Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
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This homemade buttermilk ranch dressing is cool, creamy, and tangy, with plenty of fresh herb and garlic flavor—and it takes just minutes to make.
Gourmet is probably not the word that comes to mind when you think of ranch dressing, but homemade is nothing like the mass-produced bottled stuff on grocery store shelves. This buttermilk ranch recipe is a variation of my classic ranch dressing and one of my go-to salad dressings, with sour cream and mayo for richness, buttermilk and lemon for tang, and plenty of garlic, dill, and fresh chives. Honestly, it’s good enough to eat straight with a spoon! Try it over a crisp green salad or as a dip for crudités, potato chips, or baked chicken wings.
“Delicious. This takes just a few minutes to make with outstanding results. A+”
What You’ll Need To Make Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Sour Cream, Mayonnaise & Buttermilk: These make up the creamy base of the dressing. The sour cream and mayo give it richness and body, while the buttermilk adds tang and thins it to a pourable consistency. Use good quality mayo, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s, and store-bought buttermilk rather than a homemade substitute—the flavor and consistency matter more in a dressing than they do in most baked goods.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the dressing its characteristic bite, and its flavor gets stronger as the dressing sits. If you’re sensitive to raw garlic or making the dressing well ahead, you can use a little less.
- Dill & Fresh Chives: Dried dill gives the dressing classic ranch flavor, while fresh chives add freshness and a mild oniony bite.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Adds acidity and brightness, balancing the richness of the creamy base.
- Tabasco: Optional, but a few dashes sharpen the flavors without making the ranch noticeably spicy.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Mix the dressing: Whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth and evenly blended. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Keep in mind that the dressing will thicken as it chills and the garlic flavor will become more pronounced as it sits. The dressing keeps well in the refrigerator, so it’s a great one to make ahead; see the recipe card below for storage instructions.
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Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s
- 2 cloves garlic minced (see note)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons dried dill
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, from one lemon
- Few dashes Tabasco sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Chill until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I don’t normally eat ranch dressing, but the grandkids love it. I doubled it and sent most of it home with them. This is a great recipe and I will be making it again.
Very simple and tasty recipe. I have acid reflux, so I skipped the lemon juice and cayenne. Did use about 1/2 tsp lemon zest, and one more garlic. Yum!
I made this twice and perhaps I did something wrong but it was not tasty.
Hi!
This looks great and I’m going to make it for a salad for New Years. About how long does this last in the fridge? Thanks and Happy New Year.
Hi Tammy, It will keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The garlic flavor gets stronger the longer it sits, so you might want to cut back if you’re planning on making it in advance. The dressing will thicken up to more of a dip consistency as it chills. Hope you enjoy!
Today, Christmas, my sister called to see if i had ranch for her veggie tray. I replied no but could whip some up quickly. Despite holding my fussy 1 year old grandson, I was able to throw this together in a few minutes! Have not bought store ranch since finding this recipe. It was a hit at our get together. Thanks again Jenn and Happy Hannukah.🙂
I’ve made this recipe at least 30 times. It is my go to. My first attempt at making salad dressing. Thank you for opening a whole new world to me. I can honestly say I have not bought a bottle of salad dressing since I came across this recipe 2 years ago.
😊
Loved the look and texture of this ranch. Tasted great, too. I did feel like the smell of the real garlic was a little overpowering, which leads me to my question: Would I be committing a culinary crime to sub garlic powder for the real garlic? Thanks!
Nope – feel free! 🙂
My favorite salad dressing is Ranch but I stopped buying and eating Ranch a long time ago because the different brands began to taste awful until. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .this homemade recipe! I made it yesterday and used it on my salad as well as for a dip for my fried chicken wings! Just sumptuous. Thank you.
Andi
This ranch was heavenly! I have picky kids who do not want a mayonnaise based dressing, so I substituted Greek yogurt and it was delicious! I’m sure It would be scrumptious with the mayo, but glad it worked with the yogurt! Will be trying the Ceasar dressing next.
I’m sorry I didn’t leave a review until now, I’ve literally been plowing this stuff for more than a year. It’s by far the best ranch dressing I’ve ever made. The only tweak I have is that if I’m making it in advance I use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic to keep it from amping up too much.
Ranch dressing is the real opiate of the masses.
LOL! Glad you enjoy it. 🙂