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This dijon cashew dressing only uses 6 simple ingredients and is ready in 5 minutes (depending on your blender). Use it on grain bowls, simple salads, or as a dip for veggies. It’s vegan, oil-free, whole food, tangy, and creamy!

Raw cashews are mild tasting and they blend up beautifully for dairy-free dressings or dips. Cashew salad dressings will thicken up once chilled, so it may need to be thinned out with a bit of water after you refrigerate it.
Ingredients
Raw Cashews - Use raw cashews, roasted cashews will give the dressing a roasted cashew flavor. I haven’t tested it, but a ¼ cup of raw cashew butter should work instead of a ½ cup of raw cashews (I’ve tried this substitution in other recipes).
Water - Gotta have the water to blend the cashews.
Dijon Style Mustard - Dijon mustard or dijon style of mustard has a sharp tanginess to it. Brands vary in degree of sharpness, so adjust how much you use as needed.
Balsamic Vinegar - Adds a sweet, rich, tartness to the dressing.

How to Soak Cashews
If you have a high-speed blender, you may not need to soak your cashews. If your blender can’t handle raw cashews, then they need to be soaked for a smoother consistency.
- Option one: Place the cashews in a container with a lid and enough water to cover them by ½ inch (the cashews will swell as they soak) and soak the nuts for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Option two: Boil enough water to cover the cashews by at least ½ inch and pour the hot water over the nuts in a heat-tolerant container. Soak for around 20-30 minutes.
If a smooth consistency is the least of your worries and you just want a quick dressing for your salad then don't worry about soaking the cashews for this recipe. Depending on your blender it might take a little longer to blend and not be as silky-smooth.

Tips
- If you're using the cashew salad dressing as a dip, keep it a little thicker to coat the vegetables.
- Add more water if you prefer a thinner dressing.
- I would stick to Dijon-style mustard and not substitute it with a different mustard. When I haven't had any Dijon on hand and tried to use a different mustard, the dressing came out bland. The Dijon just adds a punch of flavor!
Storage
The leftover dressing will last in the fridge for about 3-4 days. If it has thickened too much once chilled in the fridge, thin it out with a little bit of water (as needed).
Uses for Cashew Salad Dressing
- Grain bowls (Buddha Bowls)
- Chickpea Vegetable Rice Bowl
- Salads
- As a vegetable dip
More Recipes for Oil-Free Salad Dressings
- Strawberry vinaigrette (Oil-Free)
- Smoky tahini dressing
- Dijon tahini dressing
- Spicy Peanut Dressing
- Cilantro cashew dressing
I hope you enjoy this recipe for vegan cashew salad dressing!
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Creamy Dijon Cashew Dressing
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This dijon cashew dressing only uses 6 simple ingredients and is ready in 5 minutes (depending on your blender).
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews (soak if needed and drained)
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Blend everything in a blender until smooth.
- Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for a week.
Notes
If it has thickened too much once chilled in the fridge, thin it out with a little bit of water (as needed).
Add more water if you prefer a thinner dressing.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Salad, sauce
- Method: blend
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: oil free dressing, dijon cashew dressing,
Mary
Super delicious dressing and very easy to whip up! Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Allie
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!