Creamy Avocado Dressing

Vibrant, wholesome, and bursting with fresh flavors—this Creamy Avocado Salad Dressing recipe is everything you could possibly ask for in a salad dressing. Made in under 5 minutes with just a handful of simple ingredients, this delicious dressing is bound to become a new staple in your home.

Summertime is quickly approaching and you know what that mean it’s avocado season! While avocados are available year-round, their peak season in the United States is between May and August. It’s just one of the many reasons why so many summer recipes utilize this magical fruit.

Avocados have been the trendiest food on the block for some time now. It’s hard to imagine a time when you could go to brunch without seeing avocado toast on the menu, but I’m definitely not complaining!

Unlike most fruits which tend to be very carb-heavy, avocados are instead packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. They’re also loaded with beneficial vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

I’m constantly looking for new ways to incorporate avocados into my recipes, including this amazing avocado hummus, avocado chicken salad, and avocado ranch dip. By pairing bold flavors like cilantro, garlic, and lime with creamy avocado and Greek yogurt, the resulting avocado dressing is delicious in flavor and silky smooth in texture.

This Creamy Avocado Dressing works great as a salad dressing, a dip for raw veggies or tortilla chips, and as a sauce for tacos and lean proteins. No matter how you decide to serve it, I guarantee you’re going to love it.

Key Ingredients

The key ingredients you will need for this flavorful dressing include:

• Avocado: Not only are avocados packed with nutrients, but they are creamy and mild in flavor, so they work brilliantly with the other flavors in this recipe.
• Greek yogurt: Along with the avocado, Greek yogurt is used as the base of our dressing. It creates a super creamy dressing and is loaded with protein.
• Cilantro: Fresh cilantro turns the dressing a vibrant shade of green and adds a ton of bright, bold flavors.
• Lime: We use both the juice and zest of a lime to add a ton of zesty flavor and brighten up the rest of the ingredients.
• Garlic: I love the sharp bite that fresh garlic adds to this recipe, but you can use garlic powder instead for a less intense garlic flavor.

Although I didn't mention it in the ingredients if you like things spicy then you will want to add a jalapeno to the mix. So so good.

Recipe Ideas for Avocado Salad Dressing

These are some of my favorite serving styles and substitutions for this dish:

• If you want to kick this recipe up a notch with a little heat, try adding one small de-seeded jalapeno to the food processor before blending up the dressing. For even more of a kick, you can leave the seeds in.
• To make this recipe vegan, you can substitute Greek yogurt for olive oil or a dairy-free yogurt alternative like soy yogurt or cashew yogurt.
• If you don’t have limes at home, this ingredient can be swapped out for lemon instead. The taste will be slightly different, but the acidity will still brighten up the dish in the same way. Regardless of which one you use, make sure you’re using fresh fruit and not concentrate.
• For a touch of sweetness, try adding a drizzle of maple syrup or a pinch of sugar.
• If you don’t have fresh garlic or prefer a less intense garlic flavor, you can substitute the garlic cloves for garlic powder.
• If you’re serving this recipe as a dip, garnish with a fresh sprig of cilantro and a drizzle of olive oil for a show stopping presentation.

How to Store Dressing

This Creamy Avocado Dressing can be stored in the fridge in an airtight bag or container for up to 3-4 days. While the lime juice keeps the dressing fresh for a few days, I don’t recommend storing it for longer than 4 days.

Luckily, it’s super easy to make so you can quickly make a new batch whenever you run out. I have found that I get the freshest and best-tasting results when I store my dressings in a glass container or jar. I don’t recommend freezing this salad dressing, as dairy typically separates in the freezer and would ruin the creamy texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below you will find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about this wholesome dish:

Can I freeze homemade salad dressing?

While oil-based dressings do okay in the freezer, I do not recommend freezing dairy-based dressings like this one. Dairy products don’t do well in the freezer, as the dairy tends to separate, causing the dressing to thaw out clumpy and runny.

How long will homemade avocado dressing keep in the fridge?

Dressing made with avocados like this one will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days, as long as it’s stored in an airtight bag or container. If it’s been a few days since you made it and you feel like it needs a little reviving, simply add a squeeze of lime juice before eating to brighten it up.

What can I use instead of cilantro?

I know there are some people out there who can’t stand cilantro, so don’t worry! If that’s the case, you can simply swap it out for another fresh herb like parsley or basil. This would make the dressing more similar to a Green Goddess Dressing and would be equally as delicious.

What can I use instead of Greek yogurt?

For a vegan-friendly option, you can use the same amount of your favorite dairy-free yogurt alternative or ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil. Keep in mind that these will slightly alter the creamy texture of the dressing, but it will still be delicious!

More Healthy Dressing and Sauce Recipes

If you love avocados as much as I do, you’ll love these recipes:

• Skinny Ranch
• Peanut Sauce
• Chimichurri
• Jalapeno Ranch
• Yogurt Blue Cheese