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.
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. It is the diversity that keeps you on your toes!
A crucial part of ranch dressing is the seasonings. It's the fresh, earthy flavors that set it apart from the rest. Too many herbs and you feel as if you are eating out of your Grandma's garden and if you add too little herbs, you forget it's ranch dressing. Just like life, it is 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, paprika, a touch of sugar, salt, and pepper round it out so nicely.
How to make HOMEMADE RANCH DRESSING from scratch:
- 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!
- It is all about the 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.
- 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 the Ultimate Wedge Salad with crispy bacon.
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- ½ cup Buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons Fresh Dill or ¾ teaspoon Dried Dill, finely diced
- ¾ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Onion Powder
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Dried Parsley or 2 Tablespoons Fresh
- ¼ - ½ 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, 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.
I hope you love this homemade ranch dressing recipe! Have a great day, my friends!
Dede
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.
Dar
Paprika is mentioned in the introduction but not the actual recipe
Jen
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.
Aisha
Thanks for the tip!
Stacy
BEST ranch recipe I’ve tried, thanks!
Cassandra
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)
sheila
wonderful, didn't add the sugar. Thank you I have been looking for a home made dressing, sense I'm all organic now.
Brinda
Absolutely in love with this dressing! I didn't add the sweetener, though & its still delicious.
Rob
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
Martha
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!
Laura
Martha … go onto Amazon and search for small glass jars with attached spoons … hundreds of styles will appear.