Name: Best Vegan Tzatziki
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup raw cashews, soaked and rinsed ((see note 1)); ¼ cup fresh lemon juice ((about 2 lemons)); 3 tablespoons cold water; ½ English cucumber; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill ((more for garnish, optional)); ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; Black pepper ((to taste))

Finally, an easy vegan tzatziki that tastes just like the real deal! Dairy-free yogurt brands vary significantly, so this recipe skips them altogether. Cashews make for a reliably creamy and delicious tzatziki base. Serve with falafel, grain bowls, sandwiches, or veggies and pita. (Vegan, Gluten Free)

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Best vegan tzatziki in a bowl served with pita and cucumber on the side.

This creamy Vegan Tzatziki is delicious, easy to make, and really versatile. We've tested a lot of different plant-based tzatziki sauces over the years. While many recipes rely on store bought plant-based yogurt, the truth is that every brand varies in taste and texture. So, we don't bother using vegan yogurt when making the best vegan tzatziki. Instead, a cashew tzatziki produces the most reliably delicious results, each and every time. Try it and see for yourself!

We're so obsessed with this vegan tzatziki that we use it in Vegan Greek Gyros, Collard Green Wraps, Falafel Burgers and so much more. We even included an updated version in our debut print cookbook, Evergreen Kitchen!

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Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients (and substitutes)
How to make (step-by-step photos)
Tips and Serving suggestions
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Why you'll love this recipe

More reliable results: Plant-based yogurts vary significantly in taste and texture. To avoid disappointing results, this recipe skips vegan yogurt entirely. Our recipe yields a creamy and delicious tzatziki, each and every time.
Undetectably vegan: This vegan tzatziki tastes just like the real deal. We often serve it at parties and nobody guesses it's vegan / dairy-free!
Versatile: Make a batch (or two) for the week and you'll have a delicious and healthy sauce to serve with just about anything! This vegan tzatziki is delicious with sandwiches, grain bowls, falafel, or served as a dip with veggies and pita.

Ingredients (and substitutes)

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this easy vegan tzatziki.

Ingredients to make vegan tzatziki including cashews, cucumber, and lemon juice.

Cashews: Raw cashews form the base for this sauce. They blend up super creamy. We prefer using cashews as the base for tzatziki—rather than plant based yogurt—because they are very neutral tasting and the results are more reliable.
Cucumber: It's not tzatziki without cucumber! We use English cucumber for this, but you could substitute with mini cucumbers instead (aim for 6 ounces / 170 g).
Dill: This recipe calls for fresh dill. In a pinch you could substitute for dried dill instead. If substituting dried dill, you'll need one-third of the amount because it is more potent than the fresh stuff (for example: 1 tablespoon fresh dill = 1 teaspoon dried dill).
Lemon Juice: Use fresh lemon juice for the brightest flavor, which best mimics the sourness of yogurt. And, feel free to add more to taste.
Garlic Powder: We prefer garlic powder in this tzatziki recipe because it's less intense than fresh garlic. It tends to be more "crowd-pleasing" when entertaining! But if you prefer to use fresh garlic, start with a small amount and add more to taste.

Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.

How to make (step-by-step photos)

This cashew tzatziki is surprisingly fast to make. Here are the recipe steps:

Soaked cashews, lemon juice and water in a blender to make vegan tzatziki. — 1. Add soaked cashews, lemon juice and water to a high speed blender.

Blending the base for the best vegan tzatziki recipe. — 2. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

Grated cucumber being put in a kitchen towel to drain for vegan tzatziki. — 3. Grate cucumber then transfer to a kitchen towel.

Squeezing out the liquid from grated cucumber into a bowl. — 4. Squeeze out the cucumber to drain excess liquid.

Combining all the ingredients for vegan tzatziki in a bowl. — 5. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Mixing plant based vegan tzatziki in a bowl until smooth. — 6. Stir well to mix, then chill and serve!

Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.

Tips and Serving suggestions

Don't skip draining the cucumbers: Squeezing out the liquid from the cucumbers helps to ensure your tzatziki sauce is thick and creamy (not watery!).
- You can use a clean kitchen towel, nut milk bag or cheesecloth for squeezing the grated cucumber.
Best served chilled: If you're in a rush, you can serve tzatziki immediately after making it. But, it is most refreshing served cold, so refrigerate it if you have time!
Consider doubling the recipe: If your blender has a wide container (like this), then you may need to double the recipe so there's more mass to circulate the blades. As you'll see in our recipe video, a single batch works just fine in a classic/narrow container (like this).
Serving suggestions: This vegan tzatziki is delicious served with salads, mains, fries, sandwiches/burgers, wraps, you name it! Here are some recipe pairings to try:

Pita being dipped into a bowl of cashew based vegan tzatziki topped with dill.

Other dip recipes:

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