Every real food cook needs some basic resources that everyone recognizes, just like this one. If you have a desire to cook real food more fluently or gain confidence in remaking some of your own processed style recipes using only whole foods, you’ll love the bestselling eBook Better Than a Box. With 60 ready-to-go recipes and 100 pages of kitchen tutorials, your family will be singing your real food praises in no time. Included is the ranch dressing mix for the recipe below, making this recipe even faster since you can make it in bulk ahead of time and add the liquids just before serving! Click HERE for more info on the premium package, including the Kindle version.
Homemade Ranch Dressing
My New Favorite
3/4 c. mayo
1/2 c. sour cream or plain yogurt (I like half of each)
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 cloves crushed fresh garlic (less for young children)
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4+ tsp. each: dried parsley, dill weed, chives
a few shakes cayenne pepper
black pepper to taste, preferably freshly ground
salt to taste (not always needed with the fresh garlic)
UPDATE 6/2012: We’ve been using more sour cream (sometimes 100% and less mayo, and everyone seems to like it even better)!
The old Way
3/4 c. mayo
1/2 c. sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 tsp cilantro or chives
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4-1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
Mix and enjoy! Lasts at least 2 weeks, ultimately as long as your mayo and sour cream or yogurt would last. It’s the dill weed that makes it excellent, in my opinion. Adapted from Passionate Homemaking.
Kelly’s Ranch Dressing (adapted)
3/4 c. homemade mayo
1/2 cup sour cream OR plain yogurt
1/4 t. parsley
1/4 t. garlic
2 t. seasoning salt
1/2-1 t. dill
1/2 tsp onion powder
sprinkle of chives
All the seasonings are dried. Just mix and enjoy!
thanks – i’m gonna make this!
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i tried it and we all loved it!!!!
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This was a great recipe! My family loved it! I’m thrilled that I can now make small amounts of Ranch dressing at home because I’d normally buy a bottle, use it a few times and then it would sit in the fridge until it was 6 months past the expiration date. Thank you so much for sharing it with us all!
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Bebe Reply:
May 23rd, 2010 at 1:08 pm
This just made me chuckle… our house is quite the opposite and it’s the teenagers who are the most avid Ranch devotees. Seriously, get a group of teens together and ask them if they like Ranch dressing, and then ask them “on what?”… they even like to dip their pizza in it! It will have you either rolling your eyes or rolling on the floor! Good thing we can give them a real food version and let them dip to their heart’s content. (;
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Kika Reply:
May 29th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Yes! My teenage son thinks I’m killing him by depriving him of store-bought ranch. He loves it but honestly a little ranch and he’ll try anything. I’ve been trying to figure out how to make healthier versions – that he’ll enjoy.
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I loved this. Thanks so much. I am on a make it from scratch trip too. I loves the dill in it. I am going to add a bit more the next time I make it.
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I made Kelly’s ranch dressing and I added about 1.5 tsp of lemon juice b/c I thought it was lacking a “tangy” quality that I associate with ranch dressing. I probably need to get my hands on some fresh dill!
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Bebe Reply:
June 7th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
I use buttermilk in my ranch which adds a little tang. Have also used a little yogurt for part of the sour cream. I do use fresh garlic which gives it lots of flavor, added nutrients and bite! Sometimes I add a little jalapeno or dried chives too, depending on the flavor that sounds most compelling at the time. My kids eat ALL of it, no matter the particular variances. Ranch addicts!
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Katie Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Bebe,
Katie
I do the fresh garlic sometimes, but jalapeno is an excellent idea. I bet it will be hub’s fav!
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HOW can one have Ranch dressing without buttermillk? Gotta have it. Mine tastes just like the buttermilk Ranch at the store.
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Has anyone tried making this with just sour cream, or a sour cream/yogurt mix? I’m trying to replace my favorite ranch dip, which is just sour cream plus store bought mix (which I don’t really want to be buying, I just never have time to figure out an alternative when I need it).
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Katie Reply:
March 5th, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Michelle,
Katie
I would totally go for it if I were you…In fact, we’re out, and out of mayo, so I may be joining you in the experiment tomorrow! I can’t honestly imagine that it would be a bust.
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Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
March 13th, 2012 at 12:59 am
Michelle, tried it and loved it! Maybe even better than with mayo…
Katie
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Michelle Reply:
March 15th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
Fantastic! Thanks!
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We can’t stop eating this!!!! Honestlyrwnch dressing was the one thing my husband was missing and the other recipes I tried just weren’t quite right. This one was perfect, thank you!!
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Mallory Reply:
May 2nd, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Whoops…that’s what I get for trying to comment using my phone. That should have said *honestly, ranch dressing*
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I’m glad to see a Ranch recipe w/o mayo — we buy conventional mayo at the store still, and I wasn’t about to waste my time making “homemade” ranch just to put regular mayo in it. (Think: soybean oil, etc).
I plan to try this recipe (the updated one) – thanks.
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Lucy Reply:
October 22nd, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Sorry — re-reading, my comment doesn’t make a lot of sense. I meant, I like that you put in the notes that using 100% sourcream is an option.
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Meal Plan Monday #29 | Modern Alternative Kitchen // Jan 21, 2013 at 7:39 am
[...] Dinner: Sausage Pizza with Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing [...]
I have made this recipe twice now in the last month. The first time I went strictly by the “new way” method. But organic mayo is expensive and we are watching calories here at my house.
So I decided to try all yogurt (Stonyfield Plain – I ran out of time this week and had to buy it rather than make my own.)
Not as creamy as the first way, but definitely still delicious. No one was complaining when they were sampling before dinner.
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Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
January 31st, 2013 at 10:08 pm
Amanda,
Katie
I think the spices go great in a lot of bases, don’t they? I use 100% sour cream thinned with a little yogurt now, and we love it.
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