Caesar Dressing with Capers
Calling all Caesar salad lovers—this one’s for you! Our Caesar dressing with capers delivers that bold, classic flavor you crave, no anchovies required. With just 7 simple ingredients, it’s quick to make, kid-friendly and guaranteed to level up any salad! All we did was blend ingredients together for a smooth finish that our kids absolutely loved!
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Why We Love this Recipe
- Flavor-packed. All the classic Caesar flavor you crave—made easily at home with just seven ingredients.
- No Anchovies! We swapped anchovy paste for capers, making this a deliciously bold alternative that’s perfect for the anchovy-averse! It’s also free of raw eggs!
- Just blend! We recommend making this capers Caesar salad dressing in a blender or food processor—no cooking, chopping or mincing required!
- Kid-friendly. This dressing with capers skips the strong anchovy flavor but keeps the creamy, tangy and kid-approved taste they love. Plus the veggies are blended and completely hidden!
🤔 Why No Raw Anchovies?
Our kids are all about Caesar salad—until they hear the word “anchovies.” So we ditched the raw anchovies and gave capers a shot instead. They bring that same salty, savory flavor without the fishy taste our kids turn their noses up at. We just blend everything super smooth so there’s no weird textures to fuss over. Plus, it’s made without raw eggs, so there’s no need to worry about food safety. Win-win!
🛒 Ingredients
Notes on key ingredients are provided below. Please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Garlic– Fresh is best (but jarred, pre-minced is ok too). Be sure to check out our post on how to easily peel garlic!
Capers– They add all the bold flavor without the fishy taste of anchovies.
Mayonnaise– This gives our dressing its creamy texture!
Parmesan– Freshly grated is best, for easy blending.
Lemon juice– The juice from 1 medium lemon, which is about 2 Tablespoons. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best!
Worcestershire & Dijon– These ingredients add a rich, umami flavor and enhance the taste of the dressing!
Olive oil- We recommend using a high quality virgin olive oil, a light fruity oil, or an avocado oil.
↪️ Substitutions
Since this Caesar dressing with capers recipe is small and simple, there aren’t many ingredient swaps—but here are a few you can try.
Capers– Sub with 1-2 anchovies packed in oil or 1-2 tsp anchovy paste.
Mayonnaise– Sub for equal parts sour cream or Greek yogurt. Keep in mind the flavor will be slightly tangier.
Worcestershire– Most traditional Worcestershire sauces contain anchovies, so if you’re seeking a vegetarian or fish-free version, swap for an anchovy-free version, like Wizard’s Worcestershire or Whole Foods 365 Organic Worcestershire Sauce.
Dijon– If you don’t have Dijon mustard, yellow, whole-grain or spicy brown mustard can be used in a pinch. Be aware that these may slightly change the flavor profile of your dressing.
👩🍳 Instructions
There are plenty of ways to make Caesar dressing with capers, but we prefer the blender method for a smooth, creamy finish. It’s also kid-friendly—blending helps eliminate the texture of garlic and capers, which picky eaters might notice. Note: Check the recipe card for alternative methods using an immersion blender or mixing by hand.
Step 1. Combine all ingredients in the bottom of a blender or food processor container.
Step 2. Slowly blend ingredients until well combined and creamy.
🥄 How to Serve
Our Caesar dressing isn’t just for salads—there are plenty of delicious ways to use it! Here are some ideas:
- Toss this dressing with crisp romaine, crunchy croutons, shaved Parmesan, and chicken or shrimp—like in our Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad and Blackened Shrimp Caesar.
- Spread dressing on a burger, sandwich or wrap.
- Enjoy it as a dip for chips or raw veggies, like carrot sticks and cucumber rounds.
- Drizzle it over your favorite roasted veggies, like roasted broccoli or our Parmesan asparagus.
- Use it for a dressing in a simple potato or pasta salad.
✔️ Expert Tips and Tricks
- This recipe yields about ¾ cup of dressing—just the right amount to dress 6 small salads using 2 tablespoons each.
- If you want to reduce salt, drain and rinse your capers.
- Adjust the flavors to your taste. For a milder, less salty dressing, try starting with just 1 tablespoon of capers and 1 clove of garlic.
- Blend the dressing well so it turns out smooth and creamy without any gritty bits of garlic or capers.
- If dressing seems too thick, add a teaspoon or so of water to thin it out. If too thin, add a teaspoon of oil at a time and blend until you reach your desired thickness.
❓FAQ
Store Caesar dressing in a mason jar or any airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
No, this dressing is not vegetarian because it includes Worcestershire sauce which typically contains anchovies. This recipe also includes Parmesan cheese which is typically made with animal enzymes (or animal rennet) and is not vegetarian. To make this dressing vegetarian, use a vegan Worcestershire sauce and vegan version of Parmesan like Parmesan by Violife.
To make this dressing vegan, you can swap for vegan-versions of some of our ingredients, like plant-based Mayonnaise. vegan Worcestershire sauce, vegan Dijon Mustard, and vegan version of Parmesan like Parmesan by Violife. Some other swaps for the Parmesan and mayo flavor profiles are: nutritional yeast, tahini or soaked cashews.
Tips for Picky Eaters
- Invite kids to taste test! Giving them a say in the process can make them more excited to enjoy the finished dressing.
- Tone down the garlic. If your kids aren’t big fans of garlic, simply reduce the amount for a milder taste.
- Blend ingredients well! Blend the ingredients in a high-powered blender to create a smooth, creamy dressing—perfect for kids who might be sensitive to the texture of capers or garlic. This step is what makes this the perfect Caesar dressing for picky eaters!
Craft For This Recipe
Lemon Paper Fans
Celebrate lemons with this super cute lemon paper fan! Made with just construction paper and kabob sticks, it’s an easy, breezy summer kids craft!
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🫙 Caesar Dressing with Capers
Equipment
- 1 blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 Tbsp capers (drained )
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Parmesan (freshly grated)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (or juice of one medium lemon )
- 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Make with a Blender or Food Processor
- Combine all ingredients in the bottom of a blender or food processor container.
- Blend ingredients until well combined and creamy. Note: If dressing seems too thick, add a teaspoon or so of water to thin it out. If it is too thin, add a teaspoon of oil at a time and blend until you reach your desired thickness.
Make with an Immersion Blender
- Combine all ingredients in a jar or cup that can fit an immersion blender.
- Turn on immersion blender and move it around slowly until everything is blended and creamy. Note: If dressing seems too thick, add a teaspoon or so of water to thin it out. If it is too thin, add a teaspoon of oil at a time and blend until you reach your desired thickness.
Make by Hand
- Use a chef's knife to finely chop garlic and capers. Then, use the flat side of a knife or spoon to smash garlic and capers until minced or pasty. You can also use a garlic press for the same results.
- Combine minced garlic and capers with mayo, Parmesan, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Whisk together ingredients. Then, slowly add in the oil and continue to whisk until well blended and creamy. Note: If dressing seems too thick, add a teaspoon or so of water to thin it out. If it is too thin, add a teaspoon of oil at a time and whisk until you reach your desired thickness.
Video
Notes
- Garlic cloves ↔ jarred, pre-minced garlic
- Mayo ↔ sour cream or Greek yogurt (will change flavor, though)
- Freshly grated Parmesan ↔ packaged, pre-grated parm
- Dijon ↔ coarse, whole-grain or spicy brown mustard
- Olive oil ↔ avocado oil
- This recipe yields about ¾ cup of dressing—just the right amount to dress 6 medium-sized salads using 2 Tablespoons each.
- If you want to reduce salt, drain and rinse your capers.
- Adjust the flavors to your taste. For a milder, less salty dressing, try starting with just 1 Tablespoon of capers and 1 clove of garlic.
- Blend the dressing well so it turns out smooth and creamy without any gritty bits of garlic or capers.
- If dressing seems too thick, add a teaspoon or so of water to thin it out. If too thin, add a teaspoon of oil at a time and blend until you reach your desired thickness.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
