Sweetgreen Spicy Cashew Dressing Copycat Recipe

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This easy 5 minute copycat recipe for Sweetgreen spicy cashew dressing is healthier and tastier than the original, and completely irresistible! It’s the perfect addition to our Sweetgreen crispy rice bowls and our spicy cashew pasta with crispy chicken.

If you’re looking for an easy and flavorful homemade salad dressing that tastes great on pretty much anything, you’re going to want to try our copycat Sweetgreen spicy cashew dressing recipe. It’s creamy, spicy, sweet, and savory all at once – and so good on salads, rice bowls, sandwiches, wraps, and more! We seriously can’t get enough of this irresistible dressing.

We first wrote about this homemade Sweetgreen spicy cashew dressing when we shared our copycat recipe for Sweetgreen’s crispy rice bowl about a year ago. But it deserves its moment in the spotlight, because you guys love it so much – and so do we!

What We Changed – And Why

We made a few adjustments to Sweetgreen’s original recipe to make it healthier, simpler, and easier to prepare. Here’s what we changed, and why:

1. Decreased the salt – by A LOT. Sweetgreen’s spicy cashew dressing recipe calls for an entire 2 tablespoons of salt, which is a TON considering how many spoonfuls of this dressing we want to slather all over our food. The dressing is already so flavorful without the salt, it only needs a pinch to brighten everything up. As Samin Nosrat says, you don’t want food to taste salty – you simply want to use salt to enhance flavors that are already there.
2. No fresh cilantro or fresh young ginger. Skipping the fresh cilantro and subbing in powdered ginger for fresh ginger means you can easily make this dressing by hand in just a few minutes, with minimal cleanup. (The original recipe calls for a blender to fully incorporate the fresh herbs). Also, we wanted to be able to make spicy cashew dressing with only shelf-stable ingredients from our pantry, so we can whip up a batch whenever we feel like it.
3. Whisking by hand instead of using a blender. Again, we wanted to simplify this recipe as much as possible so that anyone can make it with minimal equipment and cleanup. Simply add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Or, you can even shake it in a sealed jar if you don’t have a whisk!

Sweetgreen Spicy Cashew Dressing Ingredients

We adapted the original recipe for Sweetgreen spicy cashew dressing to make it a little healthier and much easier to prepare. Anyone can make this delicious dressing in just a few minutes, with one mixing bowl and a small whisk!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Cashew butter – We recommend using a no-salt added cashew butter for the best flavor. Most don’t have added salt, but double check the nutrition label.
• Rice vinegar – Rice vinegar is milder than many other vinegars which makes it great for adding a bright flavor without a harsh tanginess.
• Maple syrup – Make sure to use real maple syrup, not the fake “syrup” that doesn’t have any maple in it (Log Cabin, we’re looking at you)! Those just taste like sugar and will throw off the flavor and texture of your dressing.
• Minced garlic – Use jarred minced garlic to save yourself time and effort. There are so many flavors in this dressing that you won’t even notice a difference, so it’s not worth using fresh garlic.
• Sesame oil – Sesame helps add an additional layer of nuttiness to the cashew dressing along with a little sweetness. 
• Lime juice – We don’t generally recommend bottle lime juice, but it works so well for applications like this where we want the acid to brighten other flavors but don’t particularly taste the lime itself. 
• Seasonings – Crushed red pepper flakes, powdered ginger, and salt.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Our Copycat Sweetgreen Spicy Cashew Dressing

Step 1: Add all ingredients to a bowl.

Step 2: Whisk thoroughly until well combined and creamy.

Serving Suggestions

In case you’re wondering what to put this Sweetgreen inspired spicy cashew dressing on, here are a few of our favorite ideas:

• Add it to a Sweetgreen inspired homemade crispy rice bowl.
• Use it to dress your favorite salads, especially ones with nuts and crunchy veggies like carrots and cabbage.
• Make our spicy cashew pasta with crispy chicken for a unique date night dinner!
• Drizzle some on a grilled chicken sandwich or wrap to easily add an extra punch of flavor.
• Spice up a chicken and wild rice bowl with cashew sauce for added flavor and creaminess.
• Use it in place of peanut sauce for a unique spin on your favorite Asian dishes, like this Thai chicken and rice bowl.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This flavorful spicy cashew dressing is by far one of our favorite condiments. It’s spicy, savory, and sweet all at the same time, and it’s so irresistibly creamy! Honestly, we’d eat it by the spoonful if we could.

Anyways – this dressing comes together super easily in just a few minutes, using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and fridge. We love how simple it is to throw together on a whim. And it tastes great on everything! There’s really nothing you couldn’t put creamy spicy cashew dressing on.

Try our Sweetgreen spicy cashew dressing copycat recipe and let us know what you think by rating, commenting, and sharing below! Does it taste like the real thing, or do you like it more (or less) – and why?