Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe (The BEST) - Wholesome Yum (2024)

Of all the dressings out there, ranch is my absolute favorite. And ever since I posted this homemade ranch dressing recipe (on the 2nd anniversary of Wholesome Yum!), it has been crazy popular with readers, too. Many people have told me that it tastes like Hidden Valley Ranch. Others argue that it’s even better. After so many rave reviews, I can confidently say that this is the best ranch dressing… all with natural ingredients!

For my keto friends, you’ll be happy to know that this is a keto ranch dressing. (I even included it in my first keto cookbook.) But, it doesn’t use any specialty ingredients and “regular” would be exactly the same… it’s simply the best ranch dressing, no matter your eating lifestyle.

What Is In Ranch Dressing?

This section explains how to choose the best ranch dressing ingredients, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Mayonnaise – I often use homemade avocado oil mayo, but you could also use a store-bought variety.
• Sour Cream & Lemon Juice – Traditional ranch contains buttermilk (or buttermilk powder), but I don’t usually have these on hand, so this homemade ranch dressing recipe uses sour cream and lemon juice to create the same tang as store-bought buttermilk ranch dressing. You could also substitute the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt, and the lemon juice for white vinegar.
• Dried Herbs – To get that classic ranch flavor, you will need dried parsley (or fresh parsley), dried dill (or fresh dill), and dried chives (or fresh chives). If using fresh herbs, triple the amounts — just use the same measurements in tablespoons instead of teaspoons.
• Spices – Garlic powder (or 2 cloves of fresh garlic), sea salt, onion powder, and black pepper add just the right flavor. Use freshly ground black pepper if you can. You could also add paprika for a more complex flavor.
• Unsweetened Almond Milk– This helps to thin out the dressing. For a nut-free version, you can replace this with any kind of milk, such as coconut milk, hemp milk, regular dairy milk (if it fits your lifestyle), half and half, or heavy cream.

How To Make Ranch Dressing

This section shows how to make homemade ranch dressing, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Combine. Whisk the ranch dressing ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add almond milk last, gradually, until you reach desired consistency.

2. Chill. This is optional, but enhances the taste if you have time. Once you’ve made the ranch dressing recipe, refrigerate it for at least1 hourto let flavors develop.

Storage Instructions

Store homemade ranch dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. (Note that it may be thicker straight from the fridge — you can always thin it out with more milk as needed.)

I like to store this dressing in a salad dressing shaker or mason jar for easy mixing, but you could also use a glass salad dressing bottle or a plastic squeeze bottle.

Can You Freeze Ranch Dressing?

No, you can’t freeze ranch dressing recipes. The main ingredients, mayonnaise and sour cream, don’t freeze well.

Best Ways To Use Homemade Ranch Dressing

You’ll want to put this stuff everything! Whether you’re using it as a dip, condiment, or casserole enhancer, this homemade version of ranch will quickly become your go-to. Here are some ideas:

• Salad – Ranch is a staple for all kinds of salad recipes. It goes particularly well ona BLT salad, hearty chef salad, or probably the most popular option, cobb salad.
• Dip – This easy, creamy ranch dressing recipe also works well as a dip for veggies such as carrots, celery, broccoli, or cauliflower. Fresh ones are always good, but it’s also delicious with fried zucchini or zesty buffalo cauliflower. You can also mix it into an excellent crack dip, or dunk zucchini chips or kale chips in it.
• Wings – Serve this dish with air fryer chicken wings, crispy garlic parmesan wings, zesty lemon pepper wings, or baked buffalo chicken wings.
• Casseroles – Use it in chicken bacon ranch casserole, or try it in other casseroles like spaghetti squash casserole.
• Soups – This dressing is even delicious in soups. Mix it into taco soup or drizzle on top of buffalo chicken soup.
• Chicken – Use it in cheesy bacon ranch chicken, spicy buffalo chicken salad, or as a dip for bacon wrapped chicken tenders.
• Pizza – Drizzle it on chicken crust pizza, or make a BBQ chicken pizza using your favorite BBQ sauce and drizzle ranch on top.

More Easy Homemade Dressings

Tired of store-bought dressings with fake ingredients? If you like this easy ranch dressing recipe, you’ll love these, too:

Recipe Card

4.91 from 256 votes☝️ Click stars to rate or click here to leave a review!

Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe (The BEST)

Make the BEST homemade ranch dressing recipe in just 5 minutes, with common ingredients. Use it as a salad dressing or dip!

Prep: 5 minutes

Total: 5 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 12 (adjust to scale recipe)

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See Also

5-Ingredient Instant Pot Chili with Healthier Frito Chili Pie and Chili Cheese Tots Recipes

Recipe Video

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US Customary – Metric

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.

• 1cupMayonnaise▢
• 1/2cupSour cream▢
• 2tspLemon juice▢
• 2tspDried parsley▢
• 1tspDried dill▢
• 1tspDried chives▢
• 1/2tspGarlic powder▢
• 1/2tspOnion powder▢
• 1/2tspSea salt▢
• 1/4tspBlack pepper▢
• 1/4cupUnsweetened almond milk(or for a nut-free version, use coconut milk beverage or watered down heavy cream)▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. Whisk all ingredients together. Add the almond milk last, gradually, until you reach desired consistency (possibly less for a thick dip or more for a thinner dressing).

2. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors develop. Store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

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• 7 Layer Salad

• Chicken Caesar Salad

• Cobb Salad Recipe

• Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe

Recipe Notes

Serving size: 2 tbsp

Recipe from The Easy Keto Cookbook.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories156

Fat17g

Protein0.4g

Total Carbs1g

Net Carbs0.9g

Fiber0.1g

Sugar0.1g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course:Main Course, Salad

Cuisine:American

Keywords:best ranch dressing, homemade ranch dressing, how to make ranch dressing, ranch dressing recipe

Calories: 156 kcal

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Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

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