Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

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!Buttermilk Dill Ranch dressing drizzled over spinach greens.

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.

Ingredients labeled on counter.

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.

Whisk in bowl coated with dressing.

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 1/2 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.

Buttermilk Dill Ranch Dressing on spinach greens with cherry tomatoes and mushroom slices.Not only is homemade buttermilk ranch dressing delicious, it’s also a good dipping sauce for eggplant fries or fried squash!

Related recipes

If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating! I love to hear from you!

Buttermilk Dill Ranch Dressing on spinach greens with cherry tomatoes and mushroom slices

Buttermilk Dill Ranch Dressing

Light homemade buttermilk salad dressing with hints of dill and lemon
5 from 11 votes
Print Rate
Course: Salad Dressing
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Refrigeration Time 20 minutes: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2 cups
Author: Anecia Hero

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
  • teaspoon black pepper

Instructions 

  • Combine all ingredients
    1 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

If you prefer a thicker dressing, add an additional 1/2 cup of mayonnaise. 

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1cupCalories: 569kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 6gFat: 57gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 819mgPotassium: 265mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 597IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 209mgIron: 1mg
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