Sharp, savory keto caesar salad dressing made from scratch with egg yolk, anchovy, garlic, parmesan, and lemon, at just 1.1g net carbs. It takes me about 5 minutes and the flavor beats anything from a bottle.
Most caesar dressings at the store are loaded with soybean oil, added sugar, and preservatives. I wanted a version I could make in my own kitchen with ingredients I actually trust, and this keto caesar dressing is what I landed on after a lot of testing.
The base is simple: a pasteurized egg yolk whisked with garlic, then slowly drizzled with avocado oil until it emulsifies into a thick, creamy base. You’re basically making a fresh mayo from scratch, which takes about 5 minutes once you get the rhythm. The key is adding the oil very slowly at first. If you dump it in too fast, the whole thing breaks and you end up with a greasy mess. I’ve done that more times than I want to admit.
What makes this caesar salad dressing different from the other versions I’ve tried is the anchovy ratio. Too few fillets and the dressing tastes flat. Too many and it’s the only thing you taste. Eight fillets with four tablespoons of lemon juice is where it finally clicked for me. The lemon cuts through the richness and the anchovy provides pure umami without any fishiness. Reader Heidi put it perfectly: she’d tried six different recipes over the years and said this anchovy-to-lemon balance is what finally gets it right.
I use avocado oil instead of olive oil here, and that’s a deliberate choice. Olive oil can taste bitter when you whisk it aggressively because the polyphenols break down, but avocado oil sits cleaner on the palate and lets the parmesan and anchovy do their thing. If you like making your own condiments, my avocado mayo uses the same oil for the same reason.
This works on more than just romaine. I toss it with kale for a heartier salad, drizzle it over grilled chicken, or use it as a dip for raw vegetables. I have even used it as a marinade for chicken thighs before grilling. If you’re building out your keto dressing rotation, my ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, green goddess dressing, and feta dressing are all worth having in the fridge alongside this one.
A blender works better than whisking by hand. Reader Michelle threw everything in a blender and it came together in under a minute, way smoother than hand-whisking. I tried it myself and she’s right. The blender emulsifies the yolk and oil more consistently. Either method works, but if you have a blender or immersion blender, use it. I make only what I can use within four days and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container. My cilantro aioli and chimichurri sauce are two more I keep on rotation.
The main ingredients: avocado oil, lemon, egg, garlic, and a tin of anchovies.
Grate the parmesan fresh from the block for the richest flavor.
Two cloves of minced garlic go in with the yolk first, and the garlic helps hold the emulsion together.
The yolk and garlic, whisked until they thicken, are the base for the emulsion.
Once the base looks like mayonnaise, the rest of the ingredients whisk right in.
How to Make Caesar Dressing from Scratch
The trick to this homemade caesar dressing is patience with the oil. I start with a room temperature pasteurized egg yolk and minced garlic in a bowl (or blender), whisk them together until they thicken slightly, then drizzle in avocado oil a tiny bit at a time. Room temperature matters. A cold yolk straight from the fridge won't emulsify properly, and I learned that the hard way through too many failed batches. Pull the egg out about 10 minutes before you start. Once you see the mixture start to thicken, you can pour a little faster, but if you rush the oil at the beginning, the emulsion breaks and you get a thin, oily mess instead of that thick, creamy consistency you want.
Once the base is emulsified, I add the lemon juice, grated parmesan, minced anchovy, apple cider vinegar, and coconut aminos. I use coconut aminos instead of Worcestershire sauce (which most other recipes call for) because it adds a similar savory depth without the added sugar. If the dressing is too thick, a teaspoon of water loosens it up without thinning the flavor. If it's too thin, you probably added the oil too fast. Start over with a fresh yolk and slowly whisk the broken batch into it. That rescue trick has saved me more than once.
This is one of the easier keto condiments to make from scratch, and once you get the emulsion right, you won't go back to bottled.
Add the pasteurized egg yolk and minced garlic to a small bowl and whisk until thickened and combined.
2
Drizzle the oil
Very slowly drizzle in avocado oil, whisking at the same time until mixture thickens and becomes a mayonnaise like consistency.
3
Whisk it
Add in remaining ingredients: lemon juice, parmesan cheese, anchovy, apple cider vinegar, and coconut aminos. Whisk until combined.
4
Taste test
Adjust ingredients according to taste preference. If it needs more salt, add more anchovy, parmesan or table salt. If it needs more acidity, add more lemon juice.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1/8 of recipe
Calories
257
Fat
25.3g
Protein
4.7g
Total carbs
1.3g
Net carbs
1.1g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do if my caesar dressing breaks?
I've been there, and it's almost always one of two things. Either the egg yolk was too cold (straight from the fridge) or I poured the oil too fast at the beginning. The fix: crack a fresh pasteurized egg yolk into a clean bowl and slowly whisk the broken batch into it, a spoonful at a time. The pasteurized yolk acts as a new emulsifier and pulls everything back together. To prevent it next time, I let my egg sit out for about 10 minutes before starting and drizzle the first tablespoon of oil almost drop by drop.
Can I substitute the anchovies in the dressing?
I'd encourage you to try them here first because they don't taste fishy at all in the finished dressing. They dissolve into pure savory flavor. If you really can't do anchovies, capers give you a similar briny punch. I've also used Worcestershire sauce, though it changes the flavor profile and adds some sugar. Start with a teaspoon and adjust from there.
Can I use mayonnaise instead of egg yolk?
I've done this when I'm in a rush and it works. Mayo is already an emulsion, so you skip the slow-drizzle step entirely. Use about 1/2 cup of mayo in place of the egg yolk and oil, then add the rest of the ingredients as written. The texture is slightly different (a little thicker, less silky) but the flavor still comes through.
How long does this caesar dressing keep in the fridge?
I use a pasteurized egg yolk and keep the dressing refrigerated in a mason jar or airtight container. For food safety, I use it within four days instead of stretching it through the week. It thickens as it sits, so I give it a good stir before serving.
Is there a dairy-free option for the parmesan?
I've tried two approaches here. Nutritional yeast is my go-to, about 2 tablespoons. You don't get the exact same sharpness, but it adds that savory, cheesy quality the dressing needs. I've also tested it with soaked cashews blended into the base for a creamier low carb version that's fully dairy-free. The cashew route changes the texture (richer, thicker) but the anchovy and lemon still carry the flavor.
I was sure three ounces of parmesan would turn this into a paste, but it whisked in smooth and just made it thick enough to actually cling to romaine. Never buying the bottle again! Thanks!
Here is what I did not predict: my teenager, who I have been trying to get interested in salad for about three years, put down her phone to eat an entire bowl of romaine with this dressing and immediately asked if we had enough avocado oil to make it again this week. I had no idea what to do with that. The garlic is forward in a way I think was the hook for her, two full cloves and it shows, she tends to like food that commits, and the parmesan and lemon carry everything in a direction that feels intentional rather than just bright and underdeveloped like bottled caesar. I spent more time than expected on the anchovy fillets, eight of them minced fine by hand is a bit of a project, but the whole dressing came together in maybe five minutes after that and the flavor is in a completely different league from anything I’ve bought. I’ve apparently been making mediocre caesar for years without knowing it. That part bothers me now.
Tried this last night and I think I poured the oil too fast because mine stayed really thin the whole time, do you have to keep it super slow the whole way through or does it get faster once it starts to thicken up?
Started messing with the ratio after making this a bunch and the tweak that stuck is extra lemon and one more garlic clove. Just punches harder. Used the whole batch as a chicken marinade last week, the avocado oil base works really well for that. Not what I planned, but that’s how I’m using the extras now.
The marinade use makes sense, Christina. Avocado oil handles heat without burning the way olive oil would. I go to the extra lemon and garlic too when I want more edge.
I’ve been buying Primal Kitchen caesar for months convinced that bottled was fine, and making this once completely demolished that assumption. The anchovy sharpness you get from scratch is in a different universe, I genuinely cannot go back to a bottle now. Docking a star for my first try (rushed the oil drizzle and it broke), but batch two was so freaking good I made it again two days later.
I gave up on caesar salad for the first two years I was keto because every dressing I found had canola oil or some hidden sugar. Decided to try making it from scratch and the anchovy does something a bottle never will. Four stars only because I wasted two years on sad salads.
Made this yesterday and the oil broke on me halfway through, I think I was going too fast with the drizzle. I’ve made aioli before so I know the theory, but it separated before I could salvage it. Is there a rescue method once it breaks, or is it better to just start fresh with another yolk?
Fresh yolk trick actually works here. Crack one into a clean bowl, whisk it alone, then very slowly drizzle the broken dressing back into it like you’re starting an emulsion from scratch. Saved mine more than once.
I only had 4 anchovy fillets so I halved it, and I kept waiting for the dressing to taste flat but it held up, still sharp and savory all the way through. Might try the full 8 next time just to see what I’ve been missing.
Used roasted garlic instead of raw and the sharpness mellowed into something almost nutty. Still got the savory depth from the anchovy, but way more approachable for people who aren’t into strong garlic heat. The only thing I’d tweak is a little more lemon juice at the end, it wanted a bit more brightness, but this is the version I’m making for spring dinners.
Caesar was the one dressing I stopped thinking about when I went keto. Pulled this up last week and the anchovy base is exactly what I remembered, maybe better. Didn’t expect to feel that way about something from a bowl and a whisk.
Room temp egg yolk, that’s the whole trick. Cold from the fridge and the avocado oil breaks every single time, set it out for 10 minutes and it comes together in under a minute of whisking. Took me too many failed batches to figure that out.
Yeah, 10 minutes is about right. I just set it out while I’m prepping everything else and by the time I get to it, it’s ready. Cold yolk straight from the fridge and avocado oil do not get along.
Made this twice and it breaks around halfway through the oil both times. Do I need to go slower at the start, or does whisking the yolk and garlic longer before the oil actually matter?
Starting speed is the bigger issue. The first tablespoon needs to go in almost drop by drop. Once you see it start to thicken you can loosen up, but breaking halfway through usually means the initial pour was too fast.
Threw everything in the blender instead of whisking and it came together in under a minute, so much smoother than I expected. The anchovy just disappears into this rich savory flavor I can’t stop thinking about.
Blender works better for this one anyway. Emulsifies the yolk and oil more consistently than whisking by hand. And yeah, that anchovy thing is the whole point – pure umami, no fishiness.
I’ve tried probably six different caesar dressings over the years and the anchovy-to-lemon ratio here is what finally gets it right. Most recipes either taste flat or overwhelmingly fishy, but this one hits that sharp, savory balance I’ve been chasing. The avocado oil also makes it feel much cleaner than versions built on canola.
The anchovy ratio took me a while to land on. Too few and it’s flat, too many and it’s the only thing you taste. Eight fillets with that much lemon juice is where it finally clicked for me. And yeah, avocado oil just sits cleaner on the palate.
