This creamy keto Caesar dressing whisks together in 5 minutes with mayo, freshly grated Parmesan, lemon juice, Dijon, Worcestershire, garlic, and a little anchovy paste. It’s low carb, made without raw eggs, and has just 1 net carb per 2 tablespoon serving.
I make salad for dinner pretty regularly (as a side, or as a main dish – like my Big Mac salad!) and the easiest way to get my family excited for their greens is to make a homemade salad dressing!
You can make a seriously good Caesar dressing at home and the secret to really getting that rich umami flavor is anchovy paste!
If you’re nervous about it, you’re not alone. Readers who were skeptical have told me the same thing after trying it: it doesn’t taste fishy, just rich and savory. (And if you’re still not convinced, I’ve got a swap for you below.)
We drizzle this low carb Caesar dressing over chopped romaine that, shaved Parm, and keto croutons. (Tips on making keto croutons below – it’s easy!)
Homemade dressings are kind of my thing. Once you’ve got this one down, try our keto ranch dressing, keto thousand island dressing, and creamy avocado salad dressing, or browse our favorite keto friendly salad dressings.
Is Caesar Dressing Keto?
Yes! Caesar dressing is naturally low carb because it’s built on fat and flavor: mayo (or egg yolks and oil in the traditional version), Parmesan, lemon, and garlic. This one has just 1 net carb per 2 tablespoon serving.
Most bottled Caesar dressings are also low carb, but they often contain funky ingredients, stabilizers, and thickeners. Homemade really is better!
- It’s ready in 5 minutes. Everything goes into one small bowl and gets a quick whisk. No blender or raw egg yolks needed.
- The flavor is big and savory. Parmesan, garlic, lemon, and that little bit of anchovy paste make it taste so much better than anything from a bottle.
- It gets everyone eating salad. A great homemade dressing is my secret weapon for getting my family excited about a big bowl of greens
Ingredient Notes:
Mayonnaise – Mayo is the creamy base, and it’s what makes this version so quick (no raw egg yolks to whisk into an emulsion). Use your favorite real mayo; we like Kraft. Just check the label for added sugar, and skip Miracle Whip and other “salad dressing” spreads, which are sweetened. Avocado oil mayo is a good swap if that’s what you keep on hand.
Parmesan – Grate your own from a block, or grab it from the cheese counter. Freshly grated Parmesan blends right into the dressing and brings that nutty, salty flavor. The shelf-stable kind in the green can is too dry for this. One reader swapped in Pecorino Romano and loved it; it’s saltier than Parmesan, so taste before you add all the salt.
Lemon Juice – The lemon juice is an important ingredient so I’d recommend using freshly squeezed. It’ll help to enhance the flavor and brighten the colors of this keto Caesar dressing.
Olive oil – Just a tablespoon adds flavor and helps everything come together into a smooth, pourable dressing.
Dijon Mustard – Dijon’s tangy bite balances the salty, savory flavors from the anchovy and Parmesan.
Worcestershire Sauce – It adds all kinds of good savory flavor to pretty much anything! Some brands have added sugar so choose accordingly.
Anchovy Paste – Took me awhile to except that Caesar dressing really does need anchovy paste, but it does add loads of savory flavor. If you’re squeamish, skip this and use extra Worcestershire sauce. Find tubes of anchovy paste near the canned tuna at the store.
Garlic – I’m using two cloves of garlic in this dressing because I really like the flavor of garlic! You can use even more, or less, to suit your taste!
We use Thrive Market for a lot of our specialty ingredients and keto snacks or products. Their prices tend to be cheaper than the local stores and I love that you can so easily sort products by diet.
Like Costco, this is a membership site, but we find that it’s more than worth it based on the amount we save over the regular grocery store.
They have monthly or yearly plans. Check it out here.
How To Make Keto Caesar Salad Dressing
Mince the garlic and sprinkle with a little bit of salt. The salt will help break down the garlic.
Use te flat side of your knife to press the garlic into a paste. This will help it melt into the dressing without big chunks.
Add all of the ingredients for the dressing into a mixing bowl.
Whisk the dressing together, adding a bit of water as needed to thin it out.
Taste your dressing on a piece of lettuce instead of straight off the spoon. Dressing always tastes stronger on its own, and you’re seasoning it for the salad.
No time to paste the garlic? Grate it on a microplane instead.
Storage
- Fridge: Keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. Give it a good stir or shake before using.
- Make-ahead: Whisk up a batch whenever you have 5 minutes and keep it on hand for quick salads over the next few days. If it thickens up in the fridge, stir in a splash of water.
- Freezer: Skip it. Mayo-based dressings tend to separate and turn grainy once they’re thawed.
FAQ’s:
Some are, but it depends on the brand. Check the nutrition label for carbs per serving and the ingredient list for added sugar. Making it at home takes 5 minutes and lets you control exactly what goes in.
No! Use a little extra Worcestershire sauce and a pinch more salt instead. Readers have also used a splash of fish sauce or one mashed anchovy fillet. I haven’t tested those swaps, so start small and taste.
No. Traditional Caesar dressing is made with raw egg yolks, but this version uses mayonnaise as the base, so there are no raw yolks and nothing to emulsify by hand.
How To Make a Keto Caesar Salad
A classic Caesar salad is easy to make low carb. The only thing you really need to swap is the croutons.
For croutons, we use store-bought keto bread. Cut it into bite-sized cubes, toss with melted butter, garlic salt, and onion powder, and toast in a hot pan over medium heat until they’re as crunchy as you like.
Chop a few romaine hearts, toss them with the dressing, and pile on the croutons and plenty of shaved or grated Parmesan. To turn it into dinner, add sliced roasted chicken breast or garlic butter shrimp.
More Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes
- Greek Dressing Recipe
- Keto Italian Dressing
- Keto Honey Mustard
- Keto Blue Cheese Dressing
- Green Goddess Salad Dressing
Keto Caesar Dressing
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Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup grated Parmesan see notes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste see notes
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil, dijon, anchovy paste, and Worcestershire sauce to a small bowl.
- Mince the garlic and then sprinkle with a bit of the salt. Use the back of your knife to press the garlic into a paste.
- Add the garlic to the mayonnaise mixture along with the rest of the salt and the pepper.
- Whisk the dressing together to combine. Add a bit of water to thin the dressing, if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.
- Serve immediately or store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and calculated automatically – it’s an estimate, not a guarantee. Values can vary depending on the brands and ingredients you use, so if you’re tracking closely, I’d recommend calculating with your own preferred tool. Net carbs are total carbs minus fiber and any sugar alcohols.
Ellen Mills says
This sounds delightful. Please advise on how to adjust the recipe for those with any type of seafood/fish allergies. Hence can’t use anchovy paste or Worcestershire sauce. Does anyone know if theres a Worcestershire sauce without anchovies? Please help.
Karly Campbell says
Hi Ellen! There are versions out there without it that you can google. I’m not sure what the swap is, but I know they exist! 🙂
Judy Mathew says
have not tried this but when I do I will cut back the may to 3/4 cup and add 1/2 cup low fat high protein Greek yogurt and skip the anchovies (not a fan of this) also bump my garlic to 3-4 clove (love garlic)
Dave says
This is the best homemade dressing ever!
Zee says
Delightful, and basically the classic version of Caesar that most people aren’t privileged enough to have tried. I used to make this in culinary school this way (I just came to double check a recipe and make sure I didn’t forget anything… and I totally would’ve forgotten the Worcestershire), except that we used a stick blender for emulsifying oil and egg yolks together, rather than jarred mayo.
I’m really sorry the lady down there got so preachy with you for using mayo, sheesh. It is a VERY easy shortcut to emulsion (the combination of oil and water). For those who aren’t comfortable with mayo, you can just as easily use your own safe, neutral oil and a stick blender or high speed blender, and a couple of egg yolks. Preferably pasteurized right now with bird flu going around- you can look up how to do that. Since air adds volume when you combine the oil and egg yolk, it would probably be around 1/2 cup oil, and whip up into plenty of emulsified creamy stuff. Then add some good extra virgin olive oil, but do not use the machine at that point; hand-mix the olive oil. Blenders break down olive oil and make it taste horribly bitter.
And for sure, I prefer to use a whole anchovy over the paste, because you can find a use for whole anchovies- pizza, adding them to the salad, cracker, just eat them out of the can, etc, whereas I’ve never used anchovy paste for anything but Caesar dressing. Lots of wasted tubes. One anchovy is about right. For those who THINK they’re scared of anchovy… there’s anchovy in the Worcestershire. If you like that, you’re good with anchovy in reasonable amounts, even if you’re not the kind of person like me, who’ll eat them from the tin. lol
But yes, love this, thank you.
Tiffany says
This recipe is perfect! I’ve made 2 batches so far & love it. Thank you
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks, Tiffany!
Susan J says
I’ve been making homemade blue cheese dressing for years but this was my first time trying homemade Caesar dressing. This is delicious! I substituted pecorino Romano for the Parmesan (personal preference). Yum!
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks, Susan!
Teri Sharpe says
This dressing is SO good! I just made it and I would rate it as restaurant quality – like, NICE restaurant. Also, unless you’re allergic to anchovies, please be adventurous and include the anchovy paste. It’s not fishy, it’s more like umami and really makes a difference. So happy I found this recipe – thank you!
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks, Teri!
Joanne Karabetsos says
I just made this delicious keto ceaser dressing and no lie it’s the best ceaser dressing I’ve ever had! I made a grass fed filet mignon let it cool chopped it up and put that on top of organic romaine. This will definitely be a weekly dinner. To the weirdo who left a bad review just because of what kind of mayo to use get a life and take down your BS review
Karly Campbell says
Thanks so much, Joanne! I’m so glad you enjoyed the dressing! 🙂
Emma says
Tried this yesterday when you sent the email and it was perfect with our dinner. Loved the croutons too.
J. Neal says
I’m surprised that you are not warning readers against most commercial mayonnaise. Most use oils that are sourced from GMO crops that are grown on depleted soil, exposed to persistent pesticides such as Round-Up, and their oils harshly processed and extracted using heat and/or dangerous solvents, hexane, etc. You do no favors to your readers recommending any commercial mayos that contain soy, canola, unspecified “vegetable” oils, and/or blends of same, even if token amounts of olive oil or avocado oil may be included. You chose your other salad dressing ingredients carefully, so perhaps reconsider the mayo as well. Products that use the cheap soy, canola, “vegetable,” corn, palm, and seed oils, or their blends are not healthy to consume. There ARE alternative mayos available that use exclusively non-GMO and often organic oils that are cold-pressed, expeller-pressed, or not extracted otherwise with things like hexane. While admittedly more expensive, they are much safer and more nutritious. One can easily make their own mayo, as well, using safer oils such as non-GMO and safely extracted olive or avocado oil. Look up a recipe that advises using healthy oil and the correct treatment for the safe use of the eggs (or egg substitute) in the ingredients to make homemade mayonnaise.
Karly Campbell says
I’m personally comfortable using most commercial mayos and did recommend the brand I use – Kraft. I’m sure it doesn’t pass your test and that’s fine – you’re more than welcome to use any type of mayo you like, whether homemade or a non-GMO organic mayonnaise. I still eat Kraft singles in moderation too. I can’t live an all or nothing life and don’t expect anyone else to either. We’re all making the best choices for ourselves. 🙂
Monica says
What about the sugar added to all the mayos I’ve seen in the store, including Kraft…not keto friendly. It completely defeats the a purpose and hard work and effort of getting into ketosis to have sugar in the mayo. I don’t see why this guy is going on and on about the type of oils etc when this has absolutely nothing to do with keto. The recipe is great and obviously for the hyper aware of sugars then we must make our own mayo from scratch the traditional way with no sugar.
Karly Campbell says
Everyone handles keto a bit differently. I don’t mind a little sugar so long as I keep under 20g carbs per day. Some people are more strict about sugar and some people are more strict about other ingredients, like oils.
Mrs Bee says
Two stars because the recipe is a recipe, not a manifesto against poorly-made processed food? Come on, man. The rating system is for the food, not the degree to which the author’s opinions align with your own. Get your own blog and you can bloviate about whatever you want.
Five stars because I just made a recipe very similar to this one with all the same ingredients, EXCEPT I didn’t realize I had no anchovy paste, so I used fish sauce instead. It worked great! This method is how I’ll make Caesar dressing from now on, with either anchovy paste or fish sauce.
Karly Campbell says
Thanks, Mrs. Bee! Appreciate it! 🙂