Creamy Caesar Dressing

Growing up, Taste of Home’s culinary producer Josh Rink was obsessed with Caesar salad kits from the grocery store. He loved the ultra-creamy Caesar dressings, but he found the lettuce subpar. So Josh created his own creamy Caesar dressing recipe (to toss with good lettuce, of course), and it quickly became legendary in our Test Kitchen.

A few unexpected ingredients and an unconventional mixing method set this Caesar dressing apart from other Caesar salad recipes. “The dressing is nontraditional because it bypasses the use of raw egg,” says Josh, “and it has additional ingredients that an original-style Caesar recipe does not include.” Good mayo and heavy whipping cream are among the add-ins, but the classic Caesar flavors—anchovy, lemon juice, Dijon, Parmesan, Worcestershire sauce—are still present.

My favorite aspect of this dressing is that it’s all whipped up in a blender. No mixing by hand, and no slowly streaming olive oil to create a finicky emulsion. Just a creamy Caesar dressing that’s easy to make at home.

Creamy Caesar Dressing Ingredients

• Mayonnaise: Since it’s such a key ingredient for this recipe, it’s worth buying the best mayonnaise. A good foundation will set up your dressing for success.
• Parmesan cheese: If you can, grate your own cheese fresh from the block for the best flavor. Preshredded cheese contains cellulose, an anticaking agent that can mask the true, nuanced flavors of cheese.
• Heavy whipping cream: When we say that this Caesar dressing is creamy, we mean it. Here, we use real cream to add richness to the dressing. Don’t replace it with whole milk, or the dressing will be watery.
• Lemon juice and white wine: We balance the rich flavor with a bit of fresh lemon juice and crisp white wine. Together, they prevent the emulsion from becoming excessively heavy.
• Worcestershire sauce and anchovy fillets: The depth of classic Caesar dressing comes from anchovies and the umami flavor of Worcestershire sauce. We recommend using whole anchovy fillets, but tubed anchovy paste works just fine.
• Garlic cloves: Freshly minced garlic has a much fresher flavor than jarred garlic. I find jarred garlic to be especially pungent, which is fine when it’s cooked, but not in a raw application like Caesar dressing.
• Dijon mustard: To give the dressing a little zip and zing, use good Dijon mustard. Regular yellow mustard doesn’t have quite the same bite, but you can use it if you’re in a pinch.

Directions

Step 1: Place all the ingredients in a blender

To a standard blender, add the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, heavy whipping cream, white wine, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy fillets, garlic cloves, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.

Step 2: Blend the ingredients

Cover the blender with its lid and process the dressing until it’s completely smooth. With the blender off, scrape down the sides as needed. Pour the creamy Caesar dressing into a jar and refrigerate it until serving

Step 3: Make a Caesar salad

To serve, toss the romaine lettuce and butter croutons with the desired amount of dressing. Top the salad with shaved Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Editor’s Tip: Always start with a small amount of dressing and build up from there. Depending on the amount of lettuce, start with 1 tablespoon and add more in teaspoon increments.

Recipe Variations

• Make it spicy: For anyone who loves a little heat in everything they eat, blend a very small amount of Calabrian chili paste into the dressing. This will also give the dressing a pretty, slightly red hue.
• Go fish-free: Can’t get down with the taste of fish? Omit the anchovies and substitute tamari or soy sauce for the Worcestershire sauce. You may need to add a little more salt, but be sure to taste the dressing first.
• Try another cheese: Other hard, aged cheeses like Grana Padano or pecorino Romano are great substitutes for Parmesan.

How to Store Creamy Caesar Dressing

Store leftover creamy Caesar dressing in an airtight container or jar in the fridge. It will keep well for up to four days.

Can you make creamy Caesar dressing ahead of time?

Yes, you can make creamy Caesar dressing ahead of time. Make it the day before, store it in an airtight container, then keep it in the fridge. If it separates, give the dressing a quick stir.

Creamy Caesar Dressing Tips

How can you use creamy Caesar dressing?

The best ways to use creamy Caesar dressing, of course, start with a traditional Caesar salad, with buttery croutons and a blanket of freshly grated Parmesan. But you can also customize your own ultimate Caesar salad combo by making chopped chicken Caesar salad sandwiches, chicken Caesar smash tacos, or a pretty salmon Caesar salad.

It’s also fantastic drizzled on loaded lunch wraps or roasted vegetables, like broccoli or Brussels sprouts. Josh recommends tossing the Caesar dressing with fire-roasted Brussels sprouts and fingerling potatoes, then finishing everything with butter-toasted panko bread crumbs. He also likes to add a healthy amount to his chicken Caesar smash burgers.

How can you make creamy Caesar dressing without a blender?

To make creamy Caesar dressing without a standard blender, use an immersion blender or food processor instead. If you don’t own those appliances, you can use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, or a bowl and whisk. However, you will need to use anchovy paste from a tube instead of anchovy fillets.

How do you thin creamy Caesar dressing? How do you thicken it?

To thin creamy Caesar dressing, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired viscosity. To thicken the dressing, add 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise at a time, whisking well to incorporate, adding more as needed.