Name: Whole30 Tzatziki (Paleo, Keto, Dairy Free)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 medium English cucumber; 1 teaspoon salt; ¼ cup Whole30-compliant mayonnaise (store-bought or make your own); 1 scant cup unsweetened coconut cream (from one 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk, see Notes); 2 cloves garlic (finely minced, approximately 2 teaspoons); 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2-3 teaspoons minced fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried dill); ½ cup grated cucumber (prepared from above); 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste); ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional, to garnish)

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This creamy Whole30 tzatziki has been one of my favorite dairy-free condiments for years. Made from a tangy base of coconut cream and compliant mayo, and full of bright flavors, it’s the best (and easiest) way to brighten up a Whole30 round. Ready in less than 15 minutes and great with meat and veggies alike.

A bowl of creamy Whole30 tzatziki dotted with green fresh herbs and topped with a drizzle of olive oil, surrounded by cucumber slices, grape tomatoes, and bell pepper slices.

🍋 What Makes This Recipe So Good

I love this Whole30 tzatziki so much I’ve worked it into several recipes over the years, and we almost always have a jar of it in the fridge. Even when we’re not on a Whole30 round or intentionally eating dairy-free. It’s just SO good, and there’s a ton of incredible flavor in it, between the fresh lemon juice, the savory fresh herbs, the tangy mayo, and the rich coconut cream.
Tzatziki is super versatile in so many ways. It fits a whole slew of dietary needs – it’s Whole30-compatible, paleo, low carb, keto, dairy-free, vegetarian, and nut-free. That’s not where its versatility ends, though. You can use tzatziki in a variety of dishes. Use it as a dip for raw veggies, or drizzle it over grilled chicken or roasted veggies. Add it to a salad or burger bowl, or dollop a little on top of a baked potato.

👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

If you’ve got time to prep your Whole30 tzatziki at least an hour ahead of time, I highly recommend doing it! Chill the prepared tzatziki in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. That gives the ingredients time to meld and the flavors time to deepen, giving you an even more flavorful tzatziki.
I know the instructions for grating and sweating the cucumber look a little involved at first glance, but trust me, it’s SO easy. And it’s ABSOLUTELY worth the effort. You could skip the sweat, just using the freshly grated cucumber in the tzatziki, but keep in mind one important thing. Cucumbers are about 95% water. You’ll lose a little of that during the grating process, but not all of it, which means you’d be adding a lot of water to your coconut-cream-and-mayonnaise-based mixture. That can make the tzatziki super thin and runny, which isn’t really the goal.
To get the coconut cream, place an unopened can of unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. Just before making the Whole30 tzatziki, remove and open the can without shaking or stirring the liquid inside. Scoop out just the thick, solid part on top – that’s the coconut cream! The remaining liquid can be discarded or used for other purposes. Do NOT use coco lopez or coconut creamer – they are not the same as coconut cream and will not work in this recipe.