Avoid processed, bottled dressings with this easy homemade buttermilk Ranch Dressing recipe. It’s delicious and made with all real food ingredients.
Do you remember mixing up ranch dressing with a dry, powdered mix when you were a kid? I was born before anyone put it in a bottle — or added like 52 million different flavors to the line, so the mix was how we rolled. I loved it for its creamy, buttermilk flavor.
My sister went through a ranch phase where she practically drank the stuff. My mom joked that she needed to invest in plastic dippers since at least one of her progeny focused on just licking the ranch dressing off the regular dippers.
Over the years I’ve developed some standard dressings that serve as my go-to dressings: Cilantro Lime dressing, Basic Vinaigrette, Dijon Vinaigrette, and Blue Cheese. And now that I think of it, this Tarragon Balsamic Salad Dressing Recipe is pretty awesome as well. So many salad dressings, so little time.
Homemade Ranch Dressing is a mainstay at our house. We love this stuff, and it’s so easy to make and so much healthier than the store-bought variety — or even the powdered mix. This dressing is great on salads or for dipping veggies, pizza, or chicken strips.
Ingredients to make this homemade buttermilk ranch dressing recipe
- Mayonnaise – You can use your favorite mayonnaise. It’s add a great creaminess and flavor.
- Buttermilk – Adding buttermilk adds amazing flavor, a great tang. If you don’t have any you can always make your own by using milk and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice.
- Parsley – I used dried but you can always use fresh parsley if you have it.
- Onion powder and Garlic powder – We powders so they blend nicely here and don’t overpower the dressing.
- Cayenne pepper (optional) – If you like a little heat then go ahead and sprinkle in a little cayenne pepper.
How do you make buttermilk ranch dressing from scratch?
This homemade ranch dressing recipe couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.
You can season this to taste with a pinch of cayenne pepper. And you can serve this immediately or refrigerate the dressing until ready to use.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
Can I use fresh herbs in ranch dressing?
You absolutely can. I used dried parsley because that’s what I had on hand, but if you have fresh then use that instead. For a slightly different flavor, feel free to add chopped fresh dill and chives.
How long does homemade ranch dressing last?
I often make a batch of Ranch Dressing on pizza night. It’s good for 4 days refrigerated. It mixes up so quickly; it’s a great recipe to have a child prepare.
What do I serve this buttermilk ranch dressing recipe with?
This dressing goes great with these recipes:
Watch how easy it is to make this ranch dressing recipe!
Delicious Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tbsp dry parsley flakes
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- pinch ground cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl until smooth.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for several hours to allow flavors to blend.
Notes
Nutrition
*This post was originally published on July 2, 2008. One of my first ever recipes!
Lady Why says
I’ve been wanting a good ranch dressing recipe! Thanks!
Jen says
Is the buttermilk necessary? I only ask because I would not have anything else to do with the rest of the carton! Could regular milk be used?
Patti Reis says
Make soda bread! http://lifeasmom.com/2011/03/irish-soda-bread-dubliner-cheese-urs-st-patricks-day-feasts.html I made this recipe for St. Patrick’s Day. It was delicious! And I remember thinking to myself how nice it was to have a simple recipe to make from the buttermilk I always have left over from making ranch dressing. 🙂
Jessica Fisher says
great suggestion!
Patti Reis says
Thanks. Your soda bread recipe was really good, btw. My family loved it!
FishMama says
Yes, Jen, the buttermilk is what “makes” it. But, the product should stay good for a long time, usually a couple weeks past the sell-by date.
Buttermilk is a mainstay at our house — for dressing and baking. Sub it for milk in whatever you’re baking and it will give a boost to the muffins, pancakes, biscuits, bread, whatever.
Emily @Random Recycling says
Thanks for this tip…I was thinking the same thing and didn’t want to waste the rest of the big carton.
Extraordinary Ordinary Life says
I have been wanting a good ranch dressing recipe since my husband loves it. As for buttermilk, you can substitute 1 cup of regular milk with 1 Tablespoon of vinegar for 1 cup of buttermilk.
FishMama says
Yes EOL, you can do that. But, I find that really only works in baked goods. It doesn’t taste quite the same in this dressing. IMO.
Jodi says
woo hoo – I’m so excited to see a ranch recipe…I keep meaning to look for one, but never seem to remember when I have time. I HATE processed tasting grocery-store ranch…can’t wait to give this one a try.
You can also use lemon juice + milk to make “buttermilk” a lot of baking cookbooks have that shortcut in them…I always pull out my Betty Crocker when I need the conversion, bc I never have buttermilk on hand! Don’t know if it would work here or not, but it’s something handy to know!
Zimms Zoo says
btw buttermilk freezes well and you can freeze it in ziplocs in whatever proportion you would need for the recipe.
I didn’t see a place to email you privately so I understand if you take this off and answer later. but i was wondering how you decide what to buy(groceries) versus what is healthy for your family. does that make sense? staying on budget vs. non-hydrogenated fats.
FishMama says
ZZ, I was just thinking about both things this morning: explaining why I have so much Chex Mix and making sure my email was evident. 😉 I put up the email link and will answer the other soon. If you’d rather, feel free to email me.
Karen says
I’m always looking for dressing recipes. I can’t stand bottled dressing.
Stacie@HobbitDoor says
I LOVE ranch dressing and homemade dressings in general! Can’t wait to try this one!
Anonymous says
Jessica,
How long does this keep in the fridge?
Thanks,
Keli
FishMama says
I never keep it longer than a week.
Jackie Brown says
I have about 3/4 gallon buttermilk to use up and thought I would make this dressing, but do you have any other ideas how to use it up. Does buttermilk freeze well? Should I attempt it?
Jessica Fisher says
@Jackie Brown, yes, you can freeze it. It is also great in most baked goods.
Erin says
Thanks! Gonna try this one! My kids will be so happy, because I don’t buy due to all those additives, but this one is nice and clean!
Jessica Fisher says
Yes, that’s why I love it, too.
Emily @Random Recycling says
I need a cute little picture so I can Pin this 🙂
Jessica Fisher says
I will see what I can do. 😉
Denise says
I make a similar recipe, but add a crushed garlic clove. YUMMY!!! I also sometimes add a couple shakes of Frank’s Red Hot, but not often since my people don’t care for spicy ranch. 🙂
Jessica Fisher says
I do the same. Love it!
Jen Blacker says
Use powdered buttermilk! It’s wonderful and it won’t go bad. Just shove it in your fridge and use when needed in any recipe that asks for buttermilk. I’ve used it in everything from ranch dressing to baked goods. If you can’t find it in your area, Amazon delivers. It’s cheaper for me to buy a 3 pack via Amazon than single cans at the store.
Jessica Fisher says
Does the powdered variety get thick enough for you? I tried it once, but it was a thinner texture than I wanted.
Jen Blacker says
It seems to for me. The recipe on the back of the Penzey’s buttermilk ranch recipe comes out thin, but it’s designed to. When I make copycat Outback ranch dressing (with the Penzey’s mix) it comes out much thicker, but I think that’s due to more mayo added.
Kate Malter McLean says
Agreed! Dried buttermilk has been a game changer for me. My homemade ranch and pancakes are much better now. I do feel like I have to adjust ratios sometimes, but just do it to taste/consistency I want. I usually use sour cream instead of mayo in my dressing and that helps as well.
Brenda says
This sounds great! How long will it last in the refrigerator? What do you store it in?
Jessica Fisher says
As long as your buttermilk isn’t close to its date, it should be good about a week.
karen b says
love homemade ranch dressing………I have a ? though does anyone have a simple catalina/french dressing recipe? my hubby likes this kind the best & cant find one that suits or has a bunch of weird stuff in it. Thanks
Jessica Fisher says
I do not have a recipe, but I know I’ve seen them in vintage cookbooks. I’d look there!
Jodi Wells-Laughner says
mayonnaise not miracle whip??
Jessica Fisher says
I don’t buy miracle whip, so I’m not sure how it will work. I have always used mayonnaise.
Theresa says
Blessed to have such an awesome grandma. She mixed half sour dream, half plain yogurt with a spoonful of mayo, some dill, onion powder, maybe some garlic, pepper, pinch a sugar. I forgot exactly. Every day she had a tray of veggies on the table. We feasted all day on that, cheese n crackers, her version of cowboy cookies , etc. I could go on and on about her but I won’t right now 🙂
Jessica Fisher says
Sounds like some great memories!
Amy says
I make this dairy free by using just a splash of water to breakup the mayo. I eyeball all my seasonings and I can whip up some ranch dressing in 3 minutes or less. So yummy and totally worth making homemade without the packet 🙂
Jessica Fisher says
Great. Thanks for the tip!
kay says
In the powdered packet only days of long ago my mother used to add a packet and buttermilk to the “only the dregs left on the sides” mayo jar. Screw the top back on, shake and you had not only a thrifty use of the very last of the mayo, but also a handy container for the dressing.
Jessica Fisher says
Yes! I do that with jams and mustards. Never did that with mayo. Thanks for the suggestion, Kay!
Dvinediane says
How would you thicken this up to make more of a dip? Also if needs to be DF? Thanks.
Jessica Fisher says
To make a thicker dip, use less buttermilk. To make it dairy-free, use a nut or coconut milk.