Easy Vegan Tzatziki (5-Ingredient)

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This 5-Ingredient Easy Vegan Tzatziki sauce is made with gut-healthy, plant-based yogurt, and refreshing cucumber. Drizzle it on wraps or serve as a dip with flatbread or veggie sticks. Tangy, delicious, and dairy-free.

Vegan tzatziki in a white bowl next to a lemon, head of garlic, and bunch of dill.

Tzatziki is a popular Greek sauce made from yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and fresh herbs such as dill or mint. This vegan version is ideal for elevating wraps, sandwiches, chopped veggies, or sliced pita. It is delectably creamy and tangy and adds so much flavor to a dish. Plus, it lasts for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Meal prep this Easy Vegan Tzatziki sauce for the week.

This recipe is inspired by my deliciously Creamy Garlic Sauce that goes with almost anything, as well as the cashew raita used in this Indian-Spiced Skillet Chickpeas & Kale recipe on my site.

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👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
🥒 Substitutions
📖 How to Make Easy Vegan Tzatziki
💡 Expert Tips
🛒 Shop Recipe Cookware and Ingredients
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🫙 Related Recipes
🥗 Pairing
👩🏽‍🍳 Made This Recipe?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

One cucumber, a bunch of dill, one lemon, a head of garlic, yogurt, and olive oil on a gray backdrop.

Dairy-free cashew yogurt is my preferred substitute for the animal-based yogurt in traditional tzatziki. Use my Homemade Cashew Yogurt on this site, or store-bought. Coconut and soy yogurt are also good options. Just make sure to go with the unsweetened varieties. Cashew yogurt adds a welcomed tang and creaminess that works well in this vegan dairy-free version.
Cucumber is an essential ingredient in tzatziki. It adds a refreshing quality and gives tzatziki its distinctive texture and taste.
Olive oil is optional but I highly recommend adding some to enhance the flavor, creaminess, and overall richness of this tzatziki sauce.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

🥒 Substitutions

Cucumber - Instead of cucumber, you can make this vegan sauce with zucchini, radish, jicama, or chopped celery. While it is not traditional to do so, it will still taste great. For a sweeter version, use grated carrots.
Yogurt - use store-bought cashew yogurt, my Homemade Cashew Yogurt recipe, or unsweetened coconut, or soy plant-based yogurt for this dairy-free tzatziki sauce or dip
Fresh herbs - dill and mint work well in this recipe
Olive oil - if using, it is best to go with a good quality extra-virgin, first cold pressed olive oil to enhance the flavor of this vegan tzatziki

Pair this Easy Vegan Tzatziki with my Vegan Wraps with Roasted Chickpeas for an easy and delicious weeknight dinner. Visit my Vegan Condiment Recipes page for more easy sauces, dressings, and dips.

📖 How to Make Easy Vegan Tzatziki

This is an overview. The full recipe is at the bottom of the post.

Cucumber being grated with the skin on using a box grater.

Step 1. Grate the cucumber using the largest holes of a box grater.

Grated cucumber in a nut bag being squeezed above a mason jar with green liquid draining into the jar.

Step 2. Transfer the grated cucumber to a nut bag, clean dish towel, or cheesecloth, and squeeze out the excess water.

Vegan yogurt, grated drained cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, and minced garlic in a bowl next to a head of garlic, and a bunch of dill.

Step 3. Place the cucumber into a medium bowl. Add the yogurt and olive oil. Press or grate the garlic into the bowl. Mix to combine. Add salt to taste. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Vegan tzatziki with flatbread in a white bowl.

Step 4. Add the chopped fresh herbs and mix. Add fresh lemon juice, if using, to taste.

💡 Expert Tips

Draining the cucumber is an important step. It prevents the tzatziki sauce from becoming runny, increases its favor by allowing the other ingredients to shine through, and stabilizes this Easy Vegan Tzatziki recipe so it can be stored for longer. A nut bag works extremely well for squeezing and draining the grated cucumber. Otherwise, use a clean dish towel, or cheesecloth. Paper towel also works, but tends to fall apart easily. You can also just squeeze it with your hands to remove the excess liquid.
Storage: Refrigerate any remaining Easy Vegan Tzatziki in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.

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🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

Can you make tzatziki without cucumber?

It is not traditional to make tzatziki without cucumber, but it can be done! Grated jicama is a refreshing substitute, as well as zucchini, or finely chopped radish or celery. For a sweeter tzatziki-style dip or sauce, use grated carrots instead.

What can I use instead of dill to make tzatziki?

Freshly chopped mint is used frequently in Greek cuisine and can be a great substitute for dill in this vegan tzatziki. It has a refreshing and slightly sweet flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients. Flat-leaf parsley has a mild, fresh flavor that complements the tanginess of the yogurt perfectly. Cilantro has a slightly citrusy flavor that can add a zing to this tzatziki sauce, but use it sparingly as it can be overpowering. Finally, although not traditional in tzatziki, fresh basil can be a flavorful herb to use as a substitute for the dill in this recipe.

Is there a good substitute for tzatziki sauce?

Hummus, vegan sour cream, ranch dressing, garlic sauce, and tahini are reasonable substitutes.