6 Whole30 Sauces that aren’t mayo that you need in your life! From spicy chimichurri to creamy lemon garlic, avocado lime, cheesy buffalo, and more. These healthy sauces will add a boost of flavor to any protein, veggie, or meal. Vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
Last updated on September 27, 2020.
The best creamy Whole30 Sauces that aren’t mayo!!
Sauces make my world go round. I’ve always been obsessed with them. It first started with my love for honey mustard when I was younger. Then to regular mustard and always and forever hot sauce.
I love adding something a little sweet or spicy and creamy to my foods to give it some extra flavor.
My love for sauces might run in the family. If you have been to Delaware beaches, you are familiar with Thrashers’ french fries. They don’t serve ketchup and my sister used to be obsessed with ketchup when she was younger.
One time we ordered some fries and she wanted ketchup. My dad asked and the guy said he didn’t have any.
Well, that wasn’t okay with her and she just stood in the middle of the boardwalk screaming “ketchup!!!!” over and over again 😂
It wasn’t until I started looking at and reading labels that I realized what was in some of my favorite sauces. Most store-bought sauces are usually packed with a bunch of additives, sugars, and preservatives.
When switching to a whole foods approach to eating, especially when you are doing the Whole30, a lot of your favorite sauces are on the no-go list. There are some good options on the shelves now, but they can be pretty expensive. So you have to resort to making your own.
So today we are sharing 6 whole30 sauces that will go with just about any meal!
How to make Whole30 sauces
Being a sauce fanatic, I’m totally up for the challenge of making my own sauces. I do it almost every night when making protein, veggies, and carbs. Adding different sauces can easily change the flavors to simple meals to keep it interesting.
I know homemade mayo is a staple during the Whole30 and you can do so many different things with it (like this delicious homemade chipotle mayo). But sometimes you gotta change it up. And a lot of people can’t have eggs these days. So I’m bringing you 6 Whole30 sauces that aren’t mayo!
All of the healthy sauces are egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, and paleo! All you need in a Vitamix or high powered blender and some basic ingredients and pantry staples.
Half of these Whole30 sauces are made with cashews. When soaked and then blended, they have a great creamy consistency and the taste is very mild. That means you can add whatever seasonings and spices to them.
For the sauces that use cashews, all you need to do it soak and then drain them. Then add them to your blender with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. This method is used for the cashew curry, creamy lemon garlic, and cheesy buffalo sauce.
For the chimichurri and avocado sauce, just add the ingredients to the blender and blender until combined and smooth. The tahini sauce you can use mix everything together by hand. Each one takes less than 5 minutes to make!
6 easy homemade Whole30 sauces
Whole30 spicy chimichurri sauce
A spiced-up version of your classic chimichurri. Made with parsley, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, and a jalapeno for a little spice. Simply add everything to your blender and blend until your desired consistency is reached. I like mine pretty smooth with a little texture to it.
Serve it: on top of grilled meat (chicken, steak, or pork) or seafood (shrimp or salmon), on top of eggs, mixed with zucchini noodles, on top of sweet potatoes, or as a salad dressing.
Whole30 cashew curry sauce
A creamy curry sauce made with curry paste, ginger, garlic, lime juice, coconut amino, and blended cashews to make it super creamy. One of my favorites just for dipping!
Serve it: as a dip for any kind of fry (potato or veggie) or roasted veggies, mixed into a stir-fry, mixed with veggie noodles, as a dressing in a power bowl, or on top of chicken.
Whole30 creamy lemon garlic sauce
Rich and creamy lemon garlic sauce made with roasted garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and blended cashews for extra creaminess. It’s almost
Serve it: as a dip for any roasted veggies or fries, on top of meat (chicken, steak, or pork), with shrimp, or mixed with spaghetti squash or veggie pasta.
Whole30 cheesy buffalo sauce
You can never go wrong with a creamy buffalo sauce. Blended cashews, hot sauce, and nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor without any dairy. This is sauce packs a kick!
Serve it: with chicken or shrimp, as a dip for any kind of fry or roasted veggies (on top of these brussels is amazing!), mixed with shredded chicken, on top of burgers, or mixed with spaghetti squash.
Whole30 tahini dressing sauce
A simple and versatile tahini dressing packed with flavor. Tahini is a creamy sauce made from ground sesame seeds. With the addition of some spices, lemon juice, and coconut aminos, it makes a delicious sauce that can be used for so many things.
Serve it: as a dressing over a salad or power bowl, as the sauce for a stir-fry, over chicken, salmon, or shrimp, or overtop roasted veggies.
Whole30 avocado lime sauce
You can never go wrong with creamy avocado sauce. This one is blended with lots of lime juice and cilantro for a little kick. The lime juice also helps keep it fresh throughout the week.
Serve it: as a dip for any kind of fry, roasted veggies, or chip (if not doing the Whole30), on top of grilled meat (chicken, steak, or pork) or seafood (shrimp or salmon), with taco or burrito bowls, in a power bowl, with eggs and potatoes for breakfast, or with lunch meat.
How to soak cashews
To soak cashews, place in a small bowl or jar, and fill with enough water to cover the cashews. Let sit for 30 minutes to overnight. The longer they sit, the softer they will be and easier to blend.
Once soaked and softened, rinse and drain. Then add to your blender and blend with some liquid and whatever else you are using.
If you forget to soak your cashews, you can place in a small bowl, cover water, and microwave for 1-2 minutes until softened. Drained and then use as you would soaked cashews.
What can you substitute for cashews in Whole30 sauces?
I love using cashews as they provide a creamy consistency with a mild flavor. A lot of people can’t have nuts though. If you can’t eat cashews, but can have other nuts, I think almonds would be a great substitute. I also think macadamia nuts would work well too.
If you can’t have any nuts, I would try sunflower seeds. It might throw off the flavors a little, but it should still work. If you are short on time, tahini, which is ground up sesame seeds, or sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) and could be a good substitute as well. If using a premade nut or seed butter, you might not need as much water when blending.
Can you freeze Whole30 sauces?
Yes! All of these healthy Whole30 sauces are freezer friendly. To freeze, you can either freeze in a jar (leaving a little room a the top for it to expand) or ice cube molds or silicone molds for individual serving sizes. If using molds, let them freeze and then transfer to a plastic bag for storage. Then just defrost when needed.
Once defrosted, you will need to mix up the sauce as freezing might cause some separation.
Whole30 sauces should last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More healthy sauces recipes
- Burger sauce (paleo and Whole30)
- Red enchilada sauce (paleo and Whole30)
- Tzatziki sauce
- Whole30 buffalo sauce
- Spicy avocado lime sauce
- Homemade spicy chipotle mayo
- Spicy honey mustard
- Avocado basil aioli

6 Whole30 Sauces that Aren't Mayo
ingredients
Spicy Chimichurri Sauce
- 1 jalapeño, stem removed (deseed if you don't want it as spicy)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 cup parsley
- 1 shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
Cashew Curry Sauce
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked & drained)*
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup water
- salt, to taste
Creamy Lemon Garlic Sauce
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked & drained)*
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 head roasted garlic**
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
- salt, to taste
Cheesy Buffalo Sauce
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked & drained)*
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- salt, to taste
Classic Tahini Sauce
- 3 1/2 tablespoons tahini
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons water, for thinning (use more if you like)
- salt, to taste
Avocado Lime Sauce
- 2 medium-large avocados (200 grams)
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1/4 cup lime juice
instructions
For all the sauces, except the tahini:
- Place in a high-powered Vitamix or blender and blend until smooth (about 1 minute). For the spicy chimichurri, blend until your desired consistency.https://amzn.to/36cJ96M
For the tahini sauce:
- All all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined.
All sauces should last about a week or more in the fridge! You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in a tightly sealed glass jar or ice cube trays.
notes
nutrition
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Kristina says
Hi. I noticed that you wrote tahini is ground up sunflower seeds, but it is actually ground up sesame. I’m not trying to be a know it all. It’s just that my son is severely allergic to sesame, and I’d hate for someone like him to accidentally ingest tahini after reading that.
Kelly says
Hi Kristina! THANK YOU so much for catching that…huge typo on my end. I use tahini all the time and just mistyped. I just updated the post and appreciate you letting me know. Thank you!
Golda says
Hi Kelly-
I prepared the coconut curry sauce today and plan on using it on some chicken and salmon and roasted potatoes tomorrow. The sauce was quick to prepare and tastes yummy. Thank you for sharing.
Golda
Kelly says
Hi Golda! So glad you liked it – one of my favorites! Thank you for trying it!
Konika says
Your avocado lime sauce is amazing!!! Thank you!
Kelly says
Yay! So glad you like it Konika! Thanks for trying it!!
Emily Striby says
These are a Whole30 GAME CHANGER / LIFESAVER. So simple and delicious!
Kelly says
Woot woot! So glad you enjoyed them Emily!
Hannah B says
I made both the cheesy buffalo and the curry sauce today – they are excellent! Will definitely make double batches next time 😊
Kelly says
Yay for double batches! So glad you liked them Hannah! Thanks for trying!
Kate says
Lemon garlic sauce is so good it had people triple checking it was whole30. Ive got vegan family members as well so i love having a sauce like this up my sleeve for when they visit.
Kelly says
LOL – that’s too funny! So glad it was a hit! Thanks for trying it Kate!
Allison Bruns says
The cheesy buffalo sauce is amazing!! It was good good with our roasted chicken and potatoes, my husband approves too!! Defiantly a keeper 👍
Kelly says
Yay! Love it when the guys approve! I put this stuff on everything too! Thanks for trying it Allison!
Preeti says
I was looking over the earlier comments and felt I could offer my input! First of all, all these sauces are super awesome! I’ve tried he Tahini sauce, the Lemon garlic, and a tweaked spicy cashew(with chipotle peppers and the adobo sauce it comes with in the can)- all turned out excellent. If you have nut allergies, try using sunflower seeds, or even sesame as was suggested. I had made a tofu version before, but it just lacks the creamy mouthfeel. I have tried freezing and defrosting the cashew based chipotle sauce (by the way, great with sweet potato fries), and when you thaw it completely, it looks curdled a bit, but just stir it well and use, it tastes the same. So, no worries!
Kelly says
Love all of these suggestions Preeti!! I love that you added chipotle pepper, I’m going to have to try that! So glad you liked the ones you tried!