Cut out dairy and missing Tzatziki, the creamy Mediterranean yogurt and cucumber sauce that tastes great slathered on everything? Then whip up this simple Whole30, vegan, and keto version with coconut yogurt and fresh herbs!

An overhead shot of a shallow beige bowl filled with dairy-free vegan, Whole30, keto, and paleo Tzatziki.

Coconut Milk Yogurt

In this delicious dairy-free version of tzatziki, I’ve replaced the cow milk yogurt with my favorite plain coconut milk yogurt. My two favorite brands are Cocojune and Culina because they’re thick and creamy and made with Whole30-compliant ingredients. Yes, the dip will taste slightly coconut-y, but just barely—even my coconut-hating kids don’t mind it. Plus, if you use a high quality extra virgin olive oil, the taste of coconut will be muted.

I’ve substituted other non-dairy yogurts in place of coconut in this recipe and the resulting texture isn’t as thick or tasty. However, if you hate coconut, you may want to experiment with alternatives that fit your palate.

Squeeze Your Cucumbers!

Although this recipe is pretty quick and easy to throw together, there’s one step you absolutely shouldn’t skip: squeezing the liquid out of the grated cucumbers. It’ll only add a couple of minutes to your prep, and you’ll save yourself from the misfortune of watery Tzatziki sauce.

Ingredients

  • Persian cucumber or ½ English cucumber
  • Plain coconut yogurt
  • Minced fresh mint leaves or dill
  • Garlic
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Lemon juice
  • Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Equipment

  • All of my recommended kitchen tools are listed here.

How to make paleo tzatziki

Peel the cucumber and scoop out the seeds.

Using a metal teaspoon to scoop out the seeds from a peeled Persian cucumber.

Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater or finely dice it. Place the grated cucumber in a clean dish towel and squeeze out the excess liquid.

Grating the peeled and seeded cucumber on the large holes on a box grater.

In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut yogurt, mint (or dill), garlic, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice.

A bowl has coconut milk yogurt, herbs, diced cucumber, mint, and lemon juice to make Whole30 dairy-free tzatziki sauce.

Add the diced cucumbers and stir well.

Adding the drained and diced cucumbers to the vegan tzatziki base.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Someone adding freshly cracked pepper to a bowl of Whole30 and vegan tzatziki sauce.

Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on top of the dairy-free Tzatziki sauce. The sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.

An overhead shot of a bowl of low carb and keto vegan tzatziki sauce.

Pair the Tzatziki with my easy Rack of Lamb!

A closeup shot of Whole30 rack of lamb with dairy-free Tzatziki Sauce.

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).


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Tzatziki Sauce

5 from 11 votes
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Servings 6
This simple Whole30, vegan, keto, and dairy-free Tzatziki Sauce made with coconut yogurt and fresh mint tastes great slathered on everything!

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 Persian cucumber or ½ English cucumber, peeled and seeded
  • 1 cup plain coconut yogurt I like Cocojune or Culina brands the best
  • 2 tablespoon minced fresh mint leaves or dill
  • 1 small garlic clove minced
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt 
  • Freshly ground black pepper
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Instructions 

  • Peel the cucumber and scoop out the seeds. Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater or finely dice it. Place the grated cucumber in a clean dish towel and squeeze out the excess liquid.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut yogurt, mint (or dill), garlic, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice.
  • Add the diced cucumbers and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on top of the dairy-free Tzatziki sauce.

Notes

The sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 17g | Fiber: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

About Michelle Tam

Hello! My name is Michelle Tam, and I love to eat. I think about food all the time. It borders on obsession. I’ve always loved the sights and smells of the kitchen. My mother was (and is) an excellent cook, and as a kid, I was her little shadow as she prepared supper each night. From her, I gained a deep, abiding love for magically transforming pantry items into mouth-watering family meals.

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6 Comments

  1. As a Greek wife, I have made whole 30 tzatziki, but no mint. If you want to make a delicious Macedonian version, then put in crushed walnuts. But, not mint…we put in dill. I agree with Coyo, but also Forager.

  2. This looks delish! I miss condiments so this goes on my “must try” list! If I had all the ingredients today I’d be busting this out!

    1. I actually buy the Italian EVOO at Costco. I was told by an Italian exporter of olive oil that the one sold at Costco is high quality.

  3. 5 stars
    I can’t believe I have never commented, but I love this stuff! I make it when we marinate chicken with a Greek marinade. I put it on the chicken. I make it my salad dressing and I really like it on smoked salmon. Thanks Michelle!

  4. 5 stars
    Followed pretty much exactly, but left out the mint and only used part of a garlic clove because that is how we prefer it. This is a solid recipe, just as good as the dairy version.