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Homemade Ranch Dressing

August 22, 2024

A triple threat of tangy, creamy dairy—buttermilk, mayo and sour cream—makes the luxurious base for our parsley-speckled, oniony, easy homemade ranch dressing.

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spoon dipped in jar of homemade buttermilk ranch dressing

5% More Work, 1,000% More Delicious.

Sure, whipping up a batch of homemade ranch is a little bit harder than twisting off a cap and pouring, but once you’ve tasted the cool, creamy, herby zing of freshly made ranch, there’s no contest—DIY ranch wins, no contest.

Plus, making your own homemade ranch dressing from scratch means that you control what goes into it! No list of ranch dressing ingredients that reads like a science project shopping list. No preservatives, no scary stabilizers, no problem. For more delicious salad dressing, check out our homemade blue cheese dressing!

ingredients for homemade ranch dressing; mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, parsley, garlic, salt, onion powder and dill
ingredients for homemade buttermilk ranch dressing in a mixing bowl

How To Make the Best Ranch Dressing:

Easy homemade ranch is just a few steps away! Our ranch dressing recipe is all about ease—the hardest thing about making it yourself is not gobbling up the entire bowl in one sitting. And if that happens, well, just make more. Our ranch recipe relies on mayo, buttermilk, sour cream for their milky tang, and a handful of everyday dried herbs (think parsley, dill, and garlic and onion powder) to flavor it! The very best ranch dressing is truly as easy as:

  1. Combine all of the ranch ingredients in a big bowl.
  2. Whisk until creamy and well-mixed.
  3. Literally, actually, really that’s it. Now you get to eat it!
a glass jar filled with homemade ranch dressing topped with fresh parsley

How Long Does Homemade Ranch Last?

Stored in a well-sealed container in the fridge (assuming you began with fresh sour cream and buttermilk) your buttermilk ranch dressing should keep for up to two weeks. Help it stay fresh by not dipping anything directly into the container that you’re storing it in—for example, a half-bitten carrot. Instead, when you want to use a little ranch, pour out just what you need. This way, you aren’t introducing any bacteria into the batch.

Is There Anything I Can’t Put Ranch Dressing On?

We’re just kidding. Obviously, the answer is no, it’s good on everything. NO EXCEPTIONS. But you know that. We do especially love it on this Classic Cobb Salad.

spoon dipped in jar of homemade ranch dressing
overhead shot of jar of homemade buttermilk ranch dressing

Tools You’ll Need:

Dressings and Sauces and Dips, Oh My!

Because homemade is always better, and barely harder.

DIY Ranch FTW!

Did we break you of the bottle habit? Are you officially a homemade buttermilk ranch dressing aficionado? Snap a photo of your dressing and how you served it! We want to see! Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

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Homemade Ranch Dressing

  • Serves:  12
  • Yields:  1½ cups
  • Prep Time:  5 min

Ingredients

  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

Method

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt until smooth. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories 126
  • Protein 1 g
  • Carbohydrates 2 g
  • Total Fat 13 g
  • Dietary Fiber 0 g
  • Cholesterol 14 mg
  • sodium 148 mg
  • Total Sugars 1 g

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

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  • Anne

    Can I use fresh dill? I have a ton to use up!

    Sure! You'll probably need a full tablespoon on fresh. Hope you enjoy!

  • Emily

    Regarding the nutrition information, how many servings is this recipe?

    It makes 1.5 cups. We used 3 tablespoons as a serving size for the nutrition info. Hope you enjoy Emily!

  • Anne

    I actually ended up making my own buttermilk. 1/2 cup milk 1/2 T lemon juice. Turned out great!!

    Fantastic!

  • Anne

    I don’t have buttermilk. What could I use instead?

    You can use milk. But I would use less, because milk with make a thinner dressing than buttermilk.

  • Margaret

    What can I use in place of Mayo?

    More sour cream, Greek yogurt or vegan mayo! It will have a slightly different taste, but it will work!

  • Holly

    This is DELICIOUS! I'm still shocked at how easy and tasty this is. I add dried chives to mine for extra herbs, but I'll never buy store bought ranch with all those chemicals again.

    Thanks Holly, we are so glad you loved it!

  • Em

    So good.

    Thanks Em!

  • jenn

    Goodbye bottled ranch, I'll never go back!

    Yay, thanks Jenn!