Serve up this delicious dairy free version of a classic cucumber salad at your next picnic or barbecue. Our version is dill pickle flavored and perfectly tart and flavorful with a creamy dressing.
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If you’re a fan of all things dill pickle and love a good creamy cucumber salad, you’re going to want to save this one! This dill pickle cucumber salad is crisp and tangy, and creamy without dairy.
It’s the perfect summer side dish for barbecues, potlucks, or anytime you’re craving something refreshing and crunchy.
Why we love this recipe
This salad is super quick and easy to make, plus it’s creamy without the need for dairy. The dill pickle seasoning makes this salad tangy and dilly, the perfect cool side dish for your summer meals.
Our cucumber salad is also made with sturdier ingredients than lettuce, so it holds up better at picnics or potlucks without wilting like lettuce-based salads can.
How to make dairy free creamy cucumber salad
Here are the steps for making our dill pickle cucumber salad. This is just an overview of steps, the full recipe is at the end of the post.
- Wash and thinly slice the mini cucumbers (about 1/8-inch is good) and add them to a bowl. You can slice these super thin, but they will release a lot more water, and the salad will be more watery if you slice them very thin.
- Thinly slice the red onion and add it to the bowl as well. If you don’t want to use fresh onion, you can also use pickled red onion if fresh red onions are too strong. You can also use chopped chives if you want onion flavor that isn’t too strong.
- Add the mayo, the dairy free sour cream, the pickle seasoning, and the black pepper, and stir until everything is mixed thoroughly and coated well.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
For the batch of salad in the photos, I used all mayo. But after I took photos, I made more of this salad using half dairy free sour cream and half mayo and it works well, too. It’s actually creamier made with Violife sour cream and mayo.
How to make this recipe without Trader Joe’s pickle seasoning
The Trader Joe’s pickle seasoning blend is so good in this salad, it has the perfect blend of tangy and dilly taste to make this salad taste like dill pickles.
This seasoning blend is available on Amazon, although it costs quite a bit more there than it does in store (it’s only about $2.89 in store), but if you If you don’t have this seasoning or can’t get it, here is an alternative (we included this in the recipe card):
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Prepare the cucumbers and onions the same as before, the sour cream and mayo stays the same.
- Add the mayo and dairy free sour cream to a dish and whisk together with the vinegar and seasonings (dried dill, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper). Mix until smooth.
- Add the creamy dressing to the cucumbers and onions and toss until everything is mixed well and coated.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Is this recipe gluten free?
When made with the Trader Joe’s pickle seasoning, I am not entirely sure if this is gluten free since their pickle seasoning contains maltodextrin and the seasoning isn’t listed as being gluten free.
If you make our salad without the Trader Joe’s seasoning, this recipe will be gluten free when using the seasonings we’ve listed in the alternate recipe.
Check out our other allergy friendly salad recipes!
- Gluten Free Sesame Udon Noodle Salad
- Dairy Free Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Dairy Free Chopped Greek Salad
- Lemon Basil Chicken Salad
Creamy Dill Pickle Cucumber Salad (Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 1 pound mini cucumbers
- ¼ medium red onion
- 2 Tablespoons soy free and egg free mayo
- 2 Tablespoons Violife sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons Trader Joe's pickle seasoning*
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
If you don't have Trader Joe's dill pickle seasoning, replace it with this:
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and thinly slice the mini cucumbers (about 1/8-inch is good) and add them to a bowl. You can slice these super thin, but they will release a lot more water when very thinly sliced.
- Thinly slice the red onion and add to the bowl as well. If you don't want to use fresh onion, you can also use pickled red onion if fresh red onions are too strong.
- Add the mayo, the dairy free sour cream, the pickle seasoning, and the black pepper, and stir until everything is mixed thoroughly and coated well.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
If you don't have Trader Joe's pickle seasoning:
- Prepare the cucumbers and onions as above.
- Add the mayo and dairy free sour cream to a dish and whisk together with the vinegar and seasonings (dried dill, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper). Mix until smooth.
- Add the creamy dressing to the cucumbers and onions and toss until everything is mixed well and coated.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Nutrition
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Sarah Jane Parker is the founder, recipe creator, and photographer behind The Fit Cookie which she founded in 2011. Sarah is based in Wyoming and has been managing food allergies for herself and her 2 children for over 20 years. Sarah was also a certified personal trainer for 12 years, as well as a group fitness instructor, health coach, running coach, and fitness nutrition specialist.