Lately, my brand new secret obsession is avocados. I have them on eggs, rice bowls, bagels, toast, breakfast, lunch, dinner, you name it! They’re in season here and I usually find them on sale, so I’m trying to use them s much as I can before they go out of season. My favorite thing about avocados is their creamy texture and the fact that they are a super healthy source of fat. So I finally realized how ridiculously easy it is to make avocado dressing and how seriously delicious it is!
You know it’s going to be a great day when you dress your salad up with this delicious creamy avocado dressing. Not to hammer all of you vinaigrette salad dressers out there, but I’m on time creamy dressing all the way. Like seriously, who can turn down creamy dressing?! I sure can’t. Ever since I can remember, I’ve always preferred creamy dressings. whether it was Caesar, thousand islands, or the classic ranch, I just can never get enough.
One downside to creamy dressing though is that they are loaded with calories and that sort of defeats the whole purpose of eating a salad. Even a tablespoon or two on a salad can easily pack on at least a hundred calories. Yikes! Luckily, with this healthier alternative to creamy dressing, you can have your salad and eat it too (get it?). Try this healthier dressing on your next salad and I promise your salad will thank you, and you might just come back here and thank me too! 😀
Also, I will be sharing a salad recipe that pairs perfectly with this yummy dressing soon. Keep your eyes peeled for it and give this recipe a try on different types of salads and let me know how it turns out for you!
Healthy Creamy Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 Avocado
- 1 clove Garlic, peeled
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup low-fat sour-cream or greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice, or white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- Water
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients In a food processor or blender.
- Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides a few times. Thin the salad dressing out with about 1/3 cup water (give or take) until it reaches a desired consistency.
- Keep in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This dressing is delicious. I did stir in about 1/4 cup of cream to thin it out a bit. TFS.
Yum, that sounds delicious! 🙂
Made this recipe with buttermilk instead of yogurt and it turned out great.
Mixed the dressing in a Pyrex measuring cup and it worked fine. Nice and smooth.
Great and easy recipe. 5 stars
Wonderful recipe. Thank you. I kicked it up a notch with a japalano pepper…just the right amount of heat.
Ohh, I like that idea! Thanks
Any ideas for a dairy free option? Maybe Mayo instead of yogurt? Can’t do milk products…but this recipe is calling my name. BIG TIME.
I’ve done this with paleo mayo for Whole30 and it turns out AMAZING.
YUM! that sounds delicious!
I replace yogurt with cashew nut. I made cashew nut cream first before adding other ingredients. I turned out perfect!!!
Very good.. made and Love it.. Thanks for sharing
Mmmm Soooooooo Good!!! I made tis dressing last night. I used 2 limes, some parm cheese and a tad bit of cajun seasoning. I also thinned it out with some half n half instead of water.
No – you didn’t make THAT DRESSING
can you freeze this?
no, never freeze dairy products
Tried this today, it does not disappoint, omitted the yogurt and just used sour cream and added some chili powder. I will be making this all the time, and yes it is better than el pollo loco.
I made it but I omitted the yogurt , yummy thank you for the idea .
I did it today but I omitted the yogurt , loved it . Thanks
I’m excited to try this! I bought some chiles to for mine! Thinking a little heat will also be yummy!!
I used this dressing tonight with goat cheese, arugula and mangoes. DELICIOUS!
I added a bit more cilantro because I love cilantro, and can/do eat it plain 🙂
Omg that sounds amazing!
Absolutely delicious. Although I would recommend using a bit less garlic. It was too strong and overpowered the avocado in my taste. Otherwise amazing. So creamy and delicious!
I had to add another smaller clove–not enough garlic for us 🙂
So excited to find this! My favorite burrito place uses a cilantro-lime sauce and this is pretty comparable. This is perfect to add a little variety to low carb diets <3
What is the actual serving size? I dare that it’s 46 calories, but for how much? I LOVE this! It’s so easy to make and SO good!
Apparently it’s a tablespoon. Had to read through all the comments.
I make it today and it’s soooooooo delicious I love it recommended 100%
I tried this and it was so good!
I added juice of a whole lime, a little more salt and cilantro. This is a great dressing!
YUM! Thanks so much Patrice. I will try adding more lime next time and you can never get enough cilantro!
I just made this. It’s delicious. The kosher salt is a must. Thanks for the recipe. I was looking for something like the one they have at El pollo loco for the double chicken avocado salad. this one tastes much better.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Jenn!
This looks really good I can’t wait to try it! Going shopping tomorrow so I’m glad I found this before I went. Thanks!
Since starting an AIP diet 3 months ago, I ALWAYS carry my dressing with me when we eat out. This has become one of my staples. I use coconut yogurt, avocado oil and omit the pepper. It is very delicious and a great base to add other flavors to. THANKS so much for the recipe!
Hi,
I just made this dressing. And I was think about make the salad togo with it and I end up putting a tomato in. After I mixed it up did I realise what I did. So I tasted it and it taste good.
What is a serving size for this recipe? In order to compute the Smart Points (Weight Watchers) for this dressing, I need the serving size. Thank you!
Just made this. GORGEOUS!
Thanks for supplying the nutritional values. Great for working out WW points. But how much is a serving?
Does the avocado need to be ripe? Might be a silly question, but I’m wondering if this might be a great way to use avocado when I’m too impatient for them to soften up…
Really delicious! I added a little more cilantro and lime and it was perfect. I wanted more and more! Seems like this would be a great dressing for almost anything!
Get rid of the yogurt and olive oil then this would be considered healthy. Dairy and refined oils are not really needed or healthy.
What would you replace them with? yogurt and olive oil are needed for a healthy balanced diet.
Absolutely false. Fat is necessary for our bodies to function properly, and olive oil is one of the best sources (i.e., high in monounsaturated fat). Please educate yourself. The low-fat mentality is dangerous. This recipe, on the other hand, is full of nutritious and wholesome ingredients.
You’re correct in stating that fats are important for our bodies to function properly……fats derived from intact whole foods, not in oil-only form. It doesn’t matter if an oil is organic, extra-virgin, expeller-pressed, non-gmo, etc., they are still a processed “food” item. This recipe is healthy without the added olive oil; the avocado is full of health-promoting monounsaturated fats, especially oleic acid. Want the benefits associated with your so-called healthy olive oil? Eat a few olives!
You can easily search for healthier dressings elsewhere. I think we’d like to try it AS-IS..
will the results be different if I use a blender?
Nope, it should be just fine. If anything even creamier!
Great Recipe! I made a few changes, but over all this is a great recipe! Changes: added 1/2 serrano pepper, 2 T lime juice, 1/2 t of salt, 2 cloves of garlic, 1.2t onion powder. Thanks!!!
Calories in a tablespoon ?
Hi Fran, I added the nutritional facts for the recipe. There are about 45 calories per tablespoons but it’s mostly good fats from the avocado. Enjoy!
The serving amount is missing in the nutritional information.
Came out great
Thank u????????
Just made it! So yummy…it was a little thick for me so I added milk, then I wanted a little zing so I added about a tablespoon on ranch powder mix…my husband can’t stop talking about it!
I just made this and it was amazing!!! I added a bit of adobo seasoning and some smoked paprika, super yummy! I will be making this on a regular basis now! Followed the recipe using half fat free greek yogurt and half low fat sour cream, tastes decadent! Thanks for the recipe!
I wonder how this would taste if one were to add a little cucumber for a little more crispness and how that would affect the shelf life?
I haven’t tried that but if you do, please let us know how it turns out!
i absolutely love this avocado cilantro lime dressing recipe!! i actually referenced it in a post on my food blog http://www.lalalecreme.com !! the only difference is, i took out the yogurt because i’m trying to avoid dairy for the time being and it came out perfect!! thank youu.
Does the avocado in the dressing discolor after a while? Is it something you need to eat immediately after making?
Did you ever find out if it discolors after it sits??
It does not discolor after it sets. I believe the lime may help to preserve it. I’ve had it in my fridge in a air tight jar for nearly 5 days with no issue. If you made extra and would like to save, you may be able to freeze some!
Hello, I don´t have any cilantro can I use something else?
You can use parsley or dill
I’ll take any excuse to eat avocados, anytime! I love that this creamy dressing is made lighter with avocado. The color is gorgeous, too!
Due to the high price of avocados at the moment, I took a chance and bought a couple that seemed less than ideal. Sure enough, when I cut into them, there were a few brown spots and one even had some stringiness going on likely due to improper storage. I went ahead and used them in this dressing that I’ve made before and loved, and it was still amazing…and green! My little tweak was to use some of the whey I get from straining my greek yogurt instead of water to thin it out.
http://theweek.com/articles/616996/dont-throw-away-avocados