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This creamy homemade ranch dressing is better than the bottled ranch dressing you find in the grocery store. This is made with fresh ingredients and vibrant herbs and is so easy to make. This is the best ranch dressing recipe!
There’s nothing like homemade ranch dressing made from scratch with fresh herbs. The shelf-stable bottled ranch dressing has nothing on homemade ranch made with the freshest ingredients.
We are self-proclaimed ranch dressing aficiondos in our home and put ranch dressing on everything. My kids think they can’t eat pizza without a big bowl of ranch dressing next to them for dipping. We devour ranch dressing in our home!
I have been on a quest to create the perfect ranch dressing. In my quest…there was a lot of taste testing to ensure that the ratios were just right. After much research, I discovered that in my humble opinion, the perfect balance is a combination of mayonnaise, buttermilk, and sour cream.
A crucial part of ranch dressing is the seasonings. It’s the fresh, vibrant, earthy flavors that set it apart from the rest. If you add too many herbs, you may feel as if you are eating out of your Grandma’s garden…but if you add too little herbs, you forget it’s ranch dressing.
It is all about trying to figure out the balance. I discovered that fresh dill (or dried dill if you can’t find fresh), garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, chives, a touch of sugar, salt, and pepper round it out so nicely.
Ranch Dressing Ingredients:
It is so easy to make homemade buttermilk ranch dressing and takes less than 10 minutes to make.
- Mayonnaise — this is the base of this buttermilk ranch dressing and I love to use Duke’s mayonnaise for its quality and flavor.
- Sour Cream — this adds the perfect amount of creaminess and tang. I use full-fat sour cream but you can use reduced fat sour cream.
- Buttermilk — this adds a thick, creamy richness while still bringing a signature tang to the ranch dressing.
- Fresh Dill — this herb is a staple in ranch dressing. I love to use fresh dill but you can use dried dill instead.
- Garlic Powder — I love the taste of garlic in ranch dressing. You can also add fresh garlic instead of garlic powder.
- Chives — this adds the herby, savory punch to ranch dressing. If you are in a pinch, you can use the green part of green onions.
- Fresh Parsley — this peppery herb adds freshness and a peppery bite.
- Onion Powder — adds a big amount of savory flavor notes to the ranch dressing.
- Salt and Pepper — add more salt and pepper to taste and as needed.
- Sugar (optional) — this adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the herbs.
Can I leave out the sugar?
Absolutely! If you would prefer to make a sugar-free ranch dressing, you can omit the 1 teaspoon of sugar in this recipe.
Can I make Ranch Dressing with dried herbs?
Yes! You can make this homemade ranch dressing with fresh herbs or dried herbs. I share the different amounts in the recipe card below.
How to make Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:
- Use a combination of mayonnaise, buttermilk, and sour cream. Each of them plays an important role. The mayonnaise is the creamy base of the dressing. The buttermilk adds a nice creamy acidity to the dressing without adding much fat. The sour cream makes it thick and creamy. It is the winning trifecta!
- Add herbs and seasonings. Fresh dill plays a major role in homemade ranch. You want that fine balance of earthy flavor without it being overkill. If you can’t find fresh dill, you may substitute with dried dill. It isn’t an even swap as you will use less dried dill than fresh. Garlic and onion powder give it a depth of flavor while parsley brings the freshness.
- Whisk the ingredients together to avoid lumps. This helps to make the creamiest ranch dressing.
- Chill the dressing. Chilling is a magical trick as it gives the ingredients time to get to know each other. It also softens the herbs. Chilling also helps to thicken the dressing. Chill for at least 30 minutes but 2 hours is ideal.
This is perfectly paired with my Wedge Salad Recipe with crispy bacon.
Storage:
This buttermilk ranch dressing recipe can stay up to two weeks in the refrigerator in a covered container. I suggest a tightly sealed mason jar. If it turns a different color or starts to smell at all, discard it.
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Homemade Ranch Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 1/2 cup Buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons Fresh Dill (finely diced or 3/4 teaspoon Dried Dill)
- 3/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 4 Chives (finely diced)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Dried Parsley (or 2 Tablespoons Fresh)
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl or shaker bottle, whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk until creamy. Stir in finely diced dill, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, sugar, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Add more seasonings according to taste.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes. 2 hours is ideal to give time for dressing to thicken.
- Drizzle on your favorite salad or use as a dip for vegetables.
Notes
- I suggest using Duke’s mayonnaise
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I hope you love this homemade ranch dressing recipe! Have a great day, my friends!
This dressing is the best and so easy to make up thank you for the recipe👍👍how long on the shelf life of the dressing
OMG!!! This is the best ever!! I should have doubled the first batch. It’s quick and easy to whip up. So much better than store bought or seasoning mix. This is just what I was looking for. My kids love ranch on almost everything.
Paprika is mentioned in the introduction but not the actual recipe
This is my go-to ranch dressing with a few mods. I never seem to have buttermilk on hand (and, if I buy buttermilk for this recipe, never use up the remainder of the little jug) so I’ve started subbing a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and it’s almost identical. If you try, you can leave out the sugar, too, since ACV is slightly sweet.
Thanks for the tip!
BEST ranch recipe I’ve tried, thanks!
I made this on a whim. I was at the grocery store and they didn’t have my usual brand in stock. I remember seeing this recipe and knew I was only missing two ingredients. I opted to try it and I regret nothing. This is even better than my favorite store bought brand. I think my husband maybe even fell in love with it (he’s a huge fan of ranch but pickier than I am). I will be writing this one down in my favorite recipes book. (I am writing one for my college age sister who swears I just remember everything)
wonderful, didn’t add the sugar. Thank you I have been looking for a home made dressing, sense I’m all organic now.
Absolutely in love with this dressing! I didn’t add the sweetener, though & its still delicious.
Wow looks good & can’t wait to try it! How long do you think it will last in the fridge after you make it?
thanks
Rob
Pinned! My husband is originally from Australia and grew-up without Ranch dressing! Can you imagine??? :O) He got hooked shortly after we met; we’re Ranch-o-holics in this house. By the way, I really like the little jar with the spoon and holder on the side. WHERE DID YOU GET IT? Pretty please?
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Martha … go onto Amazon and search for small glass jars with attached spoons … hundreds of styles will appear.