July 12, 2021

Dairy Free Ranch Dressing

Name: Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 cup mayonnaise (paleo or vegan); 1/4 cup coconut milk (canned); 3 tbsp parsley (fresh, chopped); 1 tsp dill (dried); 1/4 tsp onion powder; 1/4 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

I know some people that put Ranch dressing on literally everything. I think it closely rivals ketchup in the US as the favorite condiment. When I went dairy free (mostly) I really missed this sauce. I have purchased MANY dairy free Ranch dressings, and they’re all missing something. Usually that something is viscosity.

While on my journey to reduce my store bought items and reduce packaging, I realized I could easily make Dairy Free Ranch Dressing with a few ingredients I had in my refrigerator and pantry. Now, I keep a jar of this amazing sauce in the fridge at all times. It’s perfect on fries, pizza, buffalo wings, literally anything and everything. The best part is that it’s the perfect thickness that I look for.

What Is Dairy Free Ranch Dressing?

For those of you not familiar with Ranch, it is a beloved salad dressing in the US. Though, it is so much more than that. Buttermilk is the main ingredient that makes Ranch what it is. It’s basically a mayonnaise and buttermilk dressing with some fresh herbs, onion, and a hint of garlic. I actually don’t like it on salads, but love to use it as a dip.

I hate runny Ranch dressing! I won’t name any names, but there are some big brands trying to convince me that their Dairy Free Ranch is what I need in my life. And it most certainly is not. Ranch should be thick, and cling to your fries as you dip them.

It took me a long time to come up with a homemade version, but I was determined. This recipe is perfect in my eyes and its easily customizable to the thickness that you like. It can also be made vegan by using a vegan mayonnaise. I have found that most vegan mayonnaise is not paleo, so if you go that route, keep that in mind.

I’m kind of lazy and use bottled dried herbs for this recipe. I find that I can’t get to my fresh herbs in time to use them all up. It hurts my soul to throw away herbs that I had grand plans for. This recipe takes dried herbs well, but if you want to use fresh, go for it!

What ingredients are in Dairy Free Ranch?

Mayonnaise: to keep this paleo, you will need to use an avocado oil mayonnaise for this. I love Chosen Foods and Primal Kitchen for this. Feel free to use a vegan mayo if that’s your thing.

Coconut Milk: this is very important for the recipe. It’s also very important to use full fat canned coconut milk. To mimic the thickness that buttermilk adds to the dressing, you need to use a thicker non dairy milk. I have tried this with thinner milks and it just wasn’t as satisfying.

Dill: the iconic flavor in this salad dressing is the dill. You can use fresh, but I find dried works really well and you don’t have any herb waste. If you use fresh, I would double the amount.

Parsley: I always keep fresh parsley in my refrigerator because it doesn’t wilt as quickly as other herbs. However, you can use dried parsley too, they both work well.

What goes with Ranch Dressing?

The list of what Ranch dressing pairs well with is endless! Here are some of my favorite pairings:

Buffalo Wings or Cauliflower Wings (check out this recipe from Sweeter Than Oats)
Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls (check out this recipe from Sunny With Shadows)
Sweet Potato Fries
Fried Olives (check out this recipe from Best Served Vegan)
Pizza
Crudite (especially carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers)

Variations of Ranch Dressing

Spicy Ranch: add 1/4-3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Chipotle Ranch: add 1 tsp chopped chipotles in adobo sauce (1/2 t for less spice)
BBQ Ranch: add 2 Tbsp of your favorite BBQ sauce
Herbed Ranch: use fresh dill in place of dried & add 1 Tbsp fresh chopped tarragon

Looking for more sauces and dips? Try my No Waste Carrot Top Pesto or 5 Minute Beetroot Hummus