Chili Almond Dressing
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Published Jun 01, 2018, Updated May 03, 2022
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A copycat recipe for the Chili Almond Dressing found on the Whole Foods salad bar. It’s made with creamy almond butter so it’s loaded with healthy fats and low in sugar. Oil-free, vegan, low-carb and gluten-free.

The salad bar is one of my favorite parts of Whole Foods. No shame there!
I love getting inspiration for new recipes to post here on EBF from different restaurants and grocery stores… and Whole Foods is the perfect spot for this! The Garlic Tahini Dressing from Whole Foods will always have my heart, but I recently discovered the Chili Almond Dressing and it’s quickly becoming a new favorite. Whole Foods carries it in their salad bar, made by Cindy’s Kitchen, but you can’t buy it on it’s own! So obviously I had to recreate it at home.

I love creating my own dressings at home because I know exactly what’s going in them. They don’t have to be loaded with oil or sugar to taste delicious. This dressing = case in point. I sweetened it slightly with one medjool date and used almond butter as a base to make this a ridiculously delicious but good-for-you dressing!

A note on the spice: I used sambal oelek for spice which is essentially sriracha without the sugar, but you can also use 1 small chili pepper. If you aren’t a big spice fan you can actually leave out the sambal oelek or chili pepper for a creamy almond dressing that’s mild but just as tasty.
This dressing is amazing on this Asian chopped salad, but honestly I’ve been loving it on pretty much everything. What will you put this on?! I want alllll the ideas!
Popular Dressing Recipes To Try
- Blueberry Tahini Dressing
- Citrus Tahini Dressing
- Basil Vinaigrette
- Honey Mustard Dressing
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing
- Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

Chili Almond Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup natural almond butter, no sugar added
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon low sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 inch knob fresh ginger, peeled
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 pitted medjool date
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek or 1 small chili pepper
- ⅓ cup water
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients together in a high-speed blender. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. Dressing will thicken as it sits so feel free to add a little liquid if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks so good! I love dressings with a little kick so I’ll definitely be making this one soon!
Yay! Can’t wait to hear what you think, Liz!
This looks wonderful and so simple, can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
I absolutely love your garlic tahini dressing, so I’m excited to try this one as well! I’m thinking a crunchy salad with red cabbage, carrots, etc would be perfect for this!
OMG!!…this is SOOO YUMMMM. I am glad I stumbled upon your site.
Love the crunch of this salad but can’t do bell peppers. Any substitute suggestions? Maybe chopped Brussels sprouts?
Do you think sriracha would work for the heat?
Totally! I’ve used sriracha before and it works great! 🙂
This turned out amazing! I was out of cashews, which is usually my base for dressings. Thanks. I putt it on a sweet potato bowl.
So glad you enjoyed this dressing, Ama!! 🙂
This recipe is BETTER than what’s sporadically available on the whole foods salad bar. Thank you so much!! I’ve been making large batches and wfpbno is much better and easier thanks to you!
Thank you, Mike! I appreciate your review!
What can I substitute for the almond butter? My son-in-law can’t eat any nut butters.
Thanks
Hi Janet – Unfortunately there is no substitution for the almond butter in this recipe, it is one of the primary ingredients. I have several other dressings on my site that don’t include any nut butters such as, Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing, Honey Mustard Dressing or Horseradish Dressing. Hope this helps!
Hi there,
This recipe looks amazing! I am making it for one of our Passover sides. Can you please tell me how long this will keep in the fridge? Thanks!
Hi Aliza – This dressing should last for up to a week in the fridge. Enjoy!