Homemade Ranch Dressing
This homemade ranch dressing has simple flavors that are sure to please any ranch-loving palette without all of the preservatives or unpronounceable ingredients.
What is it about ranch dressing that has such kid appeal (or adult-appeal for that matter!)?
In our house, ranch dressing is used at least once a day, sometimes more…for dipping. My kids like vegetables. But they love them when they can dip them in ranch. And I’m totally ok with that, especially when it is homemade ranch they are dipping into (read: no preservatives or unpronounceable ingredients).
Quick and easy to make, you basically toss all the ingredients into a blender and give it a whirl (thinning as needed with additional buttermilk if you want more of a dressing versus a dip).
Simple flavors sure to please any ranch-loving palette. I keep this on hand at all times, usually doubling the batch and storing it covered in the refrigerator in mason jars.
It’s fantastic and I’ve even managed to fool my husband who claims he can only eat a certain brand-name ranch dressing (may or may not rhyme with Vidden Halley).
Adjust the ingredients to your taste buds and you will have a home run ranch dressing in your own fridge in no time.
One Year Ago: Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies
Two Years Ago: Peach Brown Betty
Three Years Ago: Baked Oatmeal
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup light mayonnaise
- ¾ cup light sour cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ -1 cup buttermilk (see note)
- 4 green onions, use just the green parts or 1 small bunch chives
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Start with 1/4 cup of the buttermilk and blend for 10 seconds. Check the consistency and taste and blend in additional buttermilk as desired. Add more buttermilk for dressing and less for dipping vegetables.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Annie’s Eats, via Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally from The Gourmet Cookbook
55 Comments on “Homemade Ranch Dressing”
How long is this typically good for in fridge?
Depending on the freshness of your ingredients, it’s probably good for a week or so.
I’ve heard before that cottage cheese is good to sub in for some of the sour cream/mayo in dressing/dips. I had some that I needed to use up so I gave it a shot and it worked out wonderfully! The other flavors mask out any cottage cheese flavors in case anyone is worried. I also switched cilantro for dill. This is a very adaptable, delicious recipe!
Mel could you possibly give me a measurement on the amount of green onion tops? I’m not sure how my green onions compare in size to yours and if I use all the green of the ones I have it seems like a lot – around 3/4 cup or so when chopped. Thanks!
About 1/3 cup or so. 🙂
I just made this dressing, and it is yummy! It transformed the boring vegetables into something special to go with my roast beef tonight.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!
Wow! Yummy! I have never made ranch dressing before because frankly I’m an oil and vinegar type of person. Your recipe has to be the best ranch dressing I have ever tasted! No more bottled ranch dressing for this house! On top of that my husband loved it and asked for veggies and dressing to be added to his lunch today. Thank-you for sharing!
I freeze fresh herbs that I’ve rinsed and sandwiched between paper towel all the time. Works great. I hope that helps the previous commenter.
Thanks for the ranch recipe, Mel. Love your blog!!!
Mel, Just wondering if you can freeze this recipe… If I’m going to be buying fresh herbs I like to use them before they go bad, and I never use cilantro. Or is there a way to preserve fresh herbs without drying them?
Dianne – I’ve never tried freezing this – not sure if it would freeze that well with all the dairy. I usually rinse my fresh herbs and store them sandwiched between paper towels in a ziploc bag and they keep quite well like that in the fridge for a week or so (depending on how fresh they were when they were purchased). I hope that helps.
Just wanted to say thanks for this recipe! I was craving something ranch-related and whipped this up last night and we loved it! Hubby put it on chicken, bread, tomatoes, you name it… I’ll be a little surprised if I don’t find it on his cereal this morning ;). Love your blog! Thanks again!
Finally, in the last couple of months, I have perfected my home made ranch dressing recipe, and it is pretty much like yours. I thought I’d add these comments for dieters out there. Since I am on a diet, and since I live alone, I have devised a way to make just enough of this for 2 salads. I use equal parts (2 T) Best Foods light mayonnaise and Naturally Yours fat free sour cream. (It would be good with a bit of light buttermilk as well, but I do not usually have any.) I add about 1/2 t. garlic powder, salt and a few shakes of pepper. Then I add fresh snipped chives from the garden and a generous amount of dried dill instead of cilantro. Like many cooks, I do not measure the spices and seasonings. I just pour a little in my palm, and when it looks about right, I dump it in. These things are so personal. I may have added as much as a tablespoon of the chives and a teaspoon of the dill, but I like it highly seasoned. For those dieters out there, I did not miss the fat in this recipe. I hope it was OK to mention brand names in my comments.
Any chance I can replace the mayo with something else??
Hi Brittany – you could try plain yogurt and see how that goes.
This dressing makes some great potato salad, too!!
Oh now i see
well you can say it agin and dont have to be mean about it
Aria – I have kept it up to 2 weeks (by the way, if you are looking for quick feedback, sometimes it helps to read through the comments – I answered this earlier in the comment feed).
i need to know fast !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How long to you keep the ranch in the fringe.
ok thanks!!
Kristen – no, I wouldn’t leave them out. They are pretty critical to the flavor!
I don’t have any chives or green onions on hand. Can I leave them out?
You are a mind reader! Just in time for tailgate festivities, here is a wonderful recipe to accompany our veggies.
Husband gives it raves, too. Yum.
I agree homemade ranch dressing is SOOO much better than store bought! I have a recipe that I absolutely love and make all the time to eat with practically everything.
mmmmm…
BEST-RANCH-EVER… we devoured it in 2 days . . . making it again to take to a party tonight with the Jo- Jo’s potato wedges.. ..you rock.
Melody – I haven’t made it with the full fat mayo or sour cream but I’m sure it would be delicious, and I’m pretty sure the original recipe called for the full fat versions – I just prefer using the light. Good luck if you try it!
Mel, have you made this with the non-light mayo and sour cream? I’m not crazy about light.
This dressing is amazing! So, so good! Thanks for sharing!!
I’ve been looking for a homemade ranch dressing… trying to get away from the Hidden Valley situation!!!
I’m so glad you posted this! I’ve been seeing various recipes floating around Pinterest but am too lazy to try. I knew you’d pull through! 🙂 Ranch is one of the last things we use often that I’ve been wanting to get rid of, or rather, replace with homemade. It grosses me out but all the boys in my house L O V E love it, can’t live without it, would marry it… ok, you get the idea. Anyway, thanks!
This is the BEST ranch I’ve ever had. Made it this morning and just tested it. Can’t stop licking the spoon, it’s amazing, thanks!
Ha ha! I used to think I didn’t like ranch dressing and then I realized that I just don’t like Hidden Valley ranch. And that’s the only kind I don’t like. Go figure. We also eat ranch on a daily basis, so thanks for the recipe!
This was great. So much better than what comes in a bottle or packet at the grocery store. We had your grilled caprese chicken last night and I’m planning to make it again this week! We loved it and wanted more.
Hello everyone – for those that asked, I can’t give an exact timeframe for how long this will last in the refrigerator since it depends on how fresh your ingredients were to start with but I can say that I’ve kept a jar in the refrigerator from start to finish for about 2 weeks and it tasted great even as we finished it off.
Can’t wait to try it!
A question about the Crab & Goat Cheese Raviolis you posted on April 25th. I’ve been wanting to try these for the longest time, but have no idea how to serve them. Did you serve them as entrees or side dishes? And what did you serve with them to complete the meal? Thanks so much and Miss C is a sweetie! Thank you for the photos.
You must have the most perfect timing because like so many other readers that have commented, I was just looking for a great homemade ranch recipe! I found a few that look promising, but none that used fresh herbs (which is what I was hoping for)! Thanks so much for being a fabulous (and sharing) cook!
I’m glad you posted a recipe for homemade ranch dressing. I get headaches from monosodium glutamate (MSG), which nearly all store bought ranches have. So it is good to have from scratch recipes. In fact, your repertoire of homemade food has really helped me to be able to cook easily without MSG. The more you cook at home, and the less you buy prepared food, the less MSG you run into.
Thank you!
Can’t wait to try this, I love ranch dressing on everything except salads 😀 Looks like it might make 2-3 cups? Any ideas how long it should keep in the fridge?
I make this all the time! Throw in an avacodo for added flavor!
my husband and i were just talking about needing a perfect homemade ranch recipe. Can’t wait to try it out!
Sweet! Another great homemade recipe to add. I love not having to buy processed foods
I can’t wait to try this Mel…Thanks for sharing! My question also is, how long will it last in the fridge? (As yummy as this looks, I’m guessing that we don’t need to worry about how long it’ll last in the fridge…I bet it gets used quicker than it can go bad!….Especially because it’s a recipe from YOU!) Thanks! Jodie
I’ve been looking for a good homemade ranch recipe and so far haven’t had much luck. I can’t wait to try yours! We are big BYU creamery ranch fans and none of the recipes I’ve tried taste nearly as good, but just can’t always get there and besides–it’s pricey! As for hidden valley–I can’t stand it! Way too much of a preservative taste for me.
I don’t know if my daughter would have ever started eating vegetables were it not for Ranch dressing. Can’t wait to try this version.
Mel – you seem to be reading my mind this week! My son’s birthday party is next weekend so I’ve been looking for very kid-friendly recipes. Thank you!
I was just getting on to look for a ranch recipe! I can’t wait to try this, thanks!
Hi Mel,
Your version looks interesting. I have been using Outback Steakhouse’s version, which only has buttermilk,mayo, garlic powder, cracked pepper and a touch of red pepper season in it. Which is delicious, but I look forward to trying yours as well.
Thanks
So is the purpose of the olive oil simply for emulsification and thickness – and not to impart any kind of added taste? If so, could I use Grapeseed oil? Trying to switch to grapeseed oil in place of olive oil for it’s health benefits.
Thanks for a great idea.
Mel, I could kiss you! I moved to the UK 11 years ago and although you CAN find it occasionally, the ranch dressing (all salad dressing to be honest) over here leaves a LOT to be desired. I can’t wait to try this homemade version. Thanks!
We are a family of ranch lovers! This recipe looks especially delicious, and the olive oil addition is clever. I know my family will love this! Mel- as Katie asked, how long does this keep well in the fridge? Thanks, and have a great weekend!
SOOOOOO excited for a homemade version of this. My kids are dippers too! I’ll be making this asap!! How long would you say it lasts in the fridge and how many small mason jars does it make? THANK YOU!!