Best Caesar Dressing: Updated Ranking!

The best caesar dressing is tangy, salty, and bright. It can be creamy or more similar to a vinaigrette. Both are great (when they’re done well, that is).

I’m on a caesar salad kick. I’ve been making them at home and ordering them at restaurants every chance I get (shout-out to the Cheesecake Factory). This happens every year when I remember that caesar salads exist and become obsessed with the combo of fresh romaine, crunchy croutons, and tangy dressing for approximately one month. The dressing is the most important part of the caesar salad, in my opinion. Without it, it could be any salad! And when it comes to the best store bought caesar dressing, I’m looking for a dressing that is lemon forward with a mild anchovy umami and a dreamy, creamy texture.

For our initial best caesar salad dressing taste test we bought romaine to sample the caesars, but we ended up just eating them straight off a spoon to get the most pure, unadulterated caesar flavor. So, we didn’t even bother with produce when it came to setting up the second caesar dressing taste test for this ranking update. The dressings were still as good as ever, straight off a spoon. And we found even more of the best caesar salad dressing to add to this list. Here are the six best store bought caesar salad dressing brands—including the best vegan caesar salad dressing!

Best for Cheese Lovers

Ken’s Steak House Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing

Walmart

If you want a cheese-focused caesar dressing, Ken’s Steak House Creamy Caesar Dressing is for you. It has the creamy, parmesan-forward quality you want in the best bottled caesar dressing while bringing a surprising level of tanginess to the table. This is one of the few dressings we tried that had almost no noticeable anchovy flavor. Because of that, I think this would be the best caesar salad dressing if you’re in charge of bringing a salad to the work potluck or family reunions. TIt would appeal to most people.

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Zesty

Olive Garden Classic Caesar Dressing

Walmart

If you don’t just want the best bottled caesar dressing, but the tangiest, most acidic, zippiest caesar dressing, this one is for you. Olive Garden’s Classic Caesar Dressing takes like they mixed creamy, lemony caesar dressing with their iconic Italian dressing. What’s not to love? This is certainly the best caesar dressing brand if you want to enjoy Olive Garden without leaving the comfort of your home. All you need is a family member or roommate who’s willing to bring you breadsticks…forever.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Creamy

California Pizza Kitchen Caesar Dressing

Walmart

California Pizza Kitchen’s collection of products now includes a line of salad dressings made in partnership with iconic salad dressing brand, Litehouse. Some were very bad, but this caesar dressing happens to be very good. In fact, it’s one of the best caesar salad dressing brands we tried! It’s thick, creamy, and cheesy. It has a nice peppery kick and good level of acidity. The thickness of this dressing makes it perfect for a chicken caesar wrap (try making it with some of the best frozen chicken tenders). It’ll hold everything inside your tortilla together for minimal spillage and maximum flavor.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Restaurant Style

Girard’s Caesar Dressing

Walmart

Girard’s Caesar Dressing packaging is luxurious. It’s almost like a bottle of expensive perfume. Much to my girlfriend’s frustration, I refuse to throw away the triangular bottle when it is finished because I am convinced I will use it as a vase or for an art project or something else dumb (I won’t). When it comes to the flavor, it’s tangy, bright, and zippy. As soon as it hits your tongue, you start salivating. The beauty of the dressing definitely matches the beauty of the vessel, making it one of the best bottled caesar dressing brands out there.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Vegan

Gotham Greens Vegan Caesar Dressing & Dip

Instacart

This vegan caesar dressing ranks above lots of non-vegan caesar dressings because it’s just that good. It tastes like it’s filled with parmesan cheese when there is none. It’s so rich and salty and peppery. It’s unbelievably creamy. A mix of miso and Dijon mustard make it wonderfully complex and savory. I brought this home after our vegan caesar dressing taste test and I have continued to make vegan caesar salads ever since. It’s not only the best vegan caesar dressing, it’s also one of the best store bought caesar dressing options out there.

Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Cardini’s Original Caesar Dressing

Walmart

“Where The Salad Got Its Name” is Cardini’s slogan, which they proudly display on their bottles of caesar dressing. After a quick Google search, I found out that this claim is true! Caesar Cardini is credited with originating the caesar salad at his Tijuana restaurant, Caesar’s, in 1924. If you can believe it, the company that created the caesar salad makes the best caesar salad dressing. This dressing is acidic, garlicky, and perfectly creamy. After trying this caesar dressing, I will never buy another caesar dressing again. It truly is the best store bought caesar dressing!

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other Products We Tried:
Bolthouse, Brianna’s, Litehouse, Panera, Newman’s Own, Kraft, Primal Kitchen, Ken’s, Mother Raw, Follow Your Heart, Sprouts Plant-Based, Organicville Non-Dairy, Plant Perfect, Fody, Simple Truth, Daiya