Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing (Oil-Free)

Happy Cinco de Mayo! For this festive celebration, I have the perfect easy salad dressing to share. This creamy dairy-free avocado lime dressing suits nearly any Mexican inspired dish, but it’s also versatile enough to enjoy well past the 5th of May. You’ll love the rich consistency and the gently sweet and tangy flavor on salads, bowls, burritos, and more.

Creamy Dairy-Free Avocado Lime Dressing with Coconut Milk

Avocado and lime are a natural pair. But to make them into a dressing, you need an ingredient that offers some body and complements the flavor. Many recipes use yogurt or sour cream, but we think coconut milk really brings this dressing to life. But if you don’t have any coconut milk on hand, I do have other options in the FAQs below.

Why We Love this Recipe

• It’s Fast: Just toss the ingredients in your blender and puree. That’s it!
• Wholesome Ingredients: This is a whole food recipe with a squeeze of natural sweetener.
• No Specialty Ingredients: You don’t need to buy any dairy alternatives at all for this one.
• Richness: It’s creamy and luxurious without a drop of dairy!
• It’s Versatile: It’s great on salads and with various proteins. See the serving suggestions after the recipe.

Ingredient FAQs

• Coconut Milk: Can I use the coconut milk in cartons? If you mean the small cartons with full-fat coconut milk, then yes. If you mean the larger cartons with the drinkable beverage, you will need to make some adjustments. Use just 1/2 cup of the thin milk alternative, and blend in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature so the coconut oil doesn’t immediately harden.
• Coconut Milk: Do you have a coconut-free option? Use 1/2 cup of your favorite dairy-free, coconut-free milk alternative in place of the coconut milk, and blend in 2 tablespoons olive oil, canola oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil until smooth. 
• Sweetener: Can I use a different sweetener? I recommend agave nectar and honey because I think they taste best with the other ingredients in this creamy dairy-free avocado lime dressing. Plain old sugar would also be tasty. I would avoid richly flavored sweeteners, like maple syrup, molasses, or brown sugar. If you like the taste of sugar-free sweeteners, then these might also work as a substitute.

Special Diet Notes: Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, optionally vegan, plant-based, vegetarian, and optionally paleo. Just be sure to use a sweetener that suits your dietary needs.

Alisa Fleming

Creamy Dairy-Free Avocado Lime Dressing

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The rich consistency elevates ordinary salads, but also makes it a good sauce for Mexican dishes. It has a gently sweet and tangy taste that pairs easily with various mains.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Servings: 1.25 cups

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American

Calories: 33

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 ripe avocado
• ⅔ cup lite canned coconut milk
• 1 to 2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice or to taste
• Pinch salt
• Pinch black pepper

Method

 

1. Put the coconut milk, avocado, lime juice, 1 tablespoon sweetener, salt, and pepper in your blender. Puree until smooth.
2. Taste, and blend in more agave nectar, to taste.
3. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Some light browning - the avocado will oxidize a little.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoonsCalories: 33kcalCarbohydrates: 2.6gProtein: 0.3gFat: 2.5gSaturated Fat: 1.1gSodium: 25mgFiber: 0.8gSugar: 1.3g

Notes

Creamier Option: Use full-fat canned coconut milk instead of lite coconut milk. This increases each serving to 52 calories and 4.7 grams of fat. If your coconut milk is very thick, you can thin it with part water before blending.

Add Some Greens: For a color, flavor, and nutrient boost, you can blend in a small handful of baby spinach leaves, basil, or cilantro.

Spicy Option: Stem and deseed one small jalapeno. Either mince it and stir into the dressing, or blend it in with the other ingredients.

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More Recipe Tips: Avocado Lime Dressing

Serving Suggestions

• Fish: We love the flavors in this dressing with grilled or baked white fish or salmon.
• Salad: It’s taste with a fresh mix of veggies and greens or with a Mexican themed salad with ingredients like black beans and jicama.
• Tacos: This fresh blend goes well with chicken or steak tacos. You can even skip the salsa if you want more of a flavorful street taco vibe.

Make Ahead & Storage Tips

• Time: This dressing is best when served fresh, since avocado does begin to oxidize. But it will still keep if made ahead. 
• Tips: Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to prevent much oxidation. It does not freeze well.

Troubleshooting

• Too Thick: Your avocado is probably a little big. UseThin with water until it nears your desired consistency. Then taste and add more lime juice and/or sweetener, as needed.
• Too Thin: Your avocado might have been on the small side. You can blend in a little more avocado or a teaspoon or two of ground flaxseed or chia seed to thicken it. Also, consider using full fat coconut milk in the future if you prefer a creamier finish.
• Flavor Bland or Amiss: Make sure you used a fresh avocado that wasn’t too ripe. The flavor does deteriorate with time. You can mask a less than stellar avocado with a little more lime juice and sweetener. Or, if the flavor is bland, add a little more salt and sweetener. If it’s flat, add more zing with extra lime juice and maybe even blend in some zest! 

Also try our Dairy-Free Avocado Pesto Recipe!