Creamy vegan dill pickle dip is a tangy, dairy-free appetizer made with raw cashews, garlic, and fresh dill. It’s perfect as a potato chip dip, veggie platter centerpiece, or vegan burger sauce.

Serve this easy and crowd-pleasing recipe at parties, barbecues, or summer holidays, like the 4th of July.

Potato chips on platter with creamy, cashew-based dill pickle dip.

Potato chips are a classic snack for a reason. Light and crisp, they provide the satisfying crunch we all crave sometimes.

But when you’re ready to take those simple chips up a notch, the right dip can make all the difference.

One of my favorite go-to’s is vegan dill pickle dip.

Forget the usual sour cream, cream cheese, or mayonnaise. My dairy-free, egg-free version is made with a base of raw cashews.

It is endlessly creamy and pops with the flavors of pickles, garlic, and fresh dill.

Plus, it uses pantry-friendly ingredients, which makes it easy to keep all of the essentials on hand for whenever the urge strikes.

Make a batch for your next get-together, and watch every last bite disappear.

In this post:

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Ingredients
Step by step instructions
Standard blender instructions
Make it your own
Pickle dip serving suggestions
Storage instructions
More vegan recipes for pickle lovers
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

Raw cashews: Raw cashews make this dip wonderfully creamy and full-bodied. Look for them with other nuts at the grocery store.

I recommend choosing raw cashew pieces over whole, since they’re usually less expensive. I buy mine at Trader Joe's.

Dill pickles & brine: Dill pickles are the star of the show. You’ll need some of the brine from the jar (a.k.a. pickle juice), in addition to chopped pickles stirred into the dip for crunch. If you like, add some for garnish as well.

Tamari: This Japanese soy sauce adds salt and umami. Tamari is usually gluten-free. I recommend using a low-sodium variety since this dip has a lot of other salty elements with pickles, brine, and salt.

It can be replaced with any other soy sauce, nama shoyu, or coconut aminos, if you prefer.

Lemon juice: Lemon juice adds acid. For the best flavor, freshly squeezed is best.

Apple cider vinegar: This adds acid & a little sweetness.

Garlic: Choose firm garlic that doesn't have dark spots. If you’re sensitive to raw garlic, omit it.

Dill: Fresh dill weed is definitely best for this recipe, as its one of the most pronounced flavors. However, in a pinch, it can be replaced with 2 teaspoons dried.

Granulated onion: I prefer granulated onion over powder because of its pop of flavor. However, it can be replaced with onion powder if you prefer.

Granulated garlic: Yes, this dip includes both a garlic clove & granulated garlic, which has a more subtle, round bite. If you prefer, granulated garlic can be replaced with garlic powder.

Salt: A little salt brings this dip to life.

Step by step instructions

This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

4-panel collage showing how to add ingredients to blender, blend, add dill pickles & celery, and combine with a spoon.

1. Add the following to a high-speed blender:

Water
Brine (from jar of dill pickles)
Lemon juice
Apple cider vinegar
Tamari
Garlic
Granulated onion
Granulated garlic
Salt
Raw cashews

2. Blend until creamy.

Note: If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you’ll likely need to soften the cashews first. I give 3 possible workarounds below.

3. Once the cashew base is completely smooth, add freshly chopped dill and chopped pickles.

4. Stir the ingredients to combine. (Don’t blend them.)

Then transfer the dip to an airtight container, and refrigerate it. The dip will set up and thicken as it cools, and the flavors will meld.

For best results, wait at least six hours before serving.

Platter of potato chips with vegan dill pickle dip, carrots, and celery.

5. Once the pickle dip has thickened, put it in a small bowl. If you like, garnish with more chopped dill pickles and fresh dill.

Standard blender instructions

If you don’t have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix, you can still make this cashew dip. You’ll just need to give your standard blender a little help to completely break down the nuts.

The easiest way to make this dip with a standard blender is to first grind the dry, raw cashews in a clean coffee grinder until they become the texture of flour. (You may need to grind in batches.) Then put them into the blender with the other ingredients.

If you don’t have a coffee grinder, use one of these other options:

Soak the raw cashews in water for several hours (or overnight) and drain before following the recipe.
Cover the raw cashews in boiling water and let them soak 10-20 minutes before draining and using.

Make it your own

Celery dunked in creamy dill pickle dip with pickle and fresh dill garnish.

You can tweak this dill pickle dip recipe to suit your needs & preferences with these adjustments:

For a green dip, blend the fresh dill into the base instead of stirring it in separately
For less raw garlic bite, omit the clove of garlic
For more garlic flavor, add an additional clove of garlic
For more herbaceous flavor, garnish with chopped chives
If you don’t have fresh dill, use 2 teaspoons of dried dill instead
To keep this potato chip dip gluten-free, use gluten-free tamari
For a soy-free option, use coconut aminos or soy-free tamari instead of standard tamari
To lower the sodium, use low-sodium tamari, omit the salt, and choose vegetable dippers instead of potato chips

Pickle dip serving suggestions

Carrot stick being dunked into dairy-free dill pickle dip.

There are loads of options for dippers. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Potato chips
Carrot sticks
Celery sticks
Cauliflower florets
Broccoli florets
Bell pepper strips
Crackers
Pretzels
Fried dill pickles
Vegan pigs in a blanket
Vegan onion rings

Pickle dip dripping down Impossible burger with non-dairy cheese, pickles, and onion on a potato bun.

Pickle dip also makes an excellent topping for a meatless burger!

With its tangy flavors, it really gives “special sauce” vibes.

Storage instructions

Store this dairy-free dill pickle dip in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for about 4 days. Stir before using.

This dip also freezes like a dream! Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, move it to the refrigerator to thaw, and stir before eating.