Homemade Ranch Dressing

5 from 2 votes
Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see myย disclosure policy

Make the best Homemade Ranch Dressing at home, so much better than any store bought brands, and you can control all the ingredients! The spices, the salt, sugar, no preservatives….all up to you and your taste.

a spoonful of homemade ranch dressing

 

I love making salad dressings and other condiments at home. They are always so much better than what you buy in the store. Yes, store bought is easy, and it definitely has its time and place. But when I can, I will make homemade ranch dressing or my own Taco Seasoning. You get to control the spices, the salt, the sugar….all of it. There are no added preservatives, MSG, or anything that you can’t pronounce.

A lot or recipes call for Ranch Dressing Mix, which you can turn into dressing as well. The recipe and instructions are all there in the post for you. But this is just like the straight up, thick, creamy, buttermilk ranch dressing that you buy in a bottle.

ranch dressing ingredients

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

  • Easy. Dressings are always easy to make. This one is no different. Just dump the ingredients in a mason jar, put on the lid and shake like crazy. Done.
  • Versatile. Just like store bought ranch, this makes a great topping for your Tossed Salad or a dip for your Cheese Breadsticks or your Boneless Chicken Wings. So make extra, because you will want it for everything!
  • Change it up. This is so easy to mix up the spices and add more of what you like. I am not the biggest fan of dill, so I don’t love when a ranch has a lot of it. But you can control that at home! If you love dill add more, hate it, leave it out completely. Same with garlic and any other spice in there!

What You’ll Need

Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.

  • Mayo – full fat is best, but you can use any type that you like and it will still work great
  • Sour Cream
  • Buttermilk – remember you can always use Homemade Buttermilk if you don’t have any!
  • Lemon Juice
  • Dried Dill
  • Dried Parsley
  • Dried Chives
  • Garlic Clove
  • Onion Powder
  • Salt
  • Worcestershire Sauce – seems strange I know, but a tiny bit is all you need and it gives your dressing a tangy and delicious flavor!
  • Black Pepper – fresh cracked black pepper gives the most flavor and works the best
pouring buttermilk into ingredients for ranch dressing

How To Make Homemade Ranch Dressing

  • Measure. In a small bowl or a mason jar or container with a tight fitting lid, measure all of the ingredients.
  • Shake. Put on the lid, or use a whisk, and shake until it is evenly combined and everything is well blended.
  • Store. Place in the fridge until you are ready to use. I think it is best to let it sit for an hour before serving, but it really can be used right away.

How To Store Homemade Ranch Dressing

You will definitely want to store this in an airtight container in the fridge. I use the same mason jar that I mixed it together in. It should last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It is not one that you will want to freeze, so just make as much as you are going to use. You can easily cut the recipe in half if you don’t need a lot.

dipping a carrot in ranch dressing

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

  • If you don’t have lemon juice you can use an equal amount of white vinegar. You just need a little bit more acid than the buttermilk has to get the dressing to come together, have balance, and taste like you want it to.
  • You can use garlic powder instead of a garlic clove, I would start with 1 teaspoon. The garlic clove just gives a little bit more garlic flavor than the dried stuff.
  • Trust me on the Worcestershire sauce. I get it isn’t normal, but it is just 1/2 teaspoon and it gives it such depth of flavor. But you can leave it out as well.
  • For the best results you want to use full fat mayo and sour cream. But if you want to cut back on calories you can use lower fat versions. It will not be quite as thick and creamy, but it will still work.

How To Use Ranch Dressing

Obviously it goes well on a salad, especially with Homemade Croutons. But it also works in a lot of other dishes too.

a spoonfull of ranch dressing

More Homemade Dressings

cropped close up dipping a carrot in ranch
5 from 2 votes

Homemade Ranch Dressing

By Erin
Make the best Ranch Dressing at home, so much better than any store bought brands, and you can control all the ingredients! The spices, the salt, sugar, no preservatives….all up to you and your taste.
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Measuring all of the ingredients into a bowl or mason jar with a tight fitting lid.
  • Shake or whisk well until everything is evenly combined and well blended.
  • Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Notes

I think it tastes best if you let it sit for an hour before serving, but it is not required

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 172mg | Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Erin
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Course: Side Dish Recipes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 87
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

I created a fun group on Facebook,and I would love for you to join us! It’s a place where you can
share YOUR favorite recipes, ask questions, and see what’s new at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts (so that you never miss a new recipe)!

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and
tag #dinnersdishes so I can see all the wonderful DINNERS, DISHES, AND DESSERTS
recipes YOU make!

Be sure to follow me on my social media, so you
never miss a post!

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram 

Did you know there is a Dinners,
Dishes, and Desserts SHOP
? Lots of different E-Books for sale. Or you can buy me a
coffee
to say thanks!

.

About Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and Iโ€™m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, youโ€™ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

6 Comments

    1. Omit the salt and Worcestershire sauce. Make sure the other ingredients you use are low sodium or homemade versions so you can control the salt.

  1. I’m in love! Ranch dressing is my all-time favorite, and this recipe has all the flavors I love AND it’s super creamy. Fantastic.