This avocado cilantro lime dressing has a smooth and creamy texture with a vibrant, zesty taste. With a blend of tangy and salty flavors, this is the perfect dip for dressing for salads, tacos, and everything else. Plus, it’s vegan and gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy!
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💭 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy. This recipe comes together in 15 minutes! It’s super easy to whip up and can be made three to five days ahead of time.
- Fresh and creamy. This homemade avocado cilantro lime dressing has a rich and creamy texture, making it a great addition to your favorite salad, tacos, burrito bowls, or many other dishes.
- Healthy and nutritious. This recipe uses vegan, gluten-free, and all natural ingredients!
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make avocado cilantro lime dressing, You’ll need avocado, garlic cloves, fresh cilantro, green jalapeño (optional), vegan sour cream, vegan mayonnaise, fresh lime juice, cumin powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
Notes and variations
- Garlic cloves. If not available, you can also use garlic powder or roasted garlic paste for a similar flavor.
- Jalapeños. You can remove the seeds of the jalapeño or leave it out entirely if you want to tone down the heat. Alternatively, you can add Chipotle powder, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper to add more spice.
- Vegan sour cream. Substitute vegan sour cream with cashew cream, dairy-free yogurt, or coconut cream for a hint of coconut flavor.
- Vegan mayonnaise. As an alternative, you can substitute it with tahini.
- Adjust seasoning. You can use other herbs such as dill, dried parsley, oregano, and marjoram.
- Add olive oil. Optionally, you can also add olive oil for a richer dressing.
📖 How to make avocado lime ranch dressing
Step1:
Wash and dry the avocados. Cut into two halves, remove the pit.
Step 2:
Scoop the avocado flesh out into the food processor (after removing any brown parts) along with the garlic cloves and chopped cilantro.
Step 3:
If you’re using jalapenos, remove the stems (and seeds for a milder flavor) and then chop them into small pieces and place them in the food processor. Pulse to combine.
Step 4:
Add the remaining ingredients and then pulse until it’s combined into a creamy texture. Your avocado cilantro lime dressing is ready!
👩🏽🍳 Top tips for avocado cilantro lime dressing
- Choose ripe avocados. Use ripe avocados for a creamier texture. The perfect avocado should have a dark green to nearly black skin, not too hard and can be squeezed a little bit without being too mushy.
- Fresh lime juice. Whenever possible, use freshly squeezed lime juice over bottled lime juice for a vibrant and authentic citrus flavor.
- Add ingredients gradually. When using spices like cumin or jalapeño, add them gradually and taste as you go. It’s easier to adjust the flavor incrementally than to correct an overly intense taste.
- Adjust the consistency. If you think that your dressing is too thick, you can control the consistency by adding water gradually. If it becomes too thin, you can thicken it with additional avocado or a small amount of sour cream.
- Serve it chilled. Allow the creamy avocado dressing to chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. This helps the flavors infuse and enhances the overall taste.
👩🏽🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs
Yes, you can make the dressing three to five days ahead of time when stored properly in an airtight container in the fridge. However, it’s advisable to use it within that timeframe for the avocado to maintain its vibrant color and prevent excessive browning.
To make the consistency of the dressing thicker, use less liquid (lime juice or water) or add yogurt. For a thinner consistency, add more liquid gradually until you reach the desired thickness.
Yes, you can make a chunkier version of this creamy dressing by finely chopping the ingredients and mixing them together by hand. However, using a blender or even an immersion blender creates a smoother and more uniform texture.
🍴What to serve with this dressing
Avocado cilantro lime dressing is a versatile recipe that you can use in many ways! Here are some ways to use it:
- Add it to your tacos (for instance, my fried avocado taco typically uses a a vegan poblano sauce, but jazz it up with this dressing instead!)
- Use as a creamy salad dressing alternative (like this Brussels Sprouts Caesar or this mango avocado salad)
- Use as a dipping sauce for tortilla chips (tastes great as a dip for these crispy garlic smashed potatoes, or these samosas!)
- Use as a spread for sandwiches and wraps to enhance the flavor.
- Some other ways to use this avocado sauce are to use it as a topping for your burrito bowls or rice bowls.
🍶 How to store avocado cilantro lime dressing
To store avocado cilantro dressing, place it in an airtight container for three to five days in the fridge. To freeze, keep in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to one to two months. Keep in mind that the texture might slightly change when thawing.
If you like this recipe, try my other sauce and dip recipes:
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 avocado
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, can remove seeds for milder version
- ¼ cup vegan sour cream, substitute vegan yogurt for lighter version
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, vegan, olive-oil based
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dry the avocados. Cut into two halves, remove the pit.
- Scoop the avocado flesh out into the food processor (after removing any brown parts) along with the garlic cloves and chopped cilantro.
- If you're using jalapenos, remove the stems (and seeds for a milder flavor) and then chop them into small pieces and place them in the food processor. Pulse to combine.
- Add the remaining ingredients and then pulse until it's combined into a creamy texture. Your avocado cilantro lime dressing is ready!
Notes
- You can use this as a thick dressing or dip. To dilute the thickness, you can add a bit of water or buttermilk for a more rich dressing.
- Jalapeno peppers are optional but I find that they give a bit of heat and balance the creaminess of the dressing quite well. You can also add some Chipotle powder.
- This is a rich dressing. To make it healthier, substitute the sour cream and mayonnaise with equal parts Greek yogurt.
- You can store this in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Fresh avocados will tend to brown after that and lose its bright green color.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
