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Get It NowOf 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.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
- Tangy, herby flavor
- Cool and creamy texture
- Easy to make in just 5 minutes
- Natural, common ingredients
- No sugar, corn, soy, fillers, or preservatives – much healthier than store-bought ranch!
- Tastes great on everything!
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.
VARIATION: Want a dry ranch dressing mix?
It’s just as quick and easy to make a dry version with similar ingredients! See my homemade ranch seasoning recipe for instructions.
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.
- Combine. Whisk the ranch dressing ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add almond milk last, gradually, until you reach desired consistency.
TIP: Adjust the amount of milk to get the thickness you like.
I like to make it a little thicker for a dip, or thinner for a dressing.
- Chill. This is optional, but enhances the taste if you have time. Once you’ve made the ranch dressing recipe, refrigerate it for at least 1 hour to 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:
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!
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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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).
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Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors develop. Store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
428 Comments
Stacey
0Love this, would this be ok to freeze? I’m tempted to make a couple of batches to freeze but I don’t want the consistency to change
Thank you.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Stacey, This recipe will not freeze well. I don’t recommend doing this. It’s best to make up a batch when you need it.
Tracy A. Eltringham
0This recipe was delicious!
The bottled dressings always leave a funny after taste.
This was so fresh and creamy. Thank you for the recipe. Tracy
Becky
0OooMmmGeee! Delicious! I ended up using fresh chives and whole Greek yogurt but this stuff is AMAZING!
Elizabeth Manuntag
0Wow this was the easiest way to make mayo!!! I’ve done the oil drizzling method many times – sometimes it’s works, sometimes it doesn’t – but this was quick and easy. Thanks so much for sharing.
Krista
0Hello – Is is possible to substitute 11% full fat plain greek yogurt (no added sugars) for the sour cream? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Krista, Yes, but be aware using yogurt in place of sour cream will change the nutrition, but the recipe will work great!
Sandy Nelson
0Love this recipe! Easy, very tasty. Thank you so much! Big fan of alot of your recipes.
Joanne
0I am loving your website, can spend hours looking through the site
Chris
0Wonderful recipe. I recommend using the freshest ingredients, especially with the dill. It tastes so much better this way.
Marie
0Thank you so very much for all the info, recipes etc. I am looking forward in trying your recipes as well as your products.
Marcella Cooper
0This is one of my staples. It’s the best dressing, even compared to store bought!
Cheri
0This is, without a doubt, the best Ranch dressing I’ve ever had. And it is so easy and quick to make.
joanna
0Lovely! I didn’t have sour cream so used a little double cream and one extra teaspoon of lemon, then didn’t have chives so just left them out.
Needed it immediately and it was delicious, so expect it’ll be even nicer after being left in the fridge a while. Thank you
Brenda
0This is absolutely delicious. Even my picky husband loves it! He doesn’t know it’s Ranch Dressing. I call it a Herb Dressing so he will eat it. You say Ranch and he will not eat it. This is my go to Ranch Dressing. Thank you so much for a great recipe.
Stephanie
0I really love this recipe! I used to love ranch, then they started dumping sugar into it. This is so good now I remember why I loved it so much!
Laura
0Simply the best ranch dressing I’ve ever had!!
Kayla Strandness
0Hi Maya! I am still learning, but could I use dill weed instead of dried dill? Or is it the same thing?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kayla, They are the same thing. Enjoy!
JOANN LABRADA
0I AM FINDING A LOT OF KETO RECEIPTS ON FACEBOOK
Traci
0I make this ranch all the time. My very picky son loves it. I even got him to eat carrots using it. I do add about a tbsp of white wine vinegar to it.
Linda
0Have tried this recipe and I love it. I have a question,
In this recipe it says you can use watered down heavy cream and was wondering what the ratio is, how much water and how much cream?
Thank you for your time,
Linda
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Linda, You can do up to a 50:50 ratio of water and cream.
Heidi
0I don’t usually write reviews but this is the BEST Ranch Dressing I have ever had! I will never buy store bought again!!! It is hard to believe something so easy to make tastes so good. No sugar, no ingredients I don’t want. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Mel
0Excellent! Love this ranch..so healthy and tasty!
Liz K
0Make extra! Goes great as dip. We used it for our chicken crust pizza. My husband thinks it’s not ok for me to eat as soup but idk .. really THE best ranch dressing!
Megan
0Delicious! Thanks for this great recipe
Delia
0This is the best, the very best Ranch Dressing I’ve ever tasted! It’s flipping awesomeness on almost everything! Xxxx
Richard Coben
0I just made this ranch dressing and I’d have to say that this was the best ranch dressing I’ve ever had! I had all of the ingredients on hand and it was so easy and fast to make. My wife and I loved it. Thanks so much! I’m so happy to find this recipe and will be making it again soon.
Heather Kuhn
0To Shana, Duke’s has already been mentioned, but Primal Kitchen also has an unsweetened mayo. Three different types, in fact, plain, chipotle-lime, and garlic aioli. Duke’s is way cheaper, but if you’re picky about the oil used, Duke’s is made with soybean oil while Primal Kitchen is made with avocado oil.
Jacqueline K
0Creamy, smooth and only get better each day! I use this as a dip as well. Hubby loves it too! I am doing the Dr. Davis program and this is a good substitute for the nasty commercial brands in the store. I will continue to use this site, Wholesome Yum, to find recipes I can use!
Shana
0What kind of mayo do you use? Are you using mayo w/ avocado oil or Hellman’s mayo? I’m looking for something low carb/lazy keto
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Shana, I make my own avocado oil mayo recipe, but if you prefer you can use a store bought. Just make sure you are getting a clean brand without canola oil.
Betty
0Hello just wondering how long is the dressing good for if kept in the fridge? Best dressing ever
Karen
0This is the best ranch dressing I have ever made! It is full of flavor . Thank you for sharing this. I will never buy bottled ranch dressing again
Jennifer Garcia
0Delicious! I didn’t have chives and it was still great : )
Peyton Williams
0Its even healthier if you replace the sourcream with plain greek yogurt instead. and it doesnt really change the taste at all either.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Peyton, It just depends on your preference and lifestyle. Greek yogurt would result in slightly higher carb count, but it does have other benefits.
Linda
0If I have buttermilk in the fridge, could I use it in this recipe for ranch dressing?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Linda, You can use it in place of the almond milk in the recipe.
Tia
0This is the best Ranch dressing ever! I have been Keto for 2yrs now have lost a total of 50lbs. I make a batch of this every week it is a great dip for veggies too! Thank you so much for the recipes!
Vance Phillips
0Hi to all and thank you for taking my question. Want to make this recipe today, but want to know … Can I use vanilla almond milk, instead of unsweetened almond milk? Would it throw off the flavor consistency by a lot? Thank you in advance.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Vance, I don’t recommend using vanilla almond milk, it would interfere with the rest of the flavors of the dressing.
Jacquette
0If I don’t like to use mayonnaise is there a substitute?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jacquette, It’s a little runnier in texture, but sour cream works great too!
Aimee
0When watering down the heavy cream with water what do you recommend the water to heavy cream ratio be?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Aimee, 50% water 50% heavy cream is best here.
Nancy
0Really great dressing, indulgent yet refreshing! Perks up our salads and makes a great dip too. Brings on a salad craving even on a cold day Thank you for a delicious recipe!
Marcella
0I’m not a fan of mayo. Can I use all sour cream?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Marcella, Yes, that would be fine, but the flavor and texture will be less similar to ranch. You can’t actually taste mayo in this, so I’d suggest making it as written first to see what you think and then making adjustments next time.
Debi
0This dip was awesome. Haven’t tried it as a dressing but I’m sure it would be great too. This is now our favorite go to.
Sue
0Hi Maya; if you could please let me know as well of the ad free version of everything would be great i find it hard where to go with it all. Many Thanks, I have not tried the meal plans yet, cleaning out cupboards, pantry, getting the tools I’m going to need to start my new way of life……thanks again Sue D
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sue, Thanks for your feedback. Ads keep the Wholesome Yum website running and allow me to develop recipes that readers like you can access absolutely free. However, you may be interested in Wholesome Yum Plus, which includes an ad-free version of the website, along with other perks.
Gwen McBride
0love this dressing ….. this is a keeper
Amber Roberts
0Can I use water to thin it down?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Amber, If that’s your preference, then yes.
stina
0This recipe is incredible. I have my own homemade ranch dressing powder but that’s just for mississippi roast. This dressing is going to become a household staple!
MED
0such a good page .. the worst part is that with so many massive ads its hard to even read it…. Best of luck!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi MED, Thanks for your feedback. Ads keep the Wholesome Yum website running and allow me to develop recipes that readers like you can access absolutely free. However, you may be interested in Wholesome Yum Plus, which includes an ad-free version of the website, along with other perks.
Judy
0Can I use the ranch dressing in the packet? Would it be the same?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Judy, The packet contains some questionable ingredients such as Maltodextrin, Monosodium Glutamate, and artificial flavors. While this doesn’t change the carb count, it’s not really clean keto. If you are not bothered by these ingredients, then the packet is fine. If your goal is clean keto, then I suggest giving this recipe a try!
Andrée
0Très très bon. A refaire sans hésiter. Merci bcp pour la recette
Gail
0I have to have this in my refrigerator at all times. I do use fresh herbs as I have them. Without chives, is use minced scallions. Delicious
Gudrun
0I can not find the serving size so I can figure out the calories per serving. Please help.
Wholesome Yum M
0A serving is 2 Tablespoons. It’s listed just above the nutrition facts in the recipe card.
Jennifer Cox
0This is a very awesome recipe! I use this even when I’m not on Keto (I keep falling off the band wagon). My kids even love this one the most!!! By any chance is there any way I can turn this into a dip? The only thing I can think of is not adding the almond milk/diluted heavy cream. Please correct me if I’m wrong!!!!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jennifer, Yes! Omit the almond milk, or reduce to your liking, and you’ll get a thicker ranch dressing that is suitable as a dip! Enjoy.
Sharon Culbertson
0The BEST Ranch ever!!! Love, Love, LOVE IT!
Mel
0So good!!
Gabby
0I don’t have sour cream. Could I just use mayo and HWC maybe in different measurements? Any suggestions?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Gabby, You can replace the sour cream with more mayo, but you may need more lemon juice to get the tangy flavor. Combine all ingredients, and then use heavy whipping cream to adjust the final thickness and texture.