Creamy and flavorful, this homemade ranch dressing is perfect with raw or steamed veggies and salads.
It's easy to make this classic dressing at home. It's ready in about 15 minutes (including measuring the ingredients), and the result is superior to store-bought options.
I love thick and creamy dressings. They make fresh-cut veggies extra palatable! I enjoy blue cheese dressing and tahini sauce - both are wonderfully rich and flavorful.
I especially enjoy homemade ranch dressing. Its flavor combination and creaminess make it extra pleasurable. Commercial varieties are inferior, not just in terms of flavor, but also because of their questionable list of ingredients.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this dressing. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Mayonnaise: I use avocado oil mayonnaise. Chosen Foods is a good brand.
- Sour cream: I highly recommend using full-fat sour cream in this recipe.
- Buttermilk: I make this dressing with low-fat buttermilk because it's widely available in grocery stores. But if you can find full-fat buttermilk, that's even better.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried chives, dried dill, and dried parsley.
Variations
- You can make this dressing with fresh herbs instead of dried ones, although the classic recipe is made with dried herbs. You can use fresh parsley, chives, dill, and minced garlic. If opting for fresh herbs, mince them finely and use a tablespoon of each.
- The dressing as made here is quite thick, so if you'd like it thinner for a salad, add a bit more buttermilk - start with two extra tablespoons.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this dressing:
Add all the ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. I start mixing them with a rubber spatula and then switch to a hand whisk.
You can use the dressing immediately, or let it rest covered in the fridge for an hour or so to allow the flavors to meld. Serve as a dip with fresh-cut veggies or as a rich and creamy salad dressing.
Expert Tip
This dressing is excellent right after you've mixed it, so you can definitely serve it right away. But if you let it rest in the fridge, covered, for an hour or so, allowing the flavors to meld, it gets even better. Just remember to give it another whisk before using it.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, although sour cream tastes better. If you opt for yogurt, make sure it's thick, strained Greek yogurt (or skyr), and use a full-fat version.
You can use ½ cup of whole milk and add a teaspoon of vinegar or fresh lemon juice.
Yes, but it won't be the same. Mayonnaise gives this dressing its distinct flavor and is also responsible for its thickness and creaminess.
Serving Suggestions
There are several ways you can use this tasty dressing:
- As a dip for fresh-cut veggies.
- As a dip for lightly steamed veggies, including steamed broccoli, steamed carrots, and steamed asparagus.
- As a salad dressing. It pairs particularly well with Cobb salad. Even though the dressing is quite thick, I find that it works well as a salad dressing. But you can always add 1-2 tablespoons of buttermilk if you want to thin it out.
- It makes a great dip for buffalo wings or buffalo cauliflower - just as good as the traditional blue cheese dressing.
- Use it as a dip for chips and fries, including jicama fries, avocado fries, zucchini fries, and eggplant chips.
- It's great with chicken nuggets and chicken tenders!
- Add it to a lettuce sandwich.
Storing Leftovers
You can store this dressing in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to a week. Stir it each time you use it, and add a little more buttermilk if it becomes too thick. I don't recommend freezing this dressing.
More Dips and Sauces
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Recipe Card
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper - freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried chives, dried dill, and dried parsley.
- Whisk with a hand whisk until smooth.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate the dressing for an hour to allow the flavors to meld.
Video
Notes
- This dressing is excellent right after you've mixed it, so you can definitely serve it right away. But if you let it rest in the fridge, covered, for an hour or so, allowing the flavors to meld, it gets even better. Just remember to give it another whisk before using it.
- You can make this dressing with fresh herbs instead of dried ones. You can use fresh parsley, chives, dill, and minced garlic. If opting for fresh herbs, mince them finely and use a tablespoon of each.
- The dressing as made here is quite thick, so if you'd like it thinner for a salad, add a bit more buttermilk - start with two extra tablespoons.
- You can store this dressing in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to a week. Stir it each time you use it, and add a little more buttermilk if it becomes too thick. I don't recommend freezing this dressing.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
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