Dairy Free Whole30 Dill Pickles
Crunchy, garlicky, and packed with fresh dill, these refrigerator pickles are the kind of snack you'll find yourself reaching for straight out of the jar. The brine is built from apple cider vinegar, water, and sea salt — nothing processed, nothing hidden, just clean ingredients that happen to be completely free of dairy by nature. That's the beauty of a recipe like this: it doesn't need any substitutions or workarounds to fit a dairy-free lifestyle because it was never heading in that direction to begin with. Smashed garlic, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, and optional red pepper flakes layer in serious depth of flavor, while fresh dill sprigs give every spear that classic pickle-jar aroma. The small trick of trimming the blossom end of each cucumber keeps things satisfyingly crisp rather than soft and mushy — a detail that makes a real difference. After just 48 hours in the fridge, you've got a jar of bold, tangy pickles that work as a snack, a burger topper, or a bright side alongside just about anything on your plate.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 2 lbs pickling cucumbers (about 8 small)
- 1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 8 sprigs fresh dill
- 4 large grape leaves or ½ tsp food-grade tannin powder (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Trim 1/8 inch off the blossom end (the end opposite the stem) of each cucumber — this removes enzymes that can soften the pickles. Cut the cucumbers into spears by halving lengthwise, then halving again, or slice into 1/4-inch rounds if you prefer chips.
- 2
Combine the apple cider vinegar, water, and sea salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the salt is fully dissolved, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and let the brine cool for 5 minutes.
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