This copycat version of Trader Joe's Almond Butter-Turmeric dressing is made with ground turmeric, fresh lemon, ginger and garlic, and it tastes fantastic on pretty much everything! A blender makes prep easy, but this turmeric salad dressing can also be whisked together by hand. Just 6 ingredients and 5 minutes to prepare.
Even though I shop at Trader Joe's weekly, I only recently learned about the phenomenon that is their almond-turmeric dressing.
I would like to blame this on the fact that Trader Joe's is always so busy I never feel like I can take the time to peruse the aisles. But really, I know it's mostly my issue. I get anxious and have a tendency to rush when I'm in busy stores because I don't like feeling like I'm other people's way.
And if you've ever been inside a Trader Joe's, you know you're almost ALWAYS in someone's way.
As our town becomes more and more popular, our one Trader Joe's location gets busier and busier! I make it a point to shop at off times (shout out to the Sunday morning crew), but even still, a get-in-and-get-out mentality is pretty much required for that store.
This led to a bad habit of buying the same things over and over. But thanks to the Vegan Trader Joe's Facebook group, I'm clued in now!
Why You'll Love It
The ingredient list for this particular Trader Joe's salad dressing is simple, so I knew creating a homemade version would be easy. But why create a homemade version? Well, there are a few good reasons...
- Most people don't live near a Trader Joe's, and I think everyone should have a chance to try this deliciousness!
- Trader Joe's is known for constantly rotating their products. Even though this line of refrigerated salad dressings is very popular, you never know when it might disappear.
- If your household uses a lot of this dressing (and believe me, it's easy to do), that also means going through a lot of plastic bottles. Enough said.
- This homemade turmeric dressing tastes pretty much identical to the Trader Joe's version!
Tips
- Use fresh ingredients. This isn't the time to use that dried up old knob of ginger that's been hanging out on the countertop for weeks. Trust me, I did that once.
- Use a microplane to zest fresh ginger root before putting it in the blender. And if you're not using a blender to make the dressing, you can zest the clove of garlic with the microplane, too.
- Measure accurately. With strong flavors like lemon, ginger, and turmeric, eyeballing it is risky. So go ahead and use your measuring spoons and cups for this one!
- Once you've blended everything together, give it a taste. The salt, water, lemon, and turmeric can all be adjusted pretty easily at the end.
RELATED: don't miss this Avocado Green Goddess, also inspired by Trader Joe's salad dressing.
If you're a fan of ginger and enjoy Asian-inspired sauces, I think you'll love this easy turmeric dressing! Even if you're not crazy about turmeric, you really have to give this dressing a try. The turmeric is masked surprisingly well by the bold and zesty flavors of lemon and ginger, while still lending its gorgeous color and health benefits.
If you try this Trader Joe's copycat recipe I would love to hear from you! Be sure to leave a comment below along with a star rating.
And if you find a delicious new pairing for this sauce, let us know that, too! (Last night we enjoyed it on roasted Brussels sprouts.)
It's also perfect with this Boy Choy Salad.
More healthy sauces and dressings:
Oil-Free Italian Vinaigrette
Tahini Salad Dressing 5 Ways!
Creamy Harissa Dressing
Tahini Caesar Dressing
Yogurt-Balsamic Dressing
Sunbutter Sauce
Ginger-Turmeric Dressing (Trader Joe's Copycat)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raw almond butter, unsalted
- ½ cup water
- zest from half a lemon
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger puree - *See Notes for tips on peeling and zesting
- 1 clove garlic (for milder garlic flavor, sub ⅛ tsp garlic powder)
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- black pepper (about 8 to 10 turns of a pepper grinder)
Instructions
Instructions if using a blender (recommended):
- Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and lemon as desired. Can be used immediately or refrigerated for later use.
To mix the dressing by hand:
- Use a microplane to zest the lemon, ginger and garlic. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
Kristen
Hi there! I am excited to try this! how do you think tahini would work in place of almond butter? My stomach doesn’t do so well with almonds 🙁
Thanks!
Lori
Hi Kristen,
I love tahini in salad dressings! Yes, I think it will work well with these flavors. You might also like some of these: https://myquietkitchen.com/tahini-salad-dressing-five-ways/
Hope you enjoy it!
Quizeen
I was so sad when this dressing was discontinued at TJs. I just made your copycat version, and it's great! It totally tastes like the Trader Joe's version. I was even out of fresh ginger, and decided to forge ahead using powdered ginger (I really wanted this dressing), and it worked really well. I subbed 3/4 t powdered for 1 T fresh.
Ella
So excited to find this recipe. TJ discontinued their dressing and I'm heart broken. Having a recipe like this makes it a little easier. Thank you!!
Mb
Do you know if this freezes well? I'd like to make a double batch and freeze some to use later on. Also, can you clarify, is the turmeric used is "dried" or "fresh grated"?
I'm a new plant-based/vegan foodie, I'm ramping up on new recipes. Appreciate you posting this recipe!
Lori
Hi Mb, I haven't tried freezing it but think it would probably be okay. And yes, the amount of turmeric listed is for dried. Hope you enjoy the dressing, and congrats on being a new vegan foodie! 😀
Mb
Thank you for the quick reply on my questions. Could you use Fresh Grated Turmeric?
Lori
You're very welcome! Yes, fresh turmeric should be fine, though I'm not sure of the amount since I haven't tried it myself. I would start small, taste, and add more as you go. Hope you enjoy!
Ashley
I just heard this dressing was discontinued so I wanted to figure out how to make it myself- this was a total success! I used jarred garlic and ginger and it still came out great! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
CC
I can’t find this dressing at any of my local Trader Joe’s stores lately. Just made this and it’s amazing. Thank you!
Lori
Woohoo! Mission accomplished. 😀 Happy to help!
Wendy
I love this dressing from TJ and was thrilled to find your recipe! I have made the recipe as written and also with substitutions (crunchy peanut butter & curry) with great results. Thank you so much for posting this! I mainly use this as a dip for chicken taquitos. Yum
Lori
Ooooh, love the peanut butter and curry ideas, Wendy! Thanks for sharing.
Eileen
Can you use regular butter instead of raw almond butter?
Lori
Hi Eileen,
By "regular butter" if you mean dairy butter, no that wouldn't go well with this recipe. But if you mean regular roasted almond butter instead of raw, yes that would be fine!