This is hands down the best vegan tzatziki recipe ever! With glowing 5 star reviews it's an authentic recipe you can't miss!
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
- Cucumber
- Raw cashews
- Fresh lemon juice
- Distilled white vinegar
- Garlic
- Dill
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
Step by Step Instructions
- Grate and drain the cucumber.
- Blend everything except the cucumber and dill.
- Pulse in the cucumber and dill.
- Refrigerate to thicken.
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:
- Vegan Greek Gyros
- Vegan Shawarma
- Falafel Burger
- Falafel Sandwich
- Lentil Moussaka
- Grilled Veggie Kabobs
- Greek Farro Salad
- Roasted Greek Lemon Potatoes
- Broccoli Cauliflower Tots
- Oven Fries
- Eggplant Fries
- Pita bread or chips
- Fresh veggies like celery, carrots, and cucumber spears
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 ½ cups silken tofu.
- Omit the lemon juice if preferred.
Common Questions
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.
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.
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:
- Ranch Dressing
- Caramel Sauce
- Chocolate Syrup
- Cheese Sauce
- Passion Fruit Syrup
- BBQ Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Buffalo Sauce
The Best Authentic Vegan Tzatziki Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cucumber , peeled and grated
- 1 cup raw cashews (see note)
- ¾ cup water (add up to ¼ more to thin out as desired)
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 ½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic , medium size
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- pinch ground black pepper
- 1 ½ 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 ½ 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.
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.
Jenn
Do you have a suggestion if you can't eat nuts or soy, what to use instead to make it that creamy?
veggiesdontbite
Hi Jenn! Unfortunately the cashews are what give this it's perfect flavor. Since you can't do soy, tofu won't work (not my fave flavor anyway). The only thing I can suggest is you can try sunflower seeds but their flavor is quite strong so it will come through a bit. So sorry!! I have other creamy alfredo like sauces that use potato with the nuts and I have had people sub for those, but not when it's all nuts.
Diya
Does this freeze ok if i don’t use all of it?
veggiesdontbite
Hi Diya! It will freeze but the texture won't be as good since cucumber doesn't freeze super well. You could try blending it again once it defrosts!
Niki Booth
This is absolutely delicious! That little extra step of grating and drying the cucumber makes all the difference in the texture of the tzatziki. This is going to go great with the falafel I made from your recipes!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Niki!! So happy you liked it! So worth the extra effort! Thank you!
ROBYN
SO amazing recipes. I make a lot for my friend after the first time. Thank your sharing!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much for the great review! So happy you like it!
Erika
finally an authentic greek recipe indeed to make tzaziki dip, you have no idea how many people have called me crazy for grinding the cucumber instead of chopping it up so i’m happy that once again i am proved right so thank you!!!!!
veggiesdontbite
Oh my gosh! Thank you so much!!! YES, you grate the cucumber!! I am thrilled you love it. Thank you for the great review!
Kassie
Can you use a food processor?
veggiesdontbite
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
Can this be frozen?
veggiesdontbite
Hi Barbara! It can! The texture will change a bit but the flavor is still good.
Laura
OMG!!! This is AMAZING!!! Just put it in the fridge. Taste like the dairy one literally!
Love it! Thank you!!!
veggiesdontbite
Yay! I am so happy you like it Laura!! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Stephannie
Do the cashews need to be soaked?
veggiesdontbite
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
Do the cashews have to be raw ? Could I use dyed unsalted ?
Andrea
Meant to say roasted ... auto correct kills me !!
veggiesdontbite
LOL! I got you!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Andrea! Unfortunately they need to be raw. Roasted cashews do not leave the same creamy taste.
Samantha
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
I'm so happy you liked it Samantha!! We use it for everything!
Lisa
This was an awesome recipe!
veggiesdontbite
I am so happy you liked it Lisa!
Dale
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
So happy Dale!!! Yes, if you don't grate and drain some liquid it will be runnier. But the flavor is still good!!
Lauren
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
I am so happy to hear Lauren!! Thank you so much for giving it a try!
Dee Cowan
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
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!