Vegan Marzetti Slaw Dressing (Copycat)! A midwest staple, this popular dressing is poured over slaws and salads for an ultimate picnic side, and we’ve got just the perfect copycat vegan version for you!
Simple, healthy, and rich, this Vegan Marzetti Slaw Dressing is a copycat version, nearly tasting like the original. It’s bold, tangy, oh-so-delicious! Perfect for coleslaws and salads alike, you won’t believe how incredibly flavorful and satisfying it is.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
Mom has been making coleslaw since dirt! She always used Marzetti’s Slaw Dressing simply because she said it was delicious, easy, and hard to improve upon. So, when she was all about making a Whole Food Plant Based version, I was totally onboard!
This copycat version is completely and totally delicious! We can’t wait for you to try it.
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: This is a Whole Food Plant Based copycat nod to Marzetti’s Original Slaw Dressing. Use it on your favorite coleslaw or salad.
- Taste Testing Salad Dressings: There is an art to arriving at the slaw/salad dressing that perfectly suits your tastes. The best way to test slaw/salad dressings is to place a few leaves of lettuce (or other grated cabbage slaw) in a tiny bowl, put a tiny bit of the slaw/salad dressing over top and mix really well, then taste test. Some slaw/salad dressings taste amazing before you dress the slaw/salad, then once dressing the slaw/salad, the slaw/salad falls flat. That is because the slaw/salad dressing has to cover all the slaw/salad ingredients which then flattens the flavor of the dressing. Additionally, some slaw/salad dressings taste really tangy or overly strong before dressing the slaw/salad, but once you dress the slaw/salad, it coats all the ingredients and tastes amazing.
- Cashew Based Sauces: Cashew based sauces tend to tighten up in the refrigerator. If you need to loosen the dressing up, add a little apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar or warm water.
- Cashew Substitutions: This recipe was specifically designed to use cashews due to the richness they add to this dish. You can try the typical cashew substitutes: silken tofu, white beans, other nuts or seeds with the understanding that the flavor and texture will change accordingly. You may need to adjust/add ingredients to compensate. We have not tested any substitutions.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 5 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered container.
We do not recommend freezing this dressing.
Pantry Products:
- Yellow Mustard: We used French’s Classic Yellow Mustard. Feel free to use your favorite yellow mustard.
Kitchen Products:
- High-speed blender
If you try this rich and creamy copycat dressing, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
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Vegan Marzetti Slaw Dressing (Copycat)
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 20 Minutes
- Yield: 1 1/3 Cups 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Simple, healthy, and rich, this Vegan Marzetti Slaw Dressing is a copycat version, nearly tasting like the original.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (raw) cashews *
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (+/-)
- 1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (+/-)
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon yellow mustard (+/-) *
- 2 Tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
Instructions
- Place the cashews into a small bowl, cover with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then drain off and discard the water.
- Place the soaked cashews into a high-speed blender along with all the remaining Dressing Ingredients. Blend on high until smooth and emulsified.
- Use in your favorite coleslaw or salad.
Notes
*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: Makes 1 1/3 cups
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I would love to make this dressing, but I have a regular blender. What exactly do you mean when you say “high speed blender”? Can I just blend for longer or on a higher speed?
Hi there AliceK,
Thank you for your question. A regular blender does not have enough power or speed to emulsify the cashews into a super smooth consistency. You could try it out, but most of the time, a regular blender just can’t make it smooth enough as you see in the photos. So sorry. You need a Blendtex or Vitamix or Ninja.
-Ameera and Robin
I saw this tip by someone a while ago with a regular blender:
Soak cashews overnight or boil for 15-20 minutes. Add ingredients to your blender and blend for about 1 minute. Scrap down and let it sit for about 10 minutes then come back a blend for a second time for 1 minute.
I have a high-speed blender so I am unable to test this. That being said, I do use this tip for very creamy dressings.
I have never had marzetti dressing, so don’t know if this is a good copy cat recipe. But it is amazing. So good. It was thicker than I wanted so added some more water to thin a bit more. I want to eat it by the spoonful. It would be great as a sandwich spread too, especially when really thick.
Hi there Denette,
YAYYYY!!! We are thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for taking time to leave us a great review. We appreciate it.
-Ameera and Robin
I bought a bag of coleslaw at the store and I think I’ll be having some every night with this dressing! I haven’t had Marzetti’s dressing since becoming WFPB 6 years ago, but your dressing sure took me back. It is a true copycat recipe that captures the taste of the original product.
Hi there Carol,
Totally made our day!!! We are thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe. We love it too! Thank you so much for taking time to leave us a great review.
-Ameera and Robin
The second time I made this recipe I used 1/2 cup of cashews (rather than 1 cup) and a half can of cannellini beans to cut down on fat. With vitamix blender all mixed well and dressing was smooth and tasted as good as original recipe!
Hi there Carol,
OooOOooo – GOOD to know. So happy that the reduced fat version tastes as good as the original. Thank you so much for the tip.
-Ameera and Robin
I am looking forward to trying this recipe. I may have missed it in the blog post, but do I use 1 bag of pre-made Cole slaw for this recipe? Thank you!
Hi there Daniel,
This recipe is for the slaw dressing alone. You can use some judgement and start with about 4 cups of bagged slaw (cabbage). Thank you.
-Ameera and Robin
Amazingly good! I can see using this on slaw, on sandwiches and as a dipping sauce.
Hi there Tina,
YAYYYY!!! We are thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe. We appreciate the awesome review.
-Ameera and Robin