some honey, though, the tartness is just too much without it. Excellent recipe.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
So great to hear! And how sweet of you to cook dinners for people at church! Thanks for the message - take care.
kgh9283 says
I made this dressing last night. We were going to have the Southwestern Chop Salad with it but my back crapped out. The dressing was WAY too tart for both of us and I added some honey to even the flavors out. Worked great! It's really thick but I'm guessing it will get thinned out a little by the juices/wetness of the ingredients. It's now going to be dinner for today.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Glad you were able to work out the flavors to suit your palette - thanks for sharing!
Lgb says
Very good!!! I added some honey. Will definitely make again!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
So great to hear!
Anonymous says
I used Vegenaise (a vegan mayo) in place of the yogurt and it turned out really well. Thanks for this dressing recipe -- I poured it over a "southwestern quinoa" dish and it's yummy!!!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Such a great idea! Thank you for sharing!
Suzanne says
Has anyone compared this recipe with the awesome Cilantro Dressing from The Cheesecake Factory Restaurant? I know theirs is dairy free and I believe was told has a little orange juice in it in addition to Lime and maybe even a little pineapple juice. It has no preservatives. I purchased a bottle at a rest. recently and it had to be refrigerated on the way home from out of town. It did last over a week.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Hi Suzanne! Thanks for the message. I've never tried The Cheesecake Factory's cilantro dressing - that sounds amazing. I love the addition of other citrus flavors and pineapple juice!
Anonymous says
Has anybody tried freezing this? I can't go through it all before it goes bad. thanks!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Hi! I haven't tried freezing this, so unfortunately I'm not sure how well it would hold up. You could definitely cut the recipe in half if you don't want to waste any though! Hope you enjoy!
Anonymous says
the southwest chopped salad with cilantro lime dressing was DELICIOUS - thank you for sharing it!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
My pleasure! Glad you gave it a try and enjoyed!
Anonymous says
EXCELLENT salad! Very light and refreshing for summer, but the beans give it some substance.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Thanks! So glad you're enjoying the salad!
Daisysix says
This is so good on tacos and fajitas.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Great to hear!
Jessica says
I made this salad dressing last night and really liked it! Everything blended up nicely, and between the cilantro and garlic there was a nice kick. Next time I'll add some more kick with pepper/cayenne. I really enjoyed having a creamy salad dressing while still being healthy.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
That's fantastic!
Anonymous says
So this was awesome! A little too tart for my kids, though. So I added 2 TBS of honey to it and they ate it right up!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
So great!
Nicole says
Just made this and it is so delicious! Will definitely make this often for my salad dressing. Thanks for posting!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Glad you enjoyed!
Anonymous says
Loved it! Tried it last night for our Ensenada style tacos. I eliminated the oil and added low fat mayo, paprika, Haas avocado and some green onions....yummy! Thanks!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Great idea with the paprika!
Anonymous says
I added about 1/4 tsp. cumin and 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, a whole lime and about 1/2 the cilantro (didn't have enough on hand)...it was DELISH!!! Thanks for the GREAT dressing!!!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Wonderful!
Beeker says
I just made your dressing. I added some hot sauce, a bit more garlic, used rice wine vinegar and added a teaspoon of sugar. It tastes amazing and I can't wait to add it to the salad tonight. It reminded me a bit of a chip dip we used to get in Austin but that had an additional ranch flavor. I think this would be great over fish tacos as well!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Love your adaptions - thanks for sharing!
Kate says
Wow! I found this recipe via Pinterest and just made this dressing tonight. It is so delicious! I had to stop myself from eating it all with a spoon before it made it's way to the salad. I used avocado and I added a dash of coconut milk to achieve the desired consistency. Really really good! So excited to add it to my arsenal.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Thanks for sharing!
Frida Sörensson says
Hi! I just made this and I LOVE it! I'm gonna eat it all summer! Thanks! PS I also love the internet and Pinterest, how else could I sit here in Sweden and make your recipe?
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Ha! So great to hear - thank you for sharing!
Anonymous says
Do you think sour cream would work in place of the yogurt?
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
I haven't tried that, but I bet I'm guessing it'd work beautifully.
Kali says
Thanks for the recipe! I used it tonight for some Mexican salad. I was a little nervous when I tasted it in my finger because it seemed a little strong, but on the salad it added the prefect amount of kick.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Great to hear!
Brenda says
This is such a great little recipe. Had a half of a lime and some left over cilantro and Greek yogurt so decided to give this one a try. Only had apple cider vinegar, so used that instead. Garlic bunch I was working with had three cloves left, so I decided to throw in the extra one. Might have gone a wee bit strong on the garlic as a result, however still very good. Color is beautiful too! I'm thinking this could be good on chicken or even in replace of sour cream on tacos. Thanks so much for sharing!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Wonderful, thank you for sharing!
Anonymous says
Made this to go along with the southwest salad, it was great! I added about a 1/4 cup of greek yogurt and 1/2 an avocado. It was still quite thick so I added some coconut water. Also added a jalapeno. I will be making this again, thanks!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Awesome adaptions! Coconut water is a great idea to thin it out!
Robin says
I love this and eat a lot salad so I just made it for the second time. Sometimes I sprinkle some Cholulu pepper sauce over it and it gives it punch while still being healthy. I'm sure any of the bottled hot sauces would work well. Thanks!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Wonderful, thanks for sharing!
Kelle says
Amazing dressing! I made it tonight and am in love. Thank you!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Great to hear!
Anonymous says
Made it! So good. Love that I had all the ingredients sitting around.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Great when that happens. Thanks for sharing!
Anonymous says
It was truly a delight. Made the dressing with the Southwestern Chopped Salad, and together it was amazing. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be making it again, maybe adding chicken next time. Super healthy, and super delicious! Thanks!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
So great to hear!
Sara says
Just made this dressing! Working on the Southwest salad to go along with it! I am thinking the salad and dressing combo would work well as a salad in a jar if I layered the ingredients instead of mixing. Thanks for the recipes!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Great idea - I bet this would be awesome in a salad jar!
Tifanie Ferch says
Is there anything I can substitute the vinegar with? I have every other type but white.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
If you have apple cider vinegar, that could work too.
Tifanie Ferch says
The cider vinegar turned out well. This dressing was awesome and the whole salad a big hit at our BBQ. Thanks!
Lexi says
I thought this was delicious! I used 1 avocado, buttermilk instead of the oil (to desired consistency), and added 2 jalapenos and 1/2 of a small onion. Thanks for the great idea!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Thanks for sharing!
Anonymous says
I give you 5 stars Kaitlin, I made this last night and came up so good, you can also add a garlic glove in the dressing.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Great to hear!