I’ve never really been a ranch dressing person. And definitely not one of those “ranch dressing on everything” people. But then, last January while I was doing my Vegetarian Challenge, I got hooked. I was eating vegetable snack plates just about every day and the Ken’s Steakhouse buttermilk ranch dressing that I dipped my veggies in was my savior. After that I wanted to dip everything in ranch. I got addicted.
…Until I took a peek at the nutrition label, that is. One glance at the label and I just about choked on my carrot stick. How on earth were they packing so many calories and fat into two tiny little tablespoons?? No wonder it was so freaking good.
This stuff was so calorie dense that it was clear that I would either need to cut back or find another option. So I found another option. I made this Homemade Ranch Dressing that I like every bit as much (or dare I say more?) than my cherished Ken’s, and it has much more reasonable nutrition stats.
While crafting this recipe I kept a spoonful of the Ken’s Steakhouse ranch dressing right next to my mixing bowl so I could taste back and forth between the two, in attempt to make them as close as possible. After a while the Ken’s started to taste too salty and almost cloyingly sweet, and I no longer wanted my dressing to match. My final version of homemade ranch dressing is lighter, fresher, less salty/sweet, and definitely my preferred ranch going forward.
Full Fat, Low Fat, or No Fat?
You have a lot of flexibility with this recipe to make it as rich or as light as you like. You can use regular or light mayo, and with the yogurt you can choose either non-fat, 1%, 2%, or whole milk versions. It probably goes without saying, but the higher fat option the better the dressing will taste. That being said, I made my dressing with some of the lowest fat options (light mayo, non-fat yogurt) and it was still AH-MA-ZING. So I know it’s good, even at it’s “worst.”
Fresh or Dried Herbs?
I used fresh parsley and green onion in my dressing because I almost always have those in my refrigerator and I like to use them up, but they also give spectacular flavor and texture. If you prefer not to use fresh herbs, you can substitute 1/4 tsp dried parsley and 1/4 tsp dried chives for the green onion.
Ranch Dressing or Ranch Dip?
This recipe works great as either a salad dressing or a vegetable and chip dip. Make it without milk for a nice thick and rich ranch dip, or add a little milk to thin it out and make a more pourable ranch dressing.
Small Batch Salad Dressing
This is a small batch recipe. It makes approximately 1/2 cup ranch dressing. I purposely made this recipe small, since you don’t want to store it for longer than about 5 days. If you need to make a larger batch, simply adjust the number in the “servings” box below and all of the ingredient quantities will auto-adjust.
Can I Leave Out the Sugar?
Look, I’m not going to make you add the sugar to this recipe, but I will say that it does make the dressing better. The sugar mellows the acidity from the yogurt and lemon just enough to make the dressing really smooth, and it gives a hint of sweetness that is decidedly ranch-like. It is better with the sugar, but if you are opposed to any added sugars you can leave it out and still have a tasty dressing.
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Servings 4 2 Tbsp eachIngredients
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.13)
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt* ($0.11)
- 1 tsp lemon juice ($0.04)
- 3/16 tsp garlic powder** ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp onion powder ($0.01)
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, loosely packed ($0.05)
- 1 green onion, finely chopped ($0.11)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.01)
- 1/8 tsp sugar (optional) ($0.01)
- 1 Tbsp milk (optional)*** ($0.02)
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
- Use the dressing immediately, or for the best flavor refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
- Store the ranch dressing in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
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Other Ranch Dressing Flavors
Like a lot of my recipes, this homemade ranch dressing recipe can be used as a template for a number of variations. Here are some fun variations to try:
- Cilantro Lime: sub lime juice for the lemon juice, add chopped cilantro and lime zest
- Chipotle Ranch: add chipotle powder
- Avocado Ranch: mash one avocado into the dressing, can also add cilantro and lime.
- Blue Cheese: add crumbled blue cheese
Love homemade dressings? Try my Honey Mustard Sauce, Lime Crema, Teriyaki Sauce, or Chimichurri.
Yes, please!
How to Make Ranch Dressing From Scratch – Step by Step Photos
Combine 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tsp lemon juice, 3/16 tsp garlic powder (that’s just a little more than 1/8 tsp), 1/8 tsp onion powder, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp sugar, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill).
Finely chop about 1 Tbsp fresh parsley and one green onion. Stir them into the dressing.
You can use the dressing as-is, but the flavor gets better with at least 30 minutes of refrigeration. In this form it is a really thick ranch dip, but if you prefer a pourable dressing, stir in about 1 Tbsp milk.
Dip away, my friend! Get those veggies in! This ranch dressing goes great with fresh vegetables, or roasted veggies like our Oven Roasted Broccoli!
As I type this review, I’m currently eating a salad with my homemade ranch dressing. This dressing is so delicious! I made the recipe exactly as stated except I substituted the fresh herbs for dried. This dressing was so easy to make and I love the fact that it is so much healthier for you. I know exactly what’s going into this dressing vs some of the weird ingredients found in store-bought dressings. Thanks for the recipe Beth! I will no longer be buying store-bought ranch dressing :)
This was SO GOOD! Used this on my coleslaw as part of your spicy chicken sandwich recipe and it was amazing. Going to make this for dips and for salads from now on.
This was so good! I added some dill I found in the back of my fridge and that made it even better. The amount is perfect for a week. If it made more I’d eat all that too!
I am eating a big ol bowl of veggies right now for lunch just so I can eat this ranch! I used all dried herbs because it’s what I had, and it’s so tasty! I bet fresh herbs would be even more amazing. Thanks for another great recipe! I’ve literally never disliked a recipe from your site. :)
This is a great base recipe. I only had dried herbs and no green onions so I added onion powder. I also added dried dill and it is a game changer. Try adding some red pepper or a pinch of cayenne if you like, just adds a bit. Thanks, Beth!
Beth, could I successfully use Splenda instead of sugar in the dressing?
I would think so. The sugar doesn’t play a large role here in texture or anything like it can sometimes in baked goods, just for a splash of sweetness, so I think splenda would work fine. :)
Thank you for this!! I’ve been in such a salad rut lately and this made me excited to eat my lunch this week :)
So if I use dried herbs, will the dressing store for longer than 5 days? I’d like to double the recipe, & keep it on hand for a week or so…
It’s possible, unfortunately I can’t say for certain how long it will last in the refrigerator.
Can someone explain why the dressing won’t last much longer than 5 days in the frig or is it just the safest direction to state that? Thank you.
This one has fresh herbs in it, which will spoil just like the would if they were sitting in your fridge alone. Fresh plant material like that always has natural microorganisms on the surface (like yeast and bacteria), no matter how much it’s washed, and that gets introduced into the dressing as well.
This sounds great! My son has an egg allergy, and I was wondering if the mayo could be substituted with something else. We don’t use vegan mayo, we just skip it entirely. Maybe sour cream plus yogurt as a base? Thinning it with milk? Would love your thoughts. Thanks!
I think if you do a combo of sour cream and yogurt or either one of those alone you might have an issue with the dressing being too acidic. The mayo kind of grounds the whole dressing and keeps it extra creamy. The yogurt lightens it up a bit with the acidity, but not too much when paired with the mayo. I think a vegan mayo would probably be your best bet.
Wow! Just made this, and it’s really, REALLY tasty. I used plain Greek yogurt and light mayo, and dried parsley instead of fresh because it’s what I had, but everything else is per your recipe. Thank you so much for figuring it out!
I have a soy & egg allergy — is there anything you’d suggest to use in place of mayo? Like sour cream? I’m a huge fan of your recipes because I can tell you actually use them and eat the food! I can’t wait to try this for my family (and maybe me). Thanks!
I think if you did sour cream with the yogurt it would end up too acidic because both of those have quite a bit of acid. The mayo combined with the yogurt keeps everything mellow and creamy. Your best bet would probably be to find a vegan/egg-free mayo.
I make Chipotle Ranch at home and use a store bought base. I use a Chipotle pepper with some of the adobo sauce out of the can. My daughter’s favorite is Ken’s this will save a ton of money. Thank you for the recipe. I have been wanting to get away from store bought dressings.
I can’t imagine that wouldn’t work. It would probably be a tangier than if you used yogurt but keep tasting as you go and adjusting until you/your kid likes it.
I will be trying this soon because my kid is a “ranch with everything” person and I like it too. I have one question: Could I successfully substitute sour cream for the yogurt? I always have mayo and sour cream in my house but usually not yogurt. I am looking forward to trying this recipe because I have had great success with everything else I’ve made from your site. Thank you!
Yes, I think sour cream would work in place of the yogurt, since they’re both acidic. :)