This Whole30 and Vegan Tzatziki tastes just like the real thing! It’s made with a base of cashews and loaded with garlic, lemon, dill and grated cucumber. It is easy to make and is a great condiment to serve as a dip with crackers, or as a sauce over grilled meat, chicken, fish or veggies. This Dairy Free Tzatziki is also Paleo, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal, Vegan and Whole30

Dairy Free Tzatziki
I am such a big fan of tzatziki. I love the creamy consistency yet refreshing flavour of the dip and how incredibly versatile it is.

Dairy Free Tzatziki
This Greek dip is traditionally made with yoghurt, and it took me awhile to find a suitable dairy free alternative. The majority of the dairy free tzatziki recipes online use coconut cream or coconut yogurt and I gave both a try. I quickly ruled coconut yogurt out because although it works well in the dip, it can be quite hard to find. Coconut cream which is much more readily available was not a winner as the rich consistency and strong flavour were hard to mask.

Dairy Free Tzatziki
So I resorted to my go to base for a lot of sauce and dips, cashews. There are two simple tricks for using cashews in sauces, firstly they should be soaked so that they easily break down into a thin consistency. Although a lot of people recommend soaking them in water overnight, for those who are terrible at planning ahead (i.e. me!!), soaking them in boiling hot water for about 10 minutes will have the same effect.

Dairy Free Tzatziki
My second tip is to use either a food processor or ideally a NutriBullet. The first few times I made cashew based sauces in my blender they were a total disaster, with little chunky bits. Using the correct equipment will result in an incredibly creamy and smooth sauce that you would never know was made with cashews.

Dairy Free Tzatzik
Cucumbers are about 95% water, which is great for eating to stay hydrated, but not ideal when you are adding them to sauces. Placing the shredded cucumber in a sieve should remove some of the water, but I recommend also squeezing it with your hands to try to get out even more. This will keep the consistency of the tzatziki thick even after it has been sitting in the fridge for a day or two.

Dairy Free Tzatziki
This Dairy Free Tzatziki is incredibly versatile and can be served with so many different things! It’s fantastic as a dip with veggies or crackers, served with chicken or fish or as a sauce on burgers. The tzatziki has a fridge life of about 5 days, but I doubt it will last that long because you will find yourself eating it with everything.

Dairy Free Tzatziki

Here are a few other dip recipes that you will enjoy…


If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!

Tzatziki

Every Last Bite
This Dairy Free Tzatziki tastes just like the real thing but is made with a cashew base. It is quick and easy to prepare and is Vegan & Whole30 too!
4.55 from 11 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Diets Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Paleo, Vegan, Whole30
Servings 4
Calories 147 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes
  • 1 large cucumber
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dried dill (or 1 tbsp fresh)
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions
 

  • Start by soaking the cashews in a bowl of boiling water for 10 minutes
  • Cut both ends off the cucumber and then peel. Using a cheese grater shred the cucumber and then place the shredded cucumber in a sieve, sprinkle with salt and leave to drain for about 10 minutes. 
  • Transfer the drained cashews into a high speed blender or food processor along with the garlic, lemon juice, dill and water and blend until completely smooth, this might take a few minutes. I like using a nutribullet to get the smoothest consistency. 
  • Give the cucumber one final squeeze with your hands to get as much of the water out as possible before adding the shredded cucumber to the cashew sauce. Stir everything together to ensure its well mixed and then taste and add more salt/dill/lemon as desired. Store in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
Nutrition
Calories: 147kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 297mgPotassium: 277mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gCalcium: 27mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!