Salt & Lavender

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Homemade Ranch Dressing

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This homemade ranch dressing recipe is fast, easy to make, healthy, and tastes so much better than the store-bought variety. This recipe is made without buttermilk, so you don’t have to worry about what to do with the rest!

This homemade ranch dressing recipe is fast, easy to make, healthy, and tastes so much better than the store-bought variety. This recipe is made without buttermilk, so you don't have to worry about what to do with the rest!

This post was originally published on December 14, 2015. I have updated the post with new photos, more clearly written directions, and more tips/suggestions. 

I was never a big ranch dressing person. As far as creamy dressings go, Caesar is my #1. Ranch could never compete.

This ranch recipe does. It’s the best ranch dressing I’ve ever had.

How to make homemade ranch dressing

Making ranch dressing is easy. Most homemade ranch recipes contain sour cream and mayo as a base. I also added:

  • Fresh parlsey
  • Fresh chives
  • Dried dill
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Lemon juice
  • Garlic
  • Fresh cracked pepper

Add everything to a jar, give it a shake, and you’ve got a fast and tasty ranch dressing that’s so much better than the bottled variety.

Let it sit in the fridge for a while and you’ll have a great ranch dip.

Want to swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt? No problem, that will work too and save you some calories in this no buttermilk ranch dressing.

Do you need buttermilk to make ranch dressing?

No. Some homemade ranch dressings do contain buttermilk, but I decided against using the buttermilk since I had no plans on what to do with the rest, and throwing it out would be a waste.

I wanted to see if I could come up with a ranch dressing without buttermilk that didn’t seem like it was missing something, and I definitely like the results!

This homemade ranch dressing recipe is fast, easy to make, healthy, and tastes so much better than the store-bought variety. This recipe is made without buttermilk, so you don't have to worry about what to do with the rest!

I decided to use both fresh lemon juice and sour cream to get that tangy taste that ranch dressing needs. I used lemon juice because it adds freshness to the dressing and isn’t quite as harsh as vinegar.

Worcestershire sauce also adds a bit of saltiness and that extra je ne sais quoi that I was looking for (probably due to the anchovies in it). Chefs put anchovies into all sorts of dishes to kick up the taste, and clearly, traces of anchovies work well in ranch dressing.

It took me a while to land on the herb combination I wanted. I prefer fresh parsley to the dried kind any day. Dried chives work fine for this dressing, but I also prefer using fresh.

Garlic is a must since this is my recipe after all. 😛 I used one large clove.

I used dried dill as it’s easier to handle than fresh, and I also didn’t want the dill taste to be overpowering, and I find dried dill is quite mellow.

A bit of salt and a generous amount of pepper add the finishing touches to this creamy ranch dressing.

This homemade ranch dressing recipe is fast, easy to make, healthy, and tastes so much better than the store-bought variety. This recipe is made without buttermilk, so you don't have to worry about what to do with the rest!

Have you ever made ranch salad dressing from scratch? You should definitely give it a try!

Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions/comments about this easy ranch dressing recipe.

This homemade ranch dressing recipe is fast, easy to make, healthy, and tastes so much better than the store-bought variety. This recipe is made without buttermilk, so you don't have to worry about what to do with the rest!
5 from 2 votes
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Homemade Ranch Dressing

An amazing easy homemade ranch salad dressing without buttermilk.

Course Condiment
Cuisine American
Keyword easy ranch dressing, homemade ranch dressing
Prep Time 7 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 73 kcal
Author Salt & Lavender

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayo
  • 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped finely
  • 1-2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped (or 1/2 tablespoon dried chives)
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Prep ingredients. 
  2. Add all ingredients to a jar and shake vigorously. Alternatively, whisk them together in a small bowl. 
  3. Dressing can be used immediately or you can refrigerate it for a few hours for it to have a thicker consistency. 
  4. Enjoy on salads, as a dip, or as a spread on wraps/sandwiches. Keep refrigerated and use within a few days to be safe.

Recipe Notes

  • This makes enough dressing for a few large salads (it makes about 1.5 cups).

Calorie information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. 

Nutrition Facts
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Amount Per Serving (1 tablespoon)
Calories 73
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

You may also like my chipotle lime ranch dressing if you love homemade dressings and want something with a little kick!

Try more of my tasty recipes:

Mango Lime Salsa
Easy Lemon Tahini Dressing
Mango Salad Dressing

This homemade ranch dressing recipe is fast, easy to make, healthy, and tastes so much better than the store-bought variety. This recipe is made without buttermilk, so you don't have to worry about what to do with the rest!
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Comments

  2. Caesar used to be my favorite go to dressing too, and then I got a particularly fishy-tasting batch and now I swear I taste the anchovy paste in it every time I eat it!

    I will definitely try this ranch. I love that it only uses ingredients that I always keep on hand.

    Reply

  3. This looks lovely will defiantly be trying it . By chance do you have a recipe for dry ranch dressing to use as a rub . Thank you

    Reply

    • You’re welcome! So glad you liked it. Sorry, I don’t have nutrition values, but you could try plugging in the exact ingredients you used into one of those free online calculators to get a better idea (but I’m not sure how accurate some of the calculators are – one of the reasons why I don’t include this info in most of my recipes).

      Reply

  6. I love this dressing! This is the second time I’ve made it and it gets better the longer it sits. This is my new go-to dressing recipe and it even doubles well as a vegetable dip. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Hi! I wouldn’t keep it any longer than a week. I usually err on the side of caution and use it up before then. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

  15. Being British I have never had Ranch Dressing. Made this today, and will definitely make again what a fantastic taste!

    Reply

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