You'll love this easy, preservative-free homemade Buttermilk Ranch salad dressing! It has the flavor profile of the packaged buttermilk Ranch dressing but with all-natural flavors and ingredients!
No artificial flavors, additives, xanthan gum or phosphoric acid here!
This homemade dressing has a great taste much like traditional ranch dressing with hints of fresh herbs and lemon juice. It's a quick and easy classic recipe you'll keep on hand for years!
I like to make this and keep it in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge! Not only is it a good salad dressing for a classic spring salad, but a great dip for cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery and cucumbers!
You'll love this recipe!
- You only need a few simple ingredients!
- You can adjust the recipe to your desired consistency: make it thin for a salad dressing or thicker for a dip
- The flavor is similar to the classic buttermilk Hidden Valley Ranch brand of dressing, but with a hint of dill and lemon.
- This homemade version is all-natural and contains no additives, artificial flavors, preservatives, no high-fructose corn syrup, and no high sodium seasoning mix.
Here's what you need
The ingredients for homemade buttermilk ranch dressing are pretty simple. (The "regular ranch" dressing doesn't contain buttermilk.
Buttermilk- you can use 2% or whole fat buttermilk
Sour cream- low fat or whole fat
Mayonnaise
Dill weed-use dried dill or fresh dill
Garlic- you can use fresh garlic or garlic powder
Fresh lemon juice
A little salt and black pepper. That's it!
Homemade buttermilk ranch vs ranch in a jar or package
Manufactured salad dressings often contain a lot of "other" ingredients, some of which you may or may not be able to pronounce. You'll find none of the following in this homemade ranch dressing.
Additives -prevent dairy and oil-based dressings from spoiling
Preservatives -extend the shelf life of the product
Fillers -reduce the number of natural ingredients and increase the volume of the product
Calcium stearate -a powdered additive that serves as an anti-caking agent
Maltodextrin is an inexpensive, highly processed white powder from corn, potato starch, wheat or rice; it preserves and increases the volume of a product.
It is also high on the glycemic index, which means consumption spikes your blood sugar, so if you're a diabetic, you might want to watch out for this additive in your diet
Many people experience side effects from processed foods with hand and arm cramps, increased blood sugar, and even hives.
How to make homemade "ranch" dressing
This is so easy to make! Just dump all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together. Scroll down to the recipe card to get the full recipe.
For best results, cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes, then taste for salt.
Recipe Tips
If you want the salad dressing taste to be stronger, add in a few extra dashes of dill weed and or garlic and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper last.
The initial consistency is somewhat thin, so if you want a thicker consistency, add an additional ½ cup of mayonnaise and adjust the amount of dill/garlic/lemon to taste.
Serving suggestions
Ranch dressing is probably one of the most popular salad dressings in the United States! You'll find it served as a dressing for crisp salad greens, or as a dip for vegetables (celery, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot sticks), chicken wings, french fries and yes...even pizza!
So take advantage of this homemade recipe and forego the store-bought ranch dressing-that way, you'll save a little money and always have a good ranch dressing in the fridge!
Variations and Substitutions
You can easily turn homemade buttermilk ranch dressing into a blue cheese version by adding crumbled blue cheese
Add in chopped green onions or crumbled bacon
If you don't have sour cream, use plain yogurt as a substitute
Storage
Pour your homemade buttermilk dill ranch dressing in a tightly sealed jar and store it for up to a month in the refrigerator.
Not only is homemade buttermilk ranch dressing delicious, it's also a good dipping sauce for eggplant fries or fried squash!Related recipes
- All-Purpose Oil and Vinegar Salad Dressing
- Classic Buttermilk Pie
- Dill Shrimp Salad
- Caesar Salad Dressing No Anchovies
- Easy Summer Salads and Spreads
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating! I love to hear from you!
📋 Recipe
Buttermilk Dill Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon dill weed dried; use 2 tsp. if fresh
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice fresh
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon dill weed, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Blend together thoroughly
- Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
📋 Recipe
Buttermilk Dill Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon dill weed dried; use 2 tsp. if fresh
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice fresh
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon dill weed, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Blend together thoroughly
- Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes
I'd love to hear from you!