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The Best Authentic Vegan Tzatziki Recipe

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This is hands down the best vegan tzatziki recipe ever! With glowing 5 star reviews it’s an authentic recipe you can’t miss!

A spoon dripping white tzatziki sauce into a glass jar full of it sitting on parchment
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This recipe was originally published on 2/23/2014

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 vegan gyro.

You can also scoop this plant based sauce up with pita chips, drizzle over vegan shawarma, or use as a dip for grilled veggie kabobs.

I knew I needed a dairy free tzatziki on my website, a vegan version of course, to remind me of the good old days of family, Greece and eating…lots and lots of eating. I nailed this one, it’s creamy, full of flavor, and tastes as good as I remember!

How to Make Vegan Tzatziki

It’s a good thing this recipe is so easy to make, becuase you are going to want to have it on hand at all times! The recipe uses simple whole food ingredients and comes together in just 10 minutes.

Ingredients

Bowls with cashews, water, salt, pepper, garlic and white vinegar on a wooden tray with cucumber, lemon and dill

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Grate and drain the cucumber.
  2. Blend everything except the cucumber and dill. 
  3. Pulse in the cucumber and dill. 
  4. Refrigerate to thicken.
  • Top view of a blender on a striped towel with a white creamy sauce inside.
  • Top view of a blender with a white sauce inside with green specs in it

What to Serve with Vegan Tzatziki Sauce

Use this recipe for dipping or drizzling along with all your favorite foods! Here are some of our favorite ways to use it:

Glass jar on parchment paper filled with tzatziki sauce

Preparation Tips

  • If you do not have a high speed blender you need to prepare the cashews. You can either soak them overnight, boil for 30 minutes, or grind into a fine powder using a coffee grinder.
  • Use a cheese grater or a food processor with a grating attachment to cut the cucumber.
  • To avoid a watery sauce remove as much of the liquid from the cucumber as possible using a paper towel or dish towel.
  • The easiest way to chop the dill is to remove the thick stem, roll it up in a ball, and finely chop with a sharp knife.
  • Seal the tzatziki in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
  • The longer the dip rests in the refrigerator, the thicker it gets. To thin it out mix in a little more water.

Tofu Variation

Originally this recipe was developed using tofu. I’ve found that the cashew version is better, but if you can’t have nuts this is a great alternative.

  • Substitute the cashews for 1 1/2 cups silken tofu. 
  • Omit the lemon juice if preferred.

Common Questions

How do vegans eat tzatziki?

There are some plant based store bought options, but it’s so easy to make your own! Some recipes use vegan yogurt as a base, but I’ve found using cashews with fresh ingredients works even better to create a thick and creamy sauce.

What is vegan tzatziki made of?

Many of the same ingredients including cucumbers, dill, and garlic. However, instead of yogurt, this recipe uses cashews, water, and lemon juice to create the creamy base.

Is vegan yogurt good?

The options for vegan yogurt have greatly improved over the years. There are many store bought and homemade recipes that taste delicious.

More Vegan Sauce Recipes

Having so many options for plant based sauces and toppings allows you to add extra flavor to your food! Here are some of the most popular sauce recipes:

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A spoon dripping white tzatziki sauce into a glass jar full of it sitting on parchment

The Best Authentic Vegan Tzatziki Recipe

Sophia DeSantis
This is hands down the best vegan tzatziki recipe ever! With glowing 5 star reviews it's an authentic recipe you can't miss!
5 from 41 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Course Sauce
Cuisine Greek
Servings 10
Calories 75 kcal

Equipment

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 makes about 2 1/2 cups sauce.
  • 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.
UPDATE: After much trial and error, I have updated this recipe to my favorite version using cashews instead of tofu. If you are nut free and want the tofu version, take out cashews and water and use 1 1/2 cups silken tofu instead. The original recipe also did not have lemon juice, which I use to cut the sweetness of the cashews, so take out the lemon juice as well if you prefer.

Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 75kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 119mgPotassium: 106mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 1.6mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.9mg

Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.

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Comments

  1. Roxie says

    Excellent recipe and so easy to make. This is a great sauce to have in my cooking repetoire! Do you know if its good for freezing?

    Reply

  8. KM says

    Fantastic recipe! I’m a mostly vegan vegetarian who is having a bit of a struggle with the idea of dairy. We eat mostly Mediterranean in the summer, but without tzatziki, which I can’t handle eating, it’s lacking. And we are used to excellent tzatziki, made in small batches by a local Greek immigrant. This rivals his, and I can eat it without qualm.

    I wasn’t sure about the dill – used to mint – but I split the batch and did half with each. To my surprise, I love both equally.

    Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe.

    Reply

  9. Shelley says

    Could you define “raw”. Like do they have to be bought raw in the shell or can you just buy a bag of cashews at the store that are “ready to eat” so to speak?

    Reply

    • veggiesdontbite says

      Hi Shelley! The cashews you buy will saw raw on them. It simply means they are not roasted. Many cashews you eat are roasted with salt, the raw ones provide the creamy flavor. The raw ones also look lighter in color. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  10. Robyn Pooldaily says

    Wow!!! It was a great recipe. Keep sharing these types of recipes on your platform because it helps me to time pass in this covid time

    Reply

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