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GET IT NOWWhy I’m Obsessed With This Sugar Free Thousand Island Dressing Recipe
Once I started making this sugar free thousand island dressing recipe at home, I couldn’t believe how easy it was or how much better it tasted than the bottled stuff. I still love my go-to ranch and caesar, but this one hits that sweet-and-tangy craving just right. Plus, it goes with so many things (and yep, I’ve listed some of my favorite ways to use it below!). Here’s why this one’s always in my fridge:
- Creamy, sweet, and tangy – This dressing has that classic flavor combo…rich mayo, tangy vinegar, and a hint of sweetness. It reminds me of the kind I had growing up, just without the sugar or weird ingredients.
- Just 6 ingredients + 5 minutes – I can toss this together in minutes, usually with what I already have on hand. It’s perfect for a quick meal prep win or a last-minute salad.
- Way better than store-bought – Most sugar free dressings at the store either taste off or have hidden junk. I like knowing exactly what’s in mine, and honestly… it tastes fresher, too.
Make it with me and taste the difference!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my sugar free thousand island dressing recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Mayonnaise – I usually whip up my own avocado oil mayo, but store-bought avocado mayo (like this one!) works just fine too.
- Sugar-free ketchup – Same idea. I like to make homemade sugar free ketchup, but you can use a store-bought one instead.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Adds a little tang, but white vinegar or even lemon juice works in a pinch.
- Sweetener – It has to be powdered or your dressing will turn out gritty. I use Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend because it dissolves the best. Most sweeteners with erythritol don’t mix in well and can crystallize. You can skip it, but the dressing won’t have that classic sweet-tangy balance. If you’re using a different one, check my sweetener conversion chart or just start small and adjust.
- Dill Pickles – Finely chopped dill pickles add that signature flavor. You could also use sugar-free relish if that’s easier.
- White Onion – I go with finely minced white onion, but yellow or even a tiny bit of grated shallot would work too.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Make Sugar Free Thousand Island Dressing
There’s just one easy step to make this sugar free thousand island dressing—Just whisk everything together! It’s ready in the time it takes to grab the ingredients.
I like to keep sugar free thousand island dressing in jars like this in the fridge for easy storage, but these salad dressing containers are perfect for meal prep!
My Recipe Tips
- The pickles and onions should be really fine so the dressing is creamy, not chunky. A quick pulse in a food processor works great if you’re in a hurry.
- Granulated sweeteners can make the dressing gritty. I always use Powdered Besti because it dissolves super smoothly.
- If you have time, pop the dressing in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving. It helps the flavors come together and thicken up just a bit.
- Tweak to taste. I sometimes add a tiny splash more vinegar if I want it tangier, or a pinch more sweetener if I’m in the mood for a sweeter version.
Sugar Free Thousand Island Dressing
My sugar free thousand island dressing recipe is creamy, tangy, and takes just 5 minutes to make—no sugar, no junk, just simple ingredients!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Whisk all ingredients together, until smooth.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 2 tbsp
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the smoothest texture, the best flavor, and a dressing that tastes just like the classic without the sugar.
- Serving ideas: See my serving ideas below for easy ways to use this dressing on burgers, salads, and more.
- Store: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze it for 2-3 months, but the texture changes a bit. Thaw in the fridge and whisk before using.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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sugar free thousand island dressing
Serving Ideas
Wondering what to put this sugar free thousand island dressing recipe on? Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:
- Salads – Obviously! It’s the secret sauce in my Big Mac salad, but it’s just as good on a chef salad, or honestly, pretty much any of my healthy salad recipes.
- Burgers – In-N-Out fans, this one’s for you! Whether you’re making juicy burgers, smash burgers, or even turkey burgers, this dressing gives you that classic, old-school burger joint flavor!
- Kid Favorites – This dressing isn’t just for salads! My kids love it as a dip for air fryer chicken tenders and crispy air fryer fries!
44 Comments
Nancy B
0This is a REALLY good low carb Thousand Island recipe. I used less Allulose and onion powder – and it was super tasty. Next time I will make the recipe exactly as written!
Wholesome Yum D
0So glad you liked it, Nancy! Hope it’s just as tasty (or even better!) when you try it next time.
Joanne
0So good, so fresh!
Wholesome Yum D
0Absolutely loved hearing that, Joanne! Fresh and simple always hits the spot.
Mia Bunker
0Excellent dressing! Using it tonight on keto patty melts. Melting jarlsberg on burgers & topping with this thousand island dressing & sour kraut. 😋
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked it, Mia! And what a delicious way to use it. Yum!
Alisha Holder
0Can you use a different keto sweetener, like Splenda or Stevia?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Alisha, You can, but Splenda is artificial and with most brands of stevia the dressing will turn out gritty (unless it’s the pure concentrated kind, where you’d need much less and it might still turn out bitter).
Angela
0This recipe is mostly great however when making this dish (I followed the recipe) and asked multiple family members what they thought of it. They said it was extremely vinegar forward and initially a little too salty. I had to double the batch to adjust it ( I did not add additional vinegar or salt to the dish when I doubled it). All in all
I would follow this recipe in the future but do 1 tbsp of vinegar(rather than 2), 1/8 tsp of salt rather than (1/4 tsp) and in the future I could do with slightly less sweet I would also err on the side of less sweetener and add to your taste starting with half the amount posted here and working your way up. I think with these adjustments that would make this a 5star recipe!
Marcela
0I made this recipe today and turned out so delicious ?
WhiteFlower
0This dressing is awesome! I make it often and use it as Big Mac sauce, on Reuben sandwiches and on salads, it can’t be beaten! This one is a winner.
Kathy
0Keto 1000 Island dressing this is delicious! I left out the sweetener but otherwise the same. Thank you so much!
Mélinda
0So good! I had made homemade chipotle mayo so I used that for 3/4 cup and sour cream for 1/4 cup. So delicious! Thank you!
Lois
0I like adding some finely chopped/diced celery to this recipe.
Barbara Olson
0This is my go-to recipe for Thousand Island Dressing. Love it in Reuben Sandwiches/Wraps, and Reuben in a Bowl recipes. So delicious! Thank you!
Dawn Gowgiel
0This dressing was fantastic! The rest of my family was having grilled hamburgers for dinner & I didn’t feel like making something different for myself & heat up the house, so I decided to make a salad version with chopped hamburger on top. However, I didn’t have a suitable salad dressing on hand, so I quickly went online, found this recipe & thought it sounded perfect! I used what I had on hand: Primal Kitchen unsweetened ketchup & avocado oil mayo, and prepared dill relish instead of pickles. For the sweetener, I only had Stevia & Monk Fruit single-serve packets & used 4 in the recipe (they are made to look & taste like real sugar, so I added the vinegar to the sweetener and they dissolved perfectly!) Then I added the rest of the ingredients and blended with a whisk – it was absolutely delicious & was just what my hamburger salad needed!! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Mandi
0Do you think it would taste as good if i used the bottom of a green onion instead of white? Trying to avoid a trip to the store! Lol
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mandi, That should work!
Cyn T
0Love this recipe! I just ate a salad for breakfast because I wanted the dressing again after having it for dinner last night!
Jim
0The only thing I would add next time would be some caraway to add the rye flavor. Pretty tasty.
Kristina M.
0I love this dressing so much! I used dried minced onion and a tiny bit of onion powder. Also added a little extra diced pickles. Yum!!
Jess Zhang
0Awesome recipe! It’s delicious! I didn’t use minced onions. Thank you for sharing!
Bill Burgess
0Great Recipe! I use it on everything. I am a heavy dressing guy, so this works perfectly. I know the serving size is only 2 tbsp, but I typically put 4tbsp on my salads (1/4 cup) so at least than 2 carbs, this is great!
Jennifer
0Could the minced onions be lightly sautéed and cooled or use onion powder? Post chemo no longer have enzyme to breakdown raw onion.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jennifer, Yes, absolutely! The flavor will be a bit mellow compared to the original recipe, but it will still taste great! Enjoy.
Regina
0This is totally delicious. I don’t know when I’ll stop topping my salad with it. I’ve been having a salad every day just so I can enjoy this salad dressing with it. Thanks a million for this recipe!
Belinda Smith
0Delish added some lemon juice about a teaspoon and a half, and used dill relish instead of the pickle very very good
Annette Helms
0Excellent dressing!!
Dee Burr
0I made this recipe. I used Dukes’ mayonaise. I used Aldi’s ketchup with contains no sugar.
I only used 1Tbsp Swerve. This is too sweet Would you know how to calm the sweetness down? If no I’ll have to toss out and try again.
It’s easy to make, just need one that isn’t sweet.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Dee, You could make the recipe a second time without the sweetener and mix them together. That should even out the sweetness level.
Alissa
0Can I use white vinegar or red wine vinegar? I don’t like apple cider vinegar.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Alissa, Yes, either of those will work. Enjoy!
Maggie
0I don’t have the monk sweetener. Can I replace with swerve?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Maggie, Allulose really works best as it can dissolve in liquids where other sweeteners don’t. The brand you have will work, but there may be some grittiness in the dressing. Make sure you are using the powdered version to get the best possible results with what you have.
Tammy
0This recipe promised and delivered! I used as a dipping sauce for chicken and going to try making a Big Mac salad! Love your recipes and just bought your cookbook and Besti product on Amazon!
Lori M.
0This is one of my favorite ways to use up mayo that has been in the fridge a little two long and I find I actually prefer a Big Mac salad to one with bread these days. I like it sweeter so I add a little powdered erythritol sweetener. Raw onion bothers my stomach, so I add some spices to replace the sharpness: onion powder, paprika and garlic powder. Sugar free sweet pickles are good too, esp. homemade fridge pickles with stevia. Condiments are such overcharged (when compared to ingredients) hidden sugar purchases! Learning from you with regards to mayo, catsup and coconut aminos has me making so many condiments like 1000 Island dressing, tartar sauce (with lime), BBQ sauce and teriyaki sauce. They are fresh, sugar free, sodium-reduced and overall more organic at reasonable prices with acids in less contact with plastic/resins and other hidden estrogens. Thank you for your ongoing expertise.
Judy
0Is it a big difference if I leave out dill pickle? I need to cut sodium, I don’t want to buy a whole jar just for a small amount of chopped dill pickle.
I do have an opened jar of capers, Can I sub that?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Judy, Obviously the overall flavor will be different if you omit the pickle. I think capers would make a great replacement for the pickle. Enjoy!
Heather Kuhn
0Okay, I really want to know how the capers turned out because I loathe pickles.
Maria
0I want to Thank You For FREE Recipes, I Love❤it. God Blessed
Jere Cassidy
0I haven’t had Thousand Island dressing for years, I think the store-bought kind just didn’t taste great. This makes me want to make a salad right now with your dressing on top.
Beth
0This is so delicious! This is my new go to recipe for 1000 Island!
Chloe
0This came together so fast and was good, it’s definitely going to become a regular in my meal prep rotation!
Nart at Cooking with Nart
0Thousand island dressing is amazing. Love that yours is low carb!