Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing made with fresh ingredients for a creamy, herby way to enjoy all kinds of salads! With a couple ingredient swaps, this delicious homemade ranch tastes just like the classic version.
I recently found myself craving a big salad chock full of greens, chicken, avocado, bacon, and avocado all swaddled up in a delicious creamy ranch dressing.
It’s an incredibly specific craving, I know.
While I can get on board with a store-bought ranch dressing, I stumbled upon a strong urge to make it myself. Because: control.
I’ve had some unfortunate unpredictable altercations with dairy recently so I figured I had better make it homemade and skip the moo.
Traditional ranch dressing is made with buttermilk and sour cream, which is why it’s so luscious and creamy.
In order to replace these two big ticket items, I went with the good ol’ ingredient this country can’t help but drown everything in: mayonnaise.
The end result is incredibly effective. We’re left with a dairy-free ranch that is still rich and creamy, plenty herby and flavorful and just perfect for my amazing salad (which is coming soon).
Be sure to read through the ingredients section for all sorts of options for food allergies.
If you enjoy hidden valley ranch, you’ll love this homemade version even more.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for delicious dairy-free ranch dressing. The whole ingredients list for homemade dairy free ranch dressing can be found at any grocery store.
Ingredients for Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing:
Mayonnaise: Taking the place of buttermilk and sour cream in traditional ranch dressing recipes, we need mayonnaise for a dairy-free alternative.
I like using avocado oil mayonnaise because I try to limit my intake of vegetable and seed oils.
My favorite brand is Primal Kitchen avocado oil. For vegan ranch dressing, use vegan mayonnaise such as Just Mayo.
Dairy-Free Milk of Choice: Use any kind of non-dairy milk. Coconut milk, soy milk, oat milk, unsweetened almond milk, and hemp milk all work.
If you’re okay with small amounts of dairy, A2 milk or regular milk is great here. If you prefer tangy dressings, replace the milk with more vinegar for more bite.
For a vegan ranch recipe, I recommend vegan mayo and unsweetened oat milk, which is also a nut-free option.
Rice Vinegar: Vinegar or fresh lemon juice adds a tangy element to the otherwise creamy dressing. You can increase or decrease the amount to your personal taste. White wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar work too.
Fresh Garlic: A little fresh garlic goes a long way in infusing some fresh flavor into this delicious salad dressing. Garlic powder works as a replacement, but I think fresh is better.
Onion Powder: Similar to the garlic, we need some onion powder to boost the dressing with some delicious onion flavor.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the dressing with sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste. If the dressing tastes at all bland to you, continue adding small amounts of salt until the rich herby flavors begin to shine.
Fresh Parsley, Fresh Chives, Fresh Dill: The fresh herb trifecta that makes a ranch a ranch. Ranch dressing just isn’t the same without all three. Dried herbs work as a replacement, but fresh herbs yield the best results.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Word has it, vegan buttermilk and vegan sour cream exist. I can’t attest to whether or not they are a good option, but if you’d prefer sticking with the original recipe, try them out and report back in the comments section.
- Greek yogurt can be used to replace the regular mayonnaise, although I would recommend using part yogurt, part mayo for a better consistency.
- Ranch lovers, I know you’re going to love this fresh and inviting recipe!
Now that we’re familiar with the basic ingredients for homemade ranch dressing, let’s make it!
How to Make Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing:
Add the mayonnaise, dairy-free milk, rice vinegar, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper to a small blender such as a Magic Bullet or a NutriBullet and blend until completely combined.
Note: if you don’t have a small blender such as a Magic Bullet, you can mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Just be sure to finely mince the garlic first.
Stir the chopped chives, parsley, and dill into the dressing until well combined.
Taste the dressing for flavor and add more sea salt, pepper, or vinegar to taste.
Store dressing in an airtight jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
This easy ranch dressing recipe makes ¾ cup of dressing, which is enough for 3 to 4 big salads or 6 to 8 smaller salads. This might help you gauge whether or not you need to double the recipe, depending on your dressing needs.
This amazing ranch dressing will be your confidante for all your dipping, drizzling, salad-ing needs.
Feeling like your sweet potato fries need a companion? You know what to do 😉
Looking for salad recipes to which you can apply ranch dressing? Here are some of my top suggestions.
Delicious Salad Recipes:
- Italian Salad
- Pear Apple Avocado Spinach Salad with Candied Walnuts Feta and Pumpkin Seeds
- Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad
- Blueberry Avocado Sunflower Seed Chopped Salad
Cream thy salad!
Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise I use avocado oil mayo*
- 2 Tbsp dairy-free milk of choice
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 small clove garlic
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ Tbsp fresh chives finely chopped
- 1 ½ Tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Add the mayonnaise, dairy-free milk, rice vinegar, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper to a small blender and blend until completely combined. Note: if you don’t have a small blender such as a Magic Bullet, you can mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Just be sure to finely mince the garlic first.
- Stir the chopped chives, parsley, and dill into the dressing until well combined.
- Taste the dressing for flavor and add more sea salt, pepper, or vinegar to taste.
- Store dressing in an airtight jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
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