Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe

It’s America’s favorite ready-made dressing, but did you know you can make homemade buttermilk ranch dressing without the packets? This recipe uses wholesome ingredients and tastes delicious on salad, but it can double as a ranch dip, too!

Shifting to homemade condiments? Try this easy French onion dip recipe, too!

HOMEMADE ranch dressing in a jar with lid off.

How to Make Ranch Dressing

This homemade ranch dressing with buttermilk is one of those measure and mix recipes. It doesn’t require any cooking; you’ll just need a bowl and a spoon to pull this together. 

The Handcrafted Pantry

Ready to DIY your pantry with more wholesome ingredients? Check out my ebook, The Handcrafted Pantry! Filled with delicious recipes for some of your favorite condiments, snacks, and toppings, it’s the guide you need to start skipping packaged products and embrace homemade.

Ingredients

Mayonnaise – Use your favorite brand or try your hand and making my 60-second homemade mayonnaise

Sour cream – You can uses regular or light sour cream for this recipe, as you like. Or make up a batch of my homemade sour cream or creme fraiche.

Buttermilk – This is the ingredient that makes it a buttermilk ranch dressing recipe. If you don’t keep fresh buttermilk on hand all the time, consider stocking your pantry with dry buttermilk powder for baking. If you go that route, mix it according to directions, but use sour cream for half of the water. This will ensure that it’s not too runny.

Seasonings The seasonings are what give this dressing its characteristic ranch flavor. You’ll need dried dill weed, chives, and parsley, along with garlic powder and dried onion bits. Can you use fresh herbs? Of course! Just use three times the amount called for in the recipe. 

Apple Cider Vinegar – It doesn’t take much to give this recipe for buttermilk ranch a little bit of tang. 

Process

Measure and mix all ingredients until thoroughly blended. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving, to soften the dried herbs and give the flavors a chance to meld.

Serving Suggestions

  • Use it on green salads of course
  • Dip fries, hot wings, or pizza
  • Add a dollop to baked potatoes
  • Stir some into your favorite potato salad recipe
  • Serve it with ruffled potato chips

 ranch dressing in a jar with lid off from above. Making Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Without Buttermilk

Obviously it won’t be a buttermilk ranch, but you can alter this easy salad dressing by eliminating the buttermilk and using 3/4 cup each of sour cream and mayo. Consider adding 1-3 teaspoons of lemon juice to this, to give it a bit of tang.

More Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes

Shifting away from those handy plastic bottles as you aim for less waste? Be sure to try this Caesar ranch dressing or this one made with fresh radish greens

HOMEMADE ranch dressing in a jar with lid off.

HOMEMADE ranch dressing in a jar with lid off.

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe

Yield: 1-1/2 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

This recipe uses wholesome ingredients and tastes delicious on salad, but it can double as a ranch dip, too!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon dried chives
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried onion bits
  • 3/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

    1. Measure all ingredients into a small bowl. Stir to combine.
    2. Transfer dip to the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
    3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

Using fresh herbs instead of dried is perfectly fine. Dried herbs are more concentrated, so you'll use more if you opt for fresh; use triple the amount given for dried.

If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can alter this easy salad dressing by eliminating the buttermilk and using 3/4 cup each of sour cream and mayo. Consider adding 1-3 teaspoons of lemon juice to this, to give it a bit of tang.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 87Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 148mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g

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About the author: Kris Bordessa is an award-winning National Geographic author and a certified Master Food Preserver. Read more about Kris and how she got started with this site here. If you want to send Kris a quick message, you can get in touch here.

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