Learn how to make the best ever Homemade Ranch Dressing with this quick and easy recipe! Sour cream, mayonnaise, and buttermilk are mixed with fresh herbs for a low-carb dressing that can easily be made vegan and dairy-free. Use this classic ranch as a salad dressing, dip for veggies, or sauce!
Growing up there was only ONE salad dressing I would ever eat.
Ranch Dressing.
Hidden Valley was preferred, but I would generally take whatever brand you threw my way.
But as I got older I started realizing that some ranch dressings tasted MUCH better than the store-bought bottled kind.
And it generally meant that those restaurants or friends were making it from scratch!
Initially I presumed making a homemade ranch dressing meant you would need to spend TONS of time and work.
But boy was I wrong.
After perusing a few recipes I soon discovered that making ranch was so super simple. I’m talking throw some ingredients in a bowl, whisk, and go!
So without further ado, let me show you how to make the best buttermilk ranch dressing as well as a few simple swaps to make a vegan and dairy-free version at home, too!
Ingredients
The simple ingredients needed to make ranch dressing include:
- Mayo. Duke’s and Hellmans are ideal brands. You can also use a vegan avocado-based mayo if needed.
- Sour cream. Regular sour cream tastes the best, but a really good vegan and dairy-free sub (like Tofutti sour cream!) can also be used.
- Herbs. Chives, parsley, and dill are the classic herbs used. Fresh herbs will give it the most flavor, but dried herbs can also be substituted. Read the recipe notes for these ingredient amounts.
- Powders. Both garlic and onion powder are needed. Don’t try to sub one for the other – you really need both to get that classic ranch flavor.
- Buttermilk. This milk will give you the most authentic tasting ranch. However, you can also use heavy cream. Or if you’re dairy-free or vegan, a thicker plant-based milk such as unsweetened oat milk works great.
- Lemon juice. This gives a nice tang to the dressing.
How to Make Ranch Dressing
Make this easy homemade ranch dressing recipe by following the steps below:
- Whisk together everything except the buttermilk.
This ensures the seasonings are mixed well before thinning out the dressing.
- Add the buttermilk.
Pour and stir in a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
- Refrigerate for a few hours for the best results.
This allows the flavors to meld, and for the powders to be absorbed by the liquid.
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: This ranch is great for making in advance as the flavors improve with time.
- To Store: Keep prepared dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 to 2 weeks.
- To Freeze: This is not recommended as the texture will change.
Dietary Modifications
The recipe you’ll find below is already gluten-free, vegetarian, low-carb and keto as written. Here are some adjustments and substitutions you can make to help it fit your other dietary requirements:
- Dairy-Free – Use dairy-free sour cream and a plant or nut-based milk.
- Vegan – Substitute for a vegan mayo, dairy-free sour cream, and plant or nut-based milk.
FAQs
Ranch dressing consists of a creamy base seasoned with herbs, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper. This recipe uses mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice, fresh chives, dill, and parsley, as well as onion and garlic powder.
No, it is not, although mayonnaise is often an ingredient in ranch dressing.
Arguably homemade ranch dressing is the best of all time! Popular store-bought brands include Hidden Valley and Newman’s.
Heavy cream or regular milk will work instead of buttermilk but will result in a different flavor. Oat milk is a great dairy-free alternative.
Expert Tips
- Fresh is best. Using fresh herbs will deliver the most flavor.
- Use buttermilk if possible. This offers the most authentic taste.
- Slowly pour it in. Avoid dumping all of the buttermilk in at once. Add a little at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
- Let it chill. Allow the dressing to rest in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours before serving.
How to Use Ranch
This ranch dressing recipe is great as a dip, spread, or salad dressing. Here are a few ways you can use it up:
Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
Learn how to make the best ever Homemade Ranch Dressing with this quick and easy recipe! Use this classic ranch as a salad dressing, dip for veggies, or sauce!
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise or avocado mayo
- ½ cup sour cream can use dairy-free
- 2 Tbsp. chives fresh, finely chopped*
- 2 tsp. dill fresh, finely chopped*
- 2 tsp. parsley fresh, finely chopped*
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ¼-½ tsp. salt to taste
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- ¼-½ cup buttermilk or oat milk
Instructions
-
Add all ingredients, except the buttermilk, to a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine.
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Slowly add in buttermilk until the dressing reaches your desired consistency.
-
Serve immediately or refrigerate for a few hours for the most flavor.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Makes roughly 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups of dressing.
- A serving size is 2 tablespoons.
- You can also use 2 teaspoons dried chives, ½ teaspoon dried dill, and ½ teaspoon dried parsley instead of the fresh herbs.
- To Store: Keep prepared dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 to 2 weeks.
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