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This spicy cole slaw dressing without mayo is made of creamy silken tofu with cayenne to give it a kick! It will instantly brighten your coleslaw or any salad or dish you serve it with. Creamy, slightly tangy, with a touch of sweetness and spiciness it’s irresistibly delicious! Plus, this vegan coleslaw dressing is ready in just 6 minutes!

completed slaw dressing in a white bowl with a utensil in it along with veggies in the background

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Why You’ll Love This Homemade Coleslaw Dressing with a Kick Recipe

Homemade dressings are almost always tastier and healthier, compared to buying ready-made ones. And in this case, it’s even quicker and easier to make than running to the store! I love that you can control both the quality and quantity of ingredients you are using, and make it to your taste. Which means you can make this creamy and flavorful slaw dressing as tangy, sweet, or spicy as you want it to be! Bonus: You can also know that it is preservative and additive-free.

Plus, this quick and easy slaw dressing recipe uses budget-friendly ingredients that are easy to find. Even better, the silken tofu gives your salad a protein boost! You can even make this spicy slaw dressing ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, to enjoy it whenever you want. Though it is “designed” to be used in a coleslaw recipe, it can also pair will with any other salad you like, or even be used as a dip or drizzle, like a spicy mayo.

Ingredients for Spicy Coleslaw Dressing (No Mayo)

  • Silken Tofu: Also called Japanese-style tofu. It is used as the base for this smooth and creamy vegan dressing. This type of tofu contains more moisture than the others, so it is ideal for this dressing recipe. Learn more about it and other types of tofu here!
  • Dijon Mustard: Aside from adding a beautiful amber color, it also has a distinct and robust taste that gives the dressing depth of flavor.
  • Red Wine Vinegar: Has a more potent flavor than regular vinegar but with hints of floral sweetness.
  • Agave Nectar: You can also use cane sugar or maple syrup. It balances the sharpness of the dijon mustard and vinegar.
  • Cayenne Powder: Gives the dressing a little kick will make your spicy slaw dressing more exciting. Adjust the heat level according to your preference.
  • Extra-Virgin olive oil: Helps achieve the desired dressing consistency.
  • Salt: To taste.

How to Make Coleslaw Dressing Without Mayo

Making this spicy slaw dressing from scratch cannot be easier!

  1. Step 1: Using a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients except for the olive oil.
  2. Step 2: While blending, slowly add the oil until it becomes smooth and creamy.

That’s it! You now have a nutritious homemade dressing on your hands.

completed slaw dressing in a white bowl with a utensil in it

Add-Ins and Variations for Slaw Dressing

  • Garlic Slaw Dressing: You can add minced garlic or ginger for that extra punch of flavors.
  • Sesame Slaw Dressing: You can also give the dressing more taste by adding sesame oil or seeds. This is great for an Asian inspired slaw.
  • Herbal Slaw Dressing: If you like to liven up your dressing, you can mix it with simple herbs like basil, cilantro, thyme, dill, oregano, mint, rosemary, or sage. (Learn how to properly store herbs here!)
  • Spiced Slaw Dressing: You can also use spices like black pepper, mustard seed, fennel, cumin, and paprika.

Toni’s Recipe Tips for Making Spicy Slaw Dressing

  • Add oil slowly: When adding the olive oil to the slaw dressing mixture, pour in the thinnest stream possible so you can properly gauge if you’ve had enough. Too much will ruin the consistency of the dressing.
  • Label clearly for freshness: Add a label for your homemade salad dressing that includes the date it was made. This way, everyone in your house knows until when it is good to use.
  • Taste test first: Always taste your salad dressing before adding more salt or other seasonings. It is best to try it with a piece of lettuce or cabbage leaf to have an idea of how to balance the flavors better.
  • Shake well before use: Always shake your homemade dressing before adding it to your salad once it has been stored. This is to ensure that the flavor redistributes and the texture becomes smoother.

FAQs

Why is my coleslaw dressing watery?

It can get runny if you added too much vinegar and too little oil. To fix this, just gently add more oil until you reach the right consistency.

What should I do if my slaw dressing is too sour?

You can fix that by adding more olive oil and sweetener until you get the perfect blend you are looking for.

Why is my salad dressing too salty?

Before deciding that you have put too much salt into the dressing, mix it with some salad veggies first. The saltiness decreases when tossed with greens and other vegetables, especially the sweet ones.

Serving Suggestions for Spicy Coleslaw Dressing Without Mayo

Storage Instructions for Homemade Salad Dressing

Fridge: Use bottle containers or jars to store your slaw dressing. Keep the slaw dressing in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Although you can freeze the dressing, Ido not suggest doing so. Freezing it up may change the texture and taste.

Dressed salad: If you used the dressing over a salad and left it a room temperature, it may go bad within 2 hours. Place the salad in the fridge so you can keep the freshness of both the veggies and the dressing.

completed slaw dressing in a white bowl with a utensil in it along with veggies in the background

More Yummy Salad Dressings to Try

If you tried this Spicy Cole Slaw Dressing recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla

Cookbooks

If you’re loving my recipes and would like a more comprehensive resource, check out my cookbooks!

Spicy Cole Slaw Dressing [Without Mayo]

5 from 33 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 1 minute
Total: 6 minutes
Servings: 0.75 cup
completed slaw dressing in a white bowl with a utensil in it along with veggies in the background
This spicy cole slaw dressing without mayo is made of creamy silken tofu with cayenne to give it a kick! It will instantly brighten your coleslaw or any salad or dish you serve it with. Creamy, slightly tangy, with a touch of sweetness and spiciness it's irresistibly delicious! Plus, this vegan coleslaw dressing is ready in just 6 minutes!

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email & get this sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients 

  • 1/4 cup of silken tofu
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of agave nectar or cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
  • 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions 

  • Put all the ingredients except for the olive oil in an upright blender and start blending.
  • Once you've started blending, slowly add the oil. Ideally, it's being poured into the blender in the thinnest stream from your tablespoons as possible. Blend until smooth.

Notes

  • Add oil slowly: When adding the olive oil to the slaw dressing mixture, pour in the thinnest stream possible so you can properly gauge if you’ve had enough. Too much will ruin the consistency of the dressing.
  • Label clearly for freshness: Add a label for your homemade salad dressing that includes the date it was made. This way, everyone in your house knows until when it is good to use.
  • Taste test first: Always taste your salad dressing before adding more salt or other seasonings. It is best to try it with a piece of lettuce or cabbage leaf to have an idea of how to balance the flavors better.
  • Shake well before use: Always shake your homemade dressing before adding it to your salad once it has been stored. This is to ensure that the flavor redistributes and the texture becomes smoother.

Nutrition

Calories: 427kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 4gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 28gSodium: 3147mgPotassium: 177mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 280IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg

Additional Info

Author: Matthew Smith
Course: Dips and Sauces
Cuisine: American
Method: Blender
Diet: Vegan
Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂
About

Matthew Smith

A former math teacher, Matt is now cooking up food in a vegan restaurant in Berkeley, CA. More than 5 years into his vegan journey, he loves sharing tasty, compassionate, and healthful food with friends and family–and strangers, too, sometimes!

More about Matthew Smith
5 from 33 votes (33 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Hi! I’d like to make this to use in your slaw recipe and the slaw asks for “1 serving Slaw Dressing with a Kick” but this recipe only lists a serving is .75c… is it correct to assume that this whole recipe (3/4c dressing) would be used in the slaw? Naturally, I’d be following your tip of “Before you dump ALL the dressing into the bowls, try reserving some….” but as a general starting point is it the .75c/entire recipe to pull from?

    I hope I phrased that clearly, it makes sense in my head! I love your recipes and whole vibe, you’re a great resource!!
    Kris

    1. Hi Kris! You are correct! You’ll just need one serving of this slaw dressing (which is ¾ cup) for the Vegan Coleslaw recipe. Hope that helps!