Easy and healthy dairy-free ranch dressing made from scratch. This recipe uses ingredients you already have, can be made without buttermilk, and tastes better than Hidden Valley! Whole30, Paleo and Keto approved – my whole family loves this dressing!
I’ve been making my own salad dressings for years… homemade Caesar salad dressing and homemade Italian salad dressing (or if you’d prefer zesty Italian dressing) and homemade Greek salad dressing and Thai peanut sauce and maple yogurt dressing and maple citrus vinaigrette have all found their way to our dinner table…
Until we started the Whole30.
A couple of those salad dressings are Whole30 approved, but most of them aren’t. And for some reason I can’t quite explain, the only dressing we truly wanted while on the Whole30 was ranch.
It took a few tries, but I created a super easy dairy free homemade ranch dressing that my family not only LOVES, but we prefer it over the ranch dressing we used to make!
Why Make Dairy Free Ranch? Because Homemade Ranch Dressing is the best ever!
- First off, it tastes delicious. When my kids ask for more salad, I know I’ve hit a tasty one.
- Next, the seasoning mix is versatile. You can make it your own whenever you need it and add it to anything (use it for the seasoning in almond crusted chicken!). Make a double batch and store it in spice jars like these.
- Finally, add ranch to all the things! Of course top your salads like this seasonal dinner salad or this bacon chicken ranch salad. But dip in some sliced veggies, top your pizza, mix it in with pasta. You’ve got all kinds of options when it comes to ranch dressing!
Dairy-free Ranch Dressing Ingredients
Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix
- minced onions
- dried parsley
- garlic powder
- salt
- dill
- dried thyme
- dried basil
To Make the Dressing
- homemade mayo
- red wine vinegar
- coconut cream
- milk (dairy or non-dairy)
Notes on Ingredients
Spices
- All the spices in this recipe are dried spices and you probably have them in your spice cabinet already: minced onions, garlic powder, salt, parsley, dill, thyme and basil.
- You can use fresh herbs if you want, or you can use essential oils** too. If you go with fresh herbs or essential oils, don’t add them as directed below. (This recipe will make a big batch of seasoning mix).
- Instead, prepare the seasoning mix (omitting your herb) and add fresh herb and/or essential oils directly to the single batch of dressing you’re making.
Mayo
- My fail-proof homemade mayo is hands down the route to go here. You can use store-bought, but it will cost more. Especially if you like this dressing as much as we do!
- Buying Whole30 approved mayo can get very expensive, very fast, and my own fail-proof homemade mayo is naturally Whole30 approved. It contains just four ingredients: eggs, salt, lemon juice and extra light olive oil.
- Plus it’s super easy, ready in less than two minutes and really is fail-proof – I’ve never had a batch turn out wrong and I made a quart of mayo every week… that’s a lot of mayo!!
Vinegar
- Ranch dressing is known for its tang, and while my homemade mayo has lemon juice, it doesn’t quite get the job done. A little bit of red wine vinegar got the job done!
- If you don’t have red wine vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar (here’s how to make your own apple cider vinegar), but the taste won’t quite be the same.
- I wouldn’t suggest substituting white vinegar for this recipe.
Coconut Cream
- Coconut cream is a staple when you’re on the Whole30, so it’s no surprise that it’s in dairy-free homemade ranch dressing too. We need the thick coconut cream from canned coconut milk here, not the liquid coconut milk that you can drink.
- I like this brand and keep a can in the fridge to separate the cream from the water.
Dairy-free Milk
- You don’t need much of this and I often skip it, but a little bit of almond milk, coconut milk or even the coconut water from a can of coconut milk will thin the dressing a smidge so it’s pourable.
- If you’re on a tight budget, I recommend making homemade almond milk or homemade coconut milk to help keep costs down. The Whole30 can be expensive!
How to Make Dairy Free Ranch Step By Step
Step 1. Prepare the dry ranch seasoning mix by combining all the dry spices in a mason jar. Shake well.
Step 2. Measure 2 Tbsp of the dry ranch seasoning mix into another jar.
Step 3. Add the mayo, red wine vinegar and coconut cream and stir well. Thin by adding milk 1 teaspoon at a time and stirring well after each addition.
Step 4. Store the seasoning mix in the spice cabinet and the dressing in the fridge!
How to Make this a Regular Homemade Ranch Dressing
If you’re not dairy free, I still encourage you to try this homemade ranch dressing with mayonnaise. My husband HATES mayo and he LOVES this dressing – that speaks volumes right there!
However, you can make this homemade ranch dressing using sour cream or Greek yogurt (here’s how to make homemade Greek yogurt).
Substituting for the mayo will change the taste and texture of the recipe a bit, so be sure to adjust the seasonings as desired.
How to Make Dairy-free Ranch Dip
One of the reasons I love this recipe is because is SO versatile!!
If you skip the coconut cream and dairy-free milk, you have homemade ranch dip – JUST LIKE THAT!
Recipe Tips
- If you love this dairy-free homemade ranch dressing as much as we do, I suggest making a double or triple batch of the dry seasoning mix below and keeping it in a glass jar in the spice cabinet.
- I like to re-use glass jars that I bought – like spaghetti jars or jelly jars or coconut oils jars – and remove the label using lemon essential oil. It works every time and I can save money by NOT buying glass jars! I also love using mason jars for homemade dressing and these lids make it super easy to shake and pour!
- Also, if you’re looking to make your own ranch dressing, chances are you’d like to make your own homemade taco seasoning and homemade poultry seasoning too. Enjoy!
Try any of these AMAZING homemade spice blends
Whole30 Meal Plan
Sign up to get instant access to my Whole30 Meal Plan, complete with recipe and a shopping list!!Dairy-free Homemade Ranch Dressing
Easy and healthy homemade ranch dressing made from from scratch. This recipe uses ingredients you already have, can be made without buttermilk and tastes better than Hidden Valley AND what you get at the restaurant! Whole30, Paleo and Keto approved – my whole family loves this dressing!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 8 oz 1x
- Category: Sauces/Condiments
- Method: Bowl
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix
- 5 Tbsp minced onions
- 2 Tbsp dried parsley
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried basil
To Make the Dressing
- 1 cup homemade mayo
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp coconut cream
- 1–3 tsp milk (dairy or non-dairy)
Instructions
- Prepare the dry ranch seasoning mix by combining all the dry spices in a mason jar. Shake well.
- Measure 2 Tbsp of the dry ranch seasoning mix into another jar.
- Add the mayo, red wine vinegar and coconut cream and stir well. Thin by adding milk 1 teaspoon at a time and stirring well after each addition.
- Store the seasoning mix in the spice cabinet and the dressing in the fridge!
Notes
- If you love this dairy-free homemade ranch dressing as much as we do, I suggest making a double or triple batch of the dry seasoning mix below and keeping it in a glass jar in the spice cabinet.
- I like to re-use glass jars that I bought – like spaghetti jars or jelly jars or coconut oils jars – and remove the label using lemon essential oil. It works every time and I can save money by NOT buying glass jars!
- Also, if you’re looking to make your own ranch dressing, chances are you’d like to make your own homemade taco seasoning and homemade poultry seasoning too. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 120
Keywords: dairy free ranch, dairy free ranch dressing, homemade ranch dressing
So sorry, I’m not clear about how many batches this mix will make. Maybe I’m not reading it right; can you help?
What I meant to say is how many batches of dressing will one recipe of the mix make?
I made your cauliflower sauce and added ranch dressing dry mix and used it in a chicken bacon ranch casserole. It worked great.
This ranch is very yummy! I did do a couple of things differently. The 1st batch I made, there was too much thyme. Made another batch of the dry mix without the thyme and it helped. Plus placed the dry mix in the blender to make the bigger spices smaller, as I didn’t care for the dried onion being chunky.
But other then that! Love it! I make it all the time!
★★★★★
Hi Abbey! Thank you so much for sharing. We are so glad you love it! 🙂
Made with balsamic vinegar ( because that’s what I had). It’s so perfect to just dip veggies in, made our whole meal. Keeping a jar and my pantry!
★★★★★
Sounds delicious Edie! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Does this ranch dressing have any bit of coconut flavor to it? My husband doesn’t like coconut and would notice it if there were any hint of it.
Hi Jean,
No the coconut is not strong but if you have someone who is averse to any kind of coconut flavor, try adding a pinch more of salt at a time. Salt counters the coconut flavor.
I know that coconut milk is great, but the one you recommended has guar gum… which is not compliant. Any other options for the coconut milk?
★★★
https://thrivemarket.com/p/thrive-market-coconut-milk-regular?utm_source=google&utm_medium=pla_smart&utm_campaign=Shopping_Engagement_Smart_Members&utm_content=671635704986&utm_term=na&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-a_59rqM7AIVAeWzCh2wsQ3bEAQYAiABEgK8pPD_BwE
This one does not have guar gum and is organic. =)
Hi! Loving your site. Just started the Whole30 with my husband and two kids. We made this ranch. I liked it but it was a bit too salty for us. Will put half the amount next time. Looking forward to reading more of your whole30 tips!
★★★★
Hi Tiffany!
How long can this dressing be stored in the fridge when you make your own mayo vs using store-bought mayo?
Hi Robin! This makes a small batch, and we usually finish it up within a week. Homemade mayo will last at least 2 weeks in the fridge though, so I’d say you have about that!