This authentic vegan tzatziki is like no other. Creamy, garlicky, and perfect for dipping, smothering, or licking off your fingers!
Growing up in a fully Greek household, my mom’s Tzatziki was a staple. We used it as a dip, a sauce for our meals, and most of all, it’s the cherry on top of a delicious Gyro.
I knew I needed this recipe on my blog, a vegan version of course, to remind me of the good old days of family, Greece and eating…lots and lots of eating. This vegan version definitely hit the nail on the head. It’s creamy, full of flavor, and tastes as good as I remember!
The many faces of vegan tzatziki
My first version of this authentic vegan tzatziki sauce was a tofu based one. This was at the beginning of my creative journey before I knew the magical power of cashews. Since we do not have nut allergies, cashews are my go to for ultimate creaminess. I have other players in the creamy game (see potatoes in action here and white beans in action here), but my core creaminess comes from my fave little cashew.
I left the original recipe in the notes, for all my nut free friends, but I have updated the main recipe to the version we make now. It’s creamy, it’s garlicky and has a nice little tang. And it goes perfect on my favorite vegan Greek gyros!
This recipe was originally published on 2/23/2014
Authentic Vegan Greek Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 1 cup cucumber , peeled and grated
- 1 cup raw cashews (see note)
- 3/4 cup water (add up to 1/4 more to thin out as desired)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic , medium size
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- pinch ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill
Instructions
- Put the grated cucumber in a paper towel or dish towel, squeeze out the excess water until mostly dry. Set aside.
- Blend all ingredients, except the cucumber and dill, in a high-speed blender and puree until smooth.
- Add cucumber and pulse until well incorporated.
- Add dill, pulse until finely chopped.
- Refrigerate to thicken. The longer you leave it, the thicker it gets.
Notes
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate. Please read more about that here.
Kassie says
Can you use a food processor?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Kassie! A food processor won’t give you as smooth as a consistency as a good blender. If you don’t have a blender, I suggest grinding the cashews dry into a find powder before blending in a food processor.
Barbara says
Can this be frozen?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Barbara! It can! The texture will change a bit but the flavor is still good.
Laura says
OMG!!! This is AMAZING!!! Just put it in the fridge. Taste like the dairy one literally!
Love it! Thank you!!!
veggiesdontbite says
Yay! I am so happy you like it Laura!! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Stephannie says
Do the cashews need to be soaked?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Stephannie!! If you have a high speed blender then you don’t need to soak them. But if you don’t I would recommend soaking or grinding them into a super fine powder so you get a smooth result like I say in the notes.
Andrea says
Do the cashews have to be raw ? Could I use dyed unsalted ?
Andrea says
Meant to say roasted … auto correct kills me !!
veggiesdontbite says
LOL! I got you!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Andrea! Unfortunately they need to be raw. Roasted cashews do not leave the same creamy taste.
Samantha says
Great simple recipe! I drizzles it over a Greek inspired tostada and will use the rest of the sauce tomorrow with home made falafel …
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so happy you liked it Samantha!! We use it for everything!
Lisa says
This was an awesome recipe!
veggiesdontbite says
I am so happy you liked it Lisa!
Dale says
We left the skin on the cucumber and just put it in the blender. Just turned it green and was a little more runny than I’d like, but it was too easy! My wife said it was the best sauce she ever are… Pretty good!
veggiesdontbite says
So happy Dale!!! Yes, if you don’t grate and drain some liquid it will be runnier. But the flavor is still good!!
Lauren says
New to the vegan world and this recipe has surprised me! I’m pretty picky and wasn’t sure I could make this transition but this has given me hope! Thanks for sharing!
veggiesdontbite says
I am so happy to hear Lauren!! Thank you so much for giving it a try!
Dee Cowan says
Just made this today. Soooo incredibly delicious. Wow. I’m new to being vegan and my biggest hesitation was a life without dairy. But have I ever been surprised. All my bases are covered. The alternatives are fantastic. This is surely one of them. Question though…I didn’t get a very creamy texture. Somewhat gritty. Did I simply not grind/blend long enough? Thanks for your wonderful site.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Dee! I am so happy you liked it! Yes, the gritty texture is a result of it not being blended long enough or your blender isn’t able to blend to the point of creamy, which can be an issue with many low powered blenders. In the notes of the recipes I give some options to help this, here they are so you can see: “If you are not using a high speed blender you can either soak the cashews overnight or grind them into a fine powder using a coffee grinder. You can also boil them for 30 minutes.” I suggest trying one of these!