Creamy Orange Salad Dressing that’s Naturally Oil-Free

Updated in 2025! Shake up your dressing routine with this easy, whole food, dairy-free orange salad dressing! It’s flavorful and creamy, but completely free of oils, mayo, and added sugars. In fact, the recipe is made with a simple natural base of oranges and cashews that you can blend up in minutes!

Dairy-Free Orange Salad Dressing from Dr. Fuhrman

Dr. Fuhrman is world renown for his Eat to Live mission, which he shares via best-selling books, retreats, food products, and more. Two decades ago, he shared this dairy-free orange salad dressing with us. It’s a great healthy option, that you can pour on thick, but the instructions needed a few modifications to ensure success. So we’ve updated the recipe and have added even more options and information below.

Why We Love this Recipe

• Fast & Easy: It takes just 5 minutes and a blender to make!
• Whole Food: It’s like a tangy smoothie! This healthier dressing can be laid on thick.
• No Oil or Added Sugar: Salad dressings are notorious for sneaking oil and sugar into diets. But they aren’t needed in this dressing thanks to the natural sweetness from the oranges and the richness of the cashews.
• Fresh Taste: Though it has a creamy finish, the freshly blended orange adds an amazing pop to the taste.
• Inexpensive: Dr. Fuhrman’s products are great, but they can be very expensive. This homemade version costs just a dollar or two and can last the whole week.

Orange Options

Dr. Fuhrman uses regular navel oranges. You can can alternatively use blood oranges, cara cara oranges, valencia oranges, tangerines, or other types of mandarin oranges. Just keep the size in mind. If you are using smaller fruit, you might need to use three or four for the equivalent of two medium naval oranges.

More Ingredient FAQs

• Cashews: Should I pre-soak the cashews? No, in this recipe, you are blending them right in. If you want ultra-creamy results, you can puree the oranges with the 1/4 cup orange juice, and then soak the cashews in the orange mixture for 6 hours or more. Once the cashews have softened, add the vinegar and puree the dressing until creamy and smooth.
• Oranges: Do I need to peel the membrane off? No, you can break the orange into segments for easier blending, but there’s no need to peel the membranes off.
• Vinegar: Where do I get these types of vinegar? Rice vinegar is sold in the vinegar or Asian section of most major supermarkets. Blood orange vinegar can often be found in stores, but is more readily sold online. Dr. Fuhrman has a full line of fruity vinegars, including blood orange and pear. In a pinch, you could use apple cider vinegar.

Special Diet Notes: Creamy Orange Salad Dressing

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Dairy-Free Orange Salad Dressing

No ratings yet

This healthy oil-free dressing was originally shared with us by Dr. Fuhrman. He has since released a bottled version you can buy, but it's much fresher and cheaper to make your own!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Servings: 1 cup

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Calories: 41

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 2 oranges peeled and seeded
• ¼ cup raw cashews
• 2 tablespoons blood orange vinegar pear vinegar, or rice vinegar
• ¼ cup orange juice or as needed (can sub water)

Method

 

1. Put the orange slices, cashews, and vinegar in your blender, and blend until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the orange juice, to thin the dressing as needed. Blend again until smooth.
3. Strain the dressing through a fine mesh sieve to remove any residual nut bits or pith.
4. Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
5. It will thicken quite a bit as it sits. If it becomes too thick, you can whisk in water to thin it.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoonsCalories: 41kcalCarbohydrates: 5.3gProtein: 1.1gFat: 1.9gSaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 1mgFiber: 0.7gSugar: 3.6g

Notes

Sesame Option: Add 2 tablespoons sesame seeds with the cashews. Thin with additional orange juice, as needed (1/3 to 1/2 cup total).

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

More Recipe Tips: Dairy-Free Orange Salad Dressing

Serving Suggestions

• Salad: This orange dressing pairs well on green salads that highlight berries, tempeh, chicken, or steak.
• Bowls: We also like it on warm rice bowls or other grain bowls with vegetables and protein.

Make Ahead

• Time: This creamy orange salad dressing can be prepared a couple days ahead.
• Tips: It will thicken the longer it sits. Don’t panic! Simply thin it by whisking in water or more orange juice as needed.

Storage

• Store: This dressing will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or two. You can also freeze it in cubes, to use as you need it.
• Defrost: If frozen, let the dressing defrost in the refrigerator (in a container or on your salad) for optimal freshness.

Troubleshooting

• Too thick: Whisk in more water or orange juice.
• Too thin: Blend in more cashews or a tablespoon of ground flaxseed or chia seeds for instant thickening.
• Not smooth: A high power blender helps, but you can let the dressing soak for an hour or two, and then blend if your blender isn’t very strong. It’s okay if you lose a few nut bits when strained.
• Flavor too bland: Blend in more vinegar, to taste, or a pinch or two of salt.
• Flavor too tangy: You can mellow it with a squeeze of honey (not if you are avoiding added sugar) or more cashews and orange juice to balance it out.

Also Try My Anti-Inflammatory Salad Dressing!