Dairy Free Tzatziki
This Dairy Free Tzatziki tastes just like the real thing! It’s made with a base of cashews and loaded with garlic, lemon, dill, and grated cucumber. It’s bright, zesty, creamy, and perfect served with crackers or as a sauce over a pita, grilled meat, chicken, fish, or veggies. 
I am such a big fan of tzatziki. Really, I love all Greek food, and this takes me back to Greece and all the fresh Mediterranean cuisine. I love the creamy texture yet refreshing flavor of the dip and how incredibly versatile it is. This Greek dip is traditionally made with yogurt, and it took me a while to find a suitable dairy-free alternative. I absolutely love using cashews as a creamy base for dips because they’re so neutral tasting, and when done right, you won’t even know it’s cashews. You can use unsweetened coconut yogurt or other vegan yogurt, but you might get a thinner consistency, so I recommend sticking with the cashews. You won’t be disappointed with this easy recipe, and it will be your new favorite way to make homemade dairy free tzatziki.
Why You Will Love This Dairy Free Tzatziki
- This dairy free tzatziki tastes just like the real thing! You would have no idea that it is made with a base of blended cashews
- This will be a go-to recipe to add to all your sandwiches, wraps, and to use as a dip.
- It is fresh and flavorful and filled with all the traditional flavors of the classic Mediterranean dip.
- You can find all the fresh, simple ingredients for this dairy-free tzatziki sauce at any local grocery store.
- This incredible dip is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo, Keto, Whole30, and Specific Carbohydrate Diet legal.
What Is Tzatziki
Traditional Greek tzatziki is a refreshing and tangy dip or sauce traditionally made from yogurt, cucumber, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh dill, seasoned with salt. It’s a staple in Greek cuisine and is often served with grilled meats and pita bread. It’s also commonly used as a topping for gyros or souvlaki. The creamy, bright flavor of tzatziki makes it a perfect complement to spiced dishes, and its vibrant, fresh flavors have made it a popular sauce across many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines.
In Greek cuisine, a traditional tzatziki is made with plain Greek yogurt, but this easy vegan tzatziki is made with a creamy cashew base. Cashews have a creamy, neutral flavor, making this dairy-free tzatziki version irresistible. With the addition of lemon, dill, and fresh cucumbers, you won’t even know you’re eating a vegan version of this incredibly popular Greek sauce.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Cashews: I recommend using raw cashews, making sure they are not roasted or salted. You can find more tips below.
- Cucumber: You’ll want to use a large cucumber, whether it be a regular cucumber, Persian cucumbers, or an English cucumber.
- Salt: You’ll need a pinch of salt to help draw out the moisture of the cucumber and give flavor to the sauce.
- Fresh Garlic: I prefer using a fresh garlic clove instead of pre-minced garlic or garlic powder.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is a zesty must for homemade tzatziki.
- Dried dill: Dried dill is perfect for this, and it packs a punch in flavor. You can also use fresh dill if you prefer.
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
- Vegetable Peeler
- Box grater/Cheese Grater
- Small Bowl
- Fine Sieve/Colander
- High-Speed Blender or Food Processor
How to Make This Dairy Free Tzatziki
- Soak the cashews in a small mixing bowl of boiling water.
- Cut the ends off the cucumber and peel it. Using a cheese/box grater, shred the cucumber and then place the shredded cucumber in a sieve, sprinkle with salt and leave to drain.
- Drain the cashews and add to a high-speed blender or food processor along with the garlic, lemon juice, dill, and water and blend until completely smooth.
- Give the cucumber one final squeeze with your hands to get as much excess moisture out as possible before adding the shredded cucumber to the cashew sauce. Stir everything together to ensure it’s well mixed.
You can find step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below
Modifications and Dietary Customizations
- The beautiful thing about this recipe is that it complies with almost every diet except FODMAP. Simply leave out the garlic if you are on the FODMAP diet and it will still be delicious.
- Substitute a cup of plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, or plain non-dairy yogurt instead of the unsalted cashews for a more authentic tzatziki.
- Add other fresh herbs, like a bit of fresh mint along with the dill.
- Use white wine vinegar instead of lemon juice. It won’t have the same brightness, but it will add the acidity for that tangy flavor that you need.
Pro Tips For Making This Tzatziki
- There are a few simple tricks for using cashews in a sauce. Firstly, they should be soaked so that they easily break down into a thin consistency. Many people recommend soaking them in water overnight, for those who are terrible at planning ahead (i.e. me!!). Soaking them in boiling water for about 10 minutes will have the same effect.
- My second tip is to use either a high speed blender, a food processor, or ideally a NutriBullet. The first few times I made cashew-based sauces in my regular blender they were a total disaster, with little chunky bits. Using the correct equipment will result in an incredibly creamy and smooth sauce that you would never know was made with cashews.
- Cucumbers have a lot of water in them. A lot! Placing the shredded cucumber in a sieve should remove some of the water, but I recommend also squeezing it with your hands to try to get out even more. You can also soak up the water with a paper towel or a clean tea towel. This will keep the consistency of the tzatziki thick and creamy.
Ways To Serve This Dairy Free Tzatziki
- For a meal, enjoy this on top of a gyro, Greek Lamb Burgers, Chicken Shawarma or this BLT Chicken Lettuce Sandwich Wrap.
- In the world of cashew themes, serve alongside this Roasted Red Pepper and Cashew Dip with all your favorite veggies.
- This vegan tzatziki is great as a snack with pita chips, your favorite crackers, or with mini Naan bread dippers or warm pita bread.
- Enjoy this on a grain bowl or rice bowl filled with meat and your favorite vegetables.
Storage and Leftovers
Whether you have leftovers or are making this in advance, this vegan tzatziki will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. Simply follow the instructions, store in an airtight container to level up your meals for days! Give the tzatziki a good stir before serving.
More Dips You Will Love:
- Spicy Feta Dip
- Baba Ganoush
- Curried Cauliflower Hummus
- Beet and Walnut Dip
- Whipped Ricotta Dip with Hot Honey
If you make this vegan tzatziki recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes
- 1 large cucumber
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dried dill (or 1 tbsp fresh)
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Start by soaking the cashews in a bowl of boiling water for 10 minutes
- Cut both ends off the cucumber and then peel. Using a cheese grater shred the cucumber and then place the shredded cucumber in a sieve, sprinkle with salt and leave to drain for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the drained cashews into a high speed blender or food processor along with the garlic, lemon juice, dill and water and blend until completely smooth, this might take a few minutes. I like using a nutribullet to get the smoothest consistency.
- Give the cucumber one final squeeze with your hands to get as much of the water out as possible before adding the shredded cucumber to the cashew sauce. Stir everything together to ensure its well mixed and then taste and add more salt/dill/lemon as desired. Store in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
This post was published on July 20, 2018 and updated with new copy on April 8, 2025.
This recipe turned out excellent! We are having vegetarian gyros today and can’t wait to use the sauce. Thanks for this geat recipe.
Oh my goodness. I just made this to go on top of pan-fried cod, and it is SO good!! Thank you!