Make your own homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing. It’s herby, tangy, low-fat, and so much fresher than bottled. Great for salads and dips.
Salad dressing is something we all pick up in the grocery store without a second thought. But have you ever tried making your own at home?
One of my refrigerator shelves used to be packed with bottle after bottle of different types of salad dressings – Thousand Island, Catalina, Italian, Caesar…you name it, there was probably a half-used bottle of it in there, and Lord only knew how old it was.
But since I started making my own dressings, all that space is cleared, and we’re enjoying fresh tasting, preservative-free dressings with our salads. Plus, a freshly homemade dressing tastes so much better than bottled that I can’t even describe the difference!
One of the most popular dressings used in our home is a low-fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing that we use both on salads and as a dip for fresh veggies. I just knew that I could recreate that dressing with fresh ingredients and make it as we needed it rather than having it days, weeks, years old out of a bottle.
I looked online for recipes, and, of course, there are hundreds. So, I combined what I thought were the best parts of a lot of them and came up with a version that we really like. Hope you do, too.
🥄 How I Make Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Measure all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving to allow flavors to develop.
👉 PRO TIP: If fresh herbs are available, substitute them, finely chopped, for the dried herbs. Use double the amount of fresh as dry.
If the dressing seems too thick when ready to serve, thin it with a few tablespoons of additional buttermilk. The recipe may be doubled or tripled as needed.
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📖 Recipe
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Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ¼ teaspoon dried chives
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon canola oil
- Pinch salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Measure all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together.
- Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving to allow flavors to develop.
Notes
- If fresh herbs are available, substitute them, finely chopped, for the dried herbs. Use double the amount of fresh as dry.
- If the dressing seems too thick when ready to serve, thin with a few tablespoons of additional buttermilk.
- The recipe may be doubled or tripled as needed.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
This recipe looks great. Better than the last one I tried.
My question is, why lowfat?
Full-fat is much better tasting and is better for your body.
I do live in Wisconsin which kind of makes me an expert…
Thanks for the recipe Lana. I make a lot of yours.
Amy.
Feel free to make it with full fat products if you wish.
Looks delicious! How long would you say it keeps in the fridge?
About 3 to 4 days.
This has got to taste heads and tails above any bottled version! Fabulous recipe, Lana!
Thanks so much, Liz. I really like this version and in summer with fresh herbs, it’s even better!
That looks sooooo good! I can’t wait to try it. I’m slightly ashamed to admit that I’ve never made a ranch dressing before!
You’ll love it, Julie! It’s so much fresher than the bottled version.