Making ranch dressing at home is so easy! Much healthier than store-bought, whip up a batch of this creamy, tangy homemade dressing in less than 5 minutes using pantry staples. Perfect for dipping, salads, and more!
I recently made a short grocery trip to pick up just a few items – black beans, half and half, and a red pepper. But there was actually a fourth item I was looking for: ranch dressing.
However, the ranch never made it out of the store.
As I was reading the labels of all the different brands of ranch, from the store brand to the half-size expensive brands, every single one had hydrogenated oils.
Ever since I read what was in coffee creamer and started to read and understand labels beyond the calorie count, I can’t buy something that I know has hydrogenated oils. That’s one of our top ingredients to avoid in food.
That meant I needed to make my own home made ranch dressing recipe.
WHY MAKE RANCH DRESSING
Aside from avoiding the funky ingredients, we also make our own ranch dressing because it’s:
- Super easy! Once I figured out how to make ranch, I never looked back!
- Convenient. I have everything I need to make a simple ranch sauce regularly in my kitchen.
- Tastes great! Making homemade ranch dressing because it’s healthier is one thing, but it also has to taste good. Luckily, that’s not an issue here – this ranch is amazing!
- Versatile. Even within this simple recipe, you have a couple of options based on the ingredients you have in your kitchen.
- Frugal. Homemade dressing is a big money saver over store-bought dressings!
RANCH DRESSING RECIPE INGREDIENTS
To make this ranch dressing recipe, start by making ranch seasoning with dried herbs and spices from your pantry.
- Dried parsley
- Dried dill weed
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Dried basil
- Ground black pepper
- Salt
Psst! Want to kick this up a notch? Try finishing this recipe with a pinch of finishing salt! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!)
You’ll then mix that ranch seasoning with a base of your choosing to make ranch dressing.
- Plain Greek yogurt (or regular yogurt) and milk
- Mayonnaise, sour cream, and milk
- Mayonnaise, sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice, and buttermilk
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE RANCH DRESSING
Ranch Seasoning Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a glass jar (or small bowl) and mix well. Store in a sealed container.
Use 1 tablespoon at a time when serving. This homemade ranch seasoning mix makes enough for several batches of homemade ranch dressing.
To turn ranch seasoning into dressing:
Combine 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning with any of the following variations:
- ⅓ cup yogurt (Greek or regular) and ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sour cream, and 1-2 tablespoons of milk or buttermilk
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1-2 tablespoons buttermilk
Add all ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine until desired consistency.
You can always substitute dairy-free milk for the regular milk.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week.
BEST RANCH DRESSING RECIPE TIPS
This dressing is delicious right away, but the flavors really meld after at least a couple of hours in the fridge.
You can use the homemade ranch recipe in place of store-bought packets in any recipe as well. A packet contains 2-3 Tablespoons of seasoning.
All the ranch dressing lovers that I’ve met have a particular brand they like best. If that’s you, try the different variations for the base of this ranch dressing recipe until you find the one that’s your favorite!
I love using mason jars for homemade dressing and these lids make it super easy to shake and pour! Having homemade ranch dressing that’s ready to go in the fridge means we’re more likely to use it.
Want to make a homemade ranch dip? Use one of the options with sour cream and start with half the amount of the base ingredients. Add a bit more milk if it’s too thick.
Like spicy ranch? Add a finely chopped jalapeno to the ranch dressing or mix in a bit of sriracha or hot sauce.
SERVE WITH HOMEMADE RANCH DRESSING
Now that you’ve made your own house ranch dressing from scratch, how are you going to use it?
Dip all the things! Ranch salad dressing makes a delicious dipping sauce.
- Fresh-cut veggies like carrots or celery
- Homemade Chicken Nuggets
- Almond Crusted Chicken
- Fish Fingers
- Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
- Crispy Potato Wedges
- Carrot and Sweet Potato Fritters
Top your favorite salad.
Spread it on a sandwich.
You can even dip your pizza crusts in ranch or drizzle it on a baked potato!
RANCH SAUCE RECIPE FAQS
How do you make ranch dressing taste like restaurant ranch?
Ranch dressing from restaurants usually tastes as yummy as it does because of the fat in the base, whether from buttermilk, sour cream, or mayonnaise. Starting with high-quality dairy that isn’t fat-free will help you get that creamy restaurant ranch. Bottled ranch usually has more vinegar or lemon juice to help it stay shelf-stable for longer, which competes with the creamy factor.
Does ranch dressing expire?
Since this homemade ranch sauce recipe doesn’t have all of the preservatives that store-bought ranch has, it will go bad more quickly. Plan to use your homemade ranch dressing by the expiration dates on the dairy you use for the base, or within a week of mixing it up.
What is the main flavor of ranch dressing?
Ranch dressing is a combination of a creamy base with herby flavors like dill, parsley, and basil, plus garlic, onion, and black pepper.
Can you make dairy-free ranch dressing?
Yes! We figured out the yummiest homemade dairy-free ranch during our Whole30. You can find that recipe here.
MORE EASY HOMEMADE DRESSING RECIPES
- Homemade Italian Dressing
- Fail-Proof Homemade Mayo
- 3-Ingredient Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- Caesar Salad Dressing
- Almond Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
- Homemade Greek Salad Dressing
Fight Inflation Workshop!
Sign up for my FREE Fight Inflation Workshop and learn simple strategies to save money, even with rising food costs!Ranch Dressing and Seasoning
Making ranch dressing at home is so easy! Much healthier than store-bought, whip up a batch of this creamy, tangy homemade dressing in less than 5 minutes using pantry staples. Perfect for dipping, salads, and more!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: About 13 Tbsp 1x
- Category: Sauces & Condiments
- Method: Bowl
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 5 Tbsp dried parsley
- 6 tsp dried dill
- 6 tsp garlic powder
- 6 tsp onion powder
- 3 tsp dried basil
- 3 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
Instructions
Ranch Seasoning
- Combine all ingredients in a glass jar (or bowl) and mix well. Store in a sealed container. Use 1 tablespoon at a time when serving.
To turn ranch seasoning into dressing:
Combine 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning with any of the following variations:
- ⅓ cup yogurt (Greek or regular) and ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sour cream and 1-2 tablespoons of milk or buttermilk
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1-2 tablespoons buttermilk
Notes
- You can use the homemade ranch recipe in place of store-bought packets in any recipe as well. A packet contains 2-3 Tablespoons of seasoning.
- Want to make a homemade ranch dip? Use one of the options with sour cream and start with half the amount of the base ingredients. Add a bit more milk if it’s too thick.
- Like spicy ranch? Add a finely chopped jalapeno to the ranch dressing or mix in a bit of sriracha or hot sauce.
Nutrition
- Calories: 264
How well do you think it would turn out if I froze the extra we can’t use up and defrost it for next use?
I did the yogurt + milk option and subbed fresh parsley and basil straight from our school garden for our farmer’s market cooking demo. One 6th grader even said, “This tastes like meatloaf!” For once I was happy to see my middle schoolers spooning excess ranch on their cut veggies!
If I have a recipe that calls for a pkt of ranch would you say that would be about 3tbsp of the homemade?
Thanks!
I’d say that’s fair Erin. You can always start low and add more to taste. 🙂
I am thinking the ‘dill’ is dill weed, and not seed?
I had a chef give me an awesome recipe for 1000 island homemade dressing. It will be for hubby. Now I will have a Ranch dressing for myself. More lettuce in the garden next year. 🙂
Hi, is it 1T or 1t of salt? It may be because I’m looking on my phone but it just says 1 salt! Thanks!
Yikes! It’s 1 tsp. I’ll fix that now!
I make our own ranch dressing, and everyone loves it. The only thing is..the mayo. It gives me the heebie jeebies to make my own with raw eggs, so I’ve been using storebought, but there’s a lot of junk in it. What kind of mayo do you use?
I currently have a version of the mayo with junk in my fridge. We don’t eat much mayo (so little that the bottle in the fridge will likely expire before we even use half of it), so I’m kinda just hanging on to it until it goes bad. After it expires, I’ll either make my own or substitute yogurt for recipes. I understand the heebie jeebies though – it’s one reason why I haven’t tossed our current bottle, lol.
If you cook the eggs, the vinegar (or lemon juice) the water, the sugar and the salt in a flat bottom small skillet and stir constantly with a rubber spatula on med-low heat you can then proceed with the recipe and not have to worry about raw eggs. Usually about 90 seconds. Stir constantly, just until the mixture starts to thicken. When the mixture starts to thicken, the eggs will be safe. Remove from heat and continue to stir or set over ice water to cool quickly so you don’t get scrambled eggs.
Thanks for the tip on Silicon Dioxide Elizabeth. There are so many additives that we should be concerned about and that one is going on my list too!
I will be trying this one. Ranch is my son’s favorite dressing. How long does it keep?
My instinct is that it would keep as long as your dairy ingredients are good, but I’m not sure if combining them together would somehow affect that. I’m pretty lax about how long to keep food and usually smell anything that’s been hiding, lol, but I’d say you’re probably safe for a couple weeks at least.
I haven’t made my own dressing yet, but I might try this one in the future. My son is allergic to eggs (hopefully he grows out of it) so regular Ranch is out of the question. I like that you have a veriation without mayonnaise.
I’m actually wanting to try the yogurt version as a dip (maybe without the milk, or very little anyway). It makes it so much easier to make your own (and not buy any) when the seasonings are ready to go in the pantry too.
Bolthouse Farms Yogurt dressing Ranch is the best not full fat ranch I EVER had AND it was weight watchers friendly (45 calories) AND I really really like it. No hydrogenated oils:)
Thanks for the suggestion Melissa! I’ll have to take a look at that one the next time I’m in the store.
Your recipe is pretty close to the one I use. All my dressing recipes can be found at the above link. The bacon & onion is one of my favorites!
Bacon makes everything so wonderful! Sounds like it would amazing on a baked potato!