After many years of trying all kinds of homemade ranch dressing recipes- both dry mixes and the complete dressing – I finally came up with a recipe our whole family likes.
There was always something that just wasn’t “right” about the other recipes I tried.
There was too much dill.
Or not enough garlic.
Too salty.
Or too bland.
Then I’d find a coupon for Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing and I’d forget about the homemade for awhile. But even on sale and with a coupon, Newman’s Own is not cheap. And I knew that ranch dressing is just sour cream (or mayo), buttermilk and some spices. Hardly expensive stuff.
So I went back to my recipes and combined and adapted to come up with something that’s simple, tasty, frugal (a batch costs about $1.35), and REAL.
AND passed the taste test with our ranch-aholic: my son. Whew.
I just use a pint jar to mix everything for this dressing- it has a wide-enough opening and I can shake it up right in the jar. However, if you’d like to keep it in a smaller-mouth dressing container, feel free to use a whisk and mix it up in a quart measuring cup before pouring into your container.
Start by mixing sour cream, buttermilk, and lemon juice. Don’t be tempted to skip the lemon juice- I really think it makes it so much fresher tasting.
A note on buttermilk: few years ago I realized that, for the most part, what they sell in the stores as “buttermilk” is not true buttermilk (the milk extracted during the process of making butter), but a milk with thickeners and often preservatives added to it. Since this is what I’d like to avoid (hello?) and I don’t have access to real buttermilk, I always make a “faux buttermilk” with vinegar and regular milk (for this recipe, a 1/2 c. milk mixed with 1-1/2 tsp. vinegar).
Oh, and another note about the sour cream: check the label!
If you don’t make your own (it’s on my to-do list one day…), you’ll want to find a sour cream that contains only cream like the one listed above (which is Daisy Brand, by the way). Compare this with the ingredients on most of the other store brands which list at least 10 ingredients including fillers, preservatives, and thickeners.
Some ranch recipes call for mayonnaise instead of sour cream. We like sour cream for a couple of reasons: it creates a thicker dressing that works for a dip and with just a little thinning with milk can coat lettuce, and we like the flavor better. Plus, since I make my own mayonnaise, we pretty much save it for sandwiches and stuff!
Once the wet ingredients are mixed, add the garlic and dry spices, and mix well.
Um, yeah, that’s pretty much it. Seems silly that I’d ever take the time to buy this stuff- that was like, what- 5 minutes? Well, I’ve mended my ways…
AOC’s Best Ranch Dressing & Dip
- 1 c. sour cream
- 1/2 c. buttermilk (add 1-1/2 tsp. vinegar to milk to equal 1/2 c. if you can’t find real buttermilk)
- 1 TB. lemon juice
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 TB. dried parsley, or 3 TB. chopped fresh
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 3/4 tsp. sea salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/8-1/4 tsp. dried dill (to taste) or 1 tsp. fresh
- Combine sour cream, buttermilk, and lemon juice in a pint jar or quart mixing bowl. Shake or whisk to mix well.
- Add the remaining ingredients and shake (or whisk) again until well combined. If using a bowl, transfer to a dressing container with lid. *NOTE: If you like your dressing thicker, mix the sour cream and seasonings first, then add the buttermilk slowly until you reach the desired consistency.*
- Refrigerate one or more hours before using, and taste to adjust seasonings after dressing.
- For a thicker dip: increase sour cream by 1/4 cup (or, conversely, add more milk, a little at a time if a thinner consistency is desired).
- Shake well before each use.
Makes about 1-1/4 cup of dressing.
-Jami
This is linked to Prairie Story’s Recipe Swap, Pennywise Platter, and Frugal Friday.
I believe a cottage can be anywhere or anything (condo, ranch, farmhouse) as long as you have a "cottage mentality" which puts people above things, celebrates imperfections, embraces simplicity, and finds joy in everyday life. Thanks for joining me!
I make my own ranch dressing too. So much better and less expensive. I agree the lemon juice makes all the difference!
i’m w/ you all the way w/ store dips/dressings – so full of foreign ingredients. i’m adding this to my favorites!
I’ve always wondered how to replace the buttermilk in recipes (you cannot get in Argentina). Thanks for your “faux buttermilk” recipe. It will surely come in handy not only for this dressing but for a myriad of other recipes in my cooking book.
Can’t wait to try this, we’ve been on the hunt for “the” recipe too. How long do you think it keeps after mixed?
Coley- Hope this is “the one” for you, too! We’ve had it for up to a month and it’s fine- it separates, so needs to be mixed, but that’s all. May even last longer.
Yum! Looks delicious.
YUMMY! Thanks for sharing… and doing all the experimenting!!
~Prairie Story
Thanks so much! I have not been totally pleased with any of the Ranch recipes I’ve tried. So I’m trying yours next!
Gina
I can’t wait to try this – just need some sour cream. My family loves ranch dressing and I hate buying it!
Would it be bad if I left out the dill?
Extraordinary- I’m not a dill fan myself and usually leave it out of dishes. But when I was researching this, dill seemed to be “the herb” for ranch and since I was trying to get the ranch flavor my son likes, I went with the dill.
As in everything in cooking, it’s up to you- that’s one of the reasons we make things ourselves: to make them just what WE like.
Thank you so much for sharing! I have gone without ranch for a couple of years now, because of all the crazy ingredients. Like the Hidden Valley ranch packet (which I used to consider “homemade’ lol, was my favorite, mmm…) but it contains MSG, yuck! So thanks again, I can’t wait to try this out!
Can I replace greek yogurt for sour cream? I make whole milk greek yogurt from scratch
Shila – Would you be so kind as to share your whole milk greek yogurt from scratch recipe with us? Also, any hints or tips you may have to offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!
Shila- Oh, sure- I often replace sour cream with yogurt. They flavor changes a bit, but probably not as much with Greek yogurt (it’s usually more mild to my taste).
How do you get your homemade Greek yogurt as stiff as store-bought? My yogurt is usually runnier than my family likes.
Strain in a colondar with a cheese cloth overnight in the fridge.
A mixture of ranch blue cheese ….Home made yogurt drained, white balsamic vinegar or lemon juice I prefer the vinegar , a little bit of olive oil and seasonings to get taste you are desiring , garlic and BLUE Cheese shake well and taste GREAT!
My new go to for pasta salad, green toss salad with hard cooked eggs tomatoes mush,beets onions black beans a GREAT MEAL!
I found this on Pinterest and LOVED it. Thanks for sharing. I want to repin on Pinterest for all my friends to make but I can’t get the hang of Pinterest(:
Smash- So glad you like this! I’m sorry though, that you’re having a hard time with Pinterest- I resisted for awhile (just one more thing to do!), but now it’s one of my favorite things to do and a useful tool. It’s key to have a “pin it” in your bookmarks bar, so whenever you see something you can hit that button and it will pin to one of your boards you pick. I’d be curious to know what part you’re having trouble with- I’d love to help, if I could!
-Jami
Mmmm…. I can’t wait to make this! Thank you!
Oh, thanks so much for your recipe! Bottled ranch never tastes “right” to me, or it’s way too thick and globby. Globby… is that a word? Anyway, thank you!
Your welcome- hope you like it as much as we do!
I use lemon juice and milk to make buttermilk, so I wonder how it would turn out if the vinegar was left out?
Try it! I think it would work well.
This was awesome! My search is over. I did make two little Changes due to mine being a little to sour(probably from the lemon and the vinegar
to make the buttermilk). I added two tsp. Sugar and one T mayo. It was heaven!
So glad you liked it!
I haven’t been able to make a Ranch recpie that I’m satisfied with either ..I will be giving this a try. I think I’ll also try using Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. Thanks for the inspiration ! Also…we have to read ALL the labels on everything these days !
I have moved to the UK from Canada and- shock, horror!- they do not have ranch dressing here! Thanks for the recipe! Incidentally, they do not have graham crackers(no s’mores!) or dill pickles either…I will try to reform this backwards country
)
What, no dills? Glad to have you there to help them out.
Jami, to get your yogurt thicker, put 2 layers of paper towel in a sieve over a bowl, and dump your yogurt into it, then fold the corners and edges of the towels over to cover the yogurt. I usually put a stack of 3 or 4 bowls on top for weight, which speeds up the process of draining out excess whey; I usually get the thickness I desire after 45 minutes to an hour this way. Or, pop the whole set-up into the fridge for several hours or overnight. You may have to experiment to get the exact consistency you’re after. And, don’t throw out the whey; it’s loaded with protein, and you can use it as the liquid in cake or muffin batters, breadmaking, cooking water for potatoes, and many other applications. Or use it to water acid-loving plants!
Thanks for the tip, Kandis!
Just made this and even without letting it marry, it tastes pretty good! thanks for the recipe!
How long does it last in the fridge?
We’ve had it for up to a month and it’s fine- it does separate, so it needs to be mixed. It may even last longer, but I wouldn’t know.
I have noticed it gets thinner as it ages, so if I want to use it as a dip I’ll add another tablespoon of sour cream and then taste for salt.
Hope you like it!
Wos, thank you for sharing. I have made many other dressings, French, Bleu Cheese, Honey Mustard, Italian, Thousand Island, but could never make a satisfactory Ranch~ will make it and then make it dairy free for myself. Thanks again
This is really, really good! I make my own butter so after the process I have true buttermilk that I used. I’ll never buy the market ranch dressing again. Thanks! If anyone is interested…pour heavy whipping cream in a food processor and turn it on. Once the cream seperates you not only have butter but you have the buttermilk for baking or ranch dressing. Takes about 3 to 5 minutes. Youtube it, very, very, very easy…haven’t bought butter in over a year.
Great tip- I SO want to make my own butter one day.
Ah! You are my hero! We’re trying to switch over to a more natural and whole foods kind of diet after my research into some of prepared food’s ingredients scared the bejeeves out of me! I’m so glad I found your site — looks like it will become a new favorite stopping spot!
SO excited to try out this recipe!
Honored to be called your hero, Katrina! Thanks so much.
I was so thrilled to see your recipe on Pinterest! My son has an egg allergy and we need to steer clear from most dressings, as so many are mayonaise based. I’ve always felt sorry that he can’t experience the joy of ranch dressing, and now he can! God bless you and God bless Pinterest! I’ll be making this today!
My grandson loves Ranch – - so this will be something I make this weekend, also shared it on my blog, and a link to your page.
Thanks for sharing!
I can’t wait to try this – thanks for taking time to post this.
Is there any substitution for buttermilk for people allergic to milk? I have found substitute for everything else except buttermilk, any help is greatly apppreciated.
I did a quick Google search and found this:
http://www.ehow.com/list_6874198_non_dairy-substitutes-buttermilk.html
Hope that helps!
I’m wondering if I can use my homemade kefir instead of the buttermilk. I always have plenty on hand, but seldom buy buttermilk. After reading your info regarding buttermilk, I don’t think I ever want to buy it again!
This tastes great! Thanks for sharing, even my 4 year old loves it – minus the pepper of course :0)
We just added the vinegar to almond milk, and it worked great, we do that for baking recipes that call for buttermilk, too. We’ve also tried this recipe with yoghurt instead of sour cream and like it.
Just made this! LOVE IT!
This sounds fantastic – your little bit about the butter milk being the milk left over from making butter – have you ever made your own butter? Take whipping cream and shake the living daylights out it for about 15 min – voila – your own homemade butter. You can add salt if you want but it is very creamy and I guess then you also have some butter milk as a side
Great recipe, you may have stumbled upon another fun thing for kids to do. If you shake the daylights out of a cup of heavy whipping cream you get a very nice butter and I guess you also get butter milk. The cream turns to whipped cream for a minute and as you keep shaking it eventually “breaks” and the two separate. One is a butter – the more you shake the heavier your butter gets and also the butter milk is there as well.
can you use kefir?
Oh wow, this is AMAZINGly delicious! thank you so much!
So glad you liked it!
Thank you for this! I haven’t had processed foods in forever and I do not want to start n
Thanks! I haven’t ever given my kids ranch-don’t like the ingredients- but I bet they would love this dip.
This is the BEST ranch dressing! Use fresh dill!
This is good…haven’t made our salads yet, just letting it marry for a bit. I followed directions and ingredients completely, and at this point, it tastes very garlicky, but I suppose *1 garlic clove* is so subjective…mine was too large I guess! It’s still good, too garlicky or not though. Thanks for the recipe. I’ll definitely try it with Greek yogurt for my husband though!
Yes, we love it garlicky, but you can adjust. Also, it will mellow with time.
I love this! Tried it today for a lunch salad and it is very delicious!
Hi Jami!
Thanks, Jami. 
I LOVE your approach to instructing. Yours is the only blog (AOC) that I actually take the time to read. Adore the grouping for fresh dressings!! YAY! Very much looking forward to trying and putting less garbage in my/our bodies. Also, a comment about ‘faux’ buttermilk. Because I’ve had recipes for cookies and muffins that call for soured milk and have always used apple cider vinegar with milk, recipes that have called for buttermilk received 1/2 and 1/2 with the cider vinegar. Our housemate just made Irish Soda bread yesterday with that soured cream. Yum! Thank you for sharing your lifestyle this way. Talented, practical, creative and frugal. There’re more adjectives but I’ll quit.
Oooo, using 1/2&1/2 instead of milk? Brilliant! I bet it makes a richer product. I’m definitely going to try that next time – thanks for all your sweet, encouraging words, Andi.
can you post this under recipes on your pinterest page. I have tried to pin it and for some reason it won’t work. Looks yummy.
Done, Lindy! I didn’t have a problem pinning it – I pinned to the AOC Favorites – Food board. Hope you like it!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I especially love that there’s no mayo needed, and you don’t even miss it! My entire family loved this recipe, even my 2 picky eaters who are very particular about their Ranch dressing… in my 4-year-old’s words, “this ranch is AWESOME” with a big thumbs up. Thank you!!
Aww, I love it, Erin! That was when I knew I had a winner, too – when my son gave it the okay.
I made this for the third time today, but I didn’t have any sour cream, so I used Greek Yogurt. The consistency seemed good and it tastes like real ranch- a little tangy
Thanks again for great salad dressings!
just made this and…..WOW! Every pregnant woman’s dream. I only started to think about making my own when i bought a bottle of Hidden Valley and it gave me the WORST heartburn EVER! So I decided to give this recipe a try and all I can say is THANK YOU! It’s delicious and what i’ll be eating forever. My friend who is also pregnant immediately went to the store to get the ingredients and is hooked just like me!
So glad to hear, Jessi! Thanks for taking the time to share.
This recipe for homemade ranch dressing is amazing!!!!! It’s like the ranch of my dreams, fabulous taste, so easy to make, and can make it as low fat/low calorie to fit your diet needs!
Glad you like it, Amy!