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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Have made several times. I love garlic- but agree that if made in advance sometimes my enthusiasm for adding a lot of garlic overpowers the dressing. I have found that if I pour off a bit ( to save for later) and add more mayo and sour cream , the flavors are still delicious and more mellow. This recipe is requested by many! Also- favorite salad to accompany: variety of lettuces, including endive, romaine, or just the good organic lettuce blend in the clamshell; celery sliced very thinly; frozen baby peas defrosted; nitrate free bacon cooked and chopped; grape tomatoes sliced in halves; maybe some chopped chives in the salad. Serve w blue cheese crumbles on the side. Thanks Jen for an AMAZING recipe for an easy and delicious salad dressing!
Absolutely delicious! I substituted fresh garlic with garlic powder and fresh chives with dried.
By far THE best recipe, ever. I’ve made many versions. Agree on go lighter on garlic if you plan to use over a few days. I made my own buttermilk since I didn’t have any. I also cut up green onion/scallion, chive like, because I didn’t have chives. Just plain deliciousness!
I love, love, love this dressing.
This was so easy to make and has none of the hateful 8 oils. As an added bonus it tastes far better than anything you will ever buy in the store.
Simple yet excellent recipe! My advice is to make it the day before. It allows all the flavors to come alive! Amazing recipe and I found it easily ? just had to hit recipe at the top of the page ?
Can I use jarred minced garlic instead of fresh? I know the equivalent (1/2 tsp is one clove).
And could I replace fresh chines with freeze dried ones ?
Sure, Sharon, you can get away with both of those tweaks. Enjoy!
Delicious and so easy to make.. Made this for Christmas and everyone loved it..
This is so delicious, I’ve been making different variations all summer since finding your recipe, always subbing in fat free Greek yogurt for sour cream and omitting lemon juice and tabasco. When I haven’t had chives on hand I’ve subbed in green onion, today I tried a tiny bit of onion powder. I keep making half batches at a time ’cause I’ll snork the whole thing down myself with a bag of veggies! Thank you sooooo much!
Hi! How long will this keep for? Thank you!
Hi Josie, 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 that helps!