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’ve made something similar to this for years, use mainly Greek yogurt and a bit of mayo; got my kids eating veggies and dip at an early age. For a different flavour try using celery salt instead of salt. I leave out the garlic as personal preference. Great recipe never need to buy creamy salad dressings again!!
This recipe is really good with fresh dill. Yum
This was great.
How many days will this dressing be good without spoiling if I keep it in the refrigerator?
Hi Food Lover :), I think it would keep nicely for about 4 days.
Thank you Jenn for yet another fantastic recipe! I tried to get my family to let it rest (to thicken and let the flavors meld) before a big football game tonight, but they couldn’t help themselves… they looove it! I had to use greek yogurt in place of sour cream, as we didn’t have any on hand, but still turned out great. Your recipes are truly the best!
I’m blown away. This ranch is amazing. I knew by the reviews it would be good, but this stuff is beyond delicious. I never thought I’d be tasting a brand new flavor at 42 years old. Well done.
This recipe was delicious! The lemon juice adds a terrific “tang” to the recipe.
Really like this dressing. Was concerned about the dried dill, it really added good flavor. I did cut down on the garlic the second time I made it & it didn’t have that garlicky taste I really enjoyed from the first time. If you like garlic, definitely use the 4 cloves. I also substituted scallions green tops for chives because there were no chives at Wholefoods. I couldn’t tell the difference. Really enjoyed this dressing. Again, Jenn, you rock. Thanks!!!
This is my very favorite ranch dressing. It’s so easy & I always have the ingredients on hand. Very tasty. For a change, sometimes I add blue cheese crumbles into the dressing. I have stopped looking for my perfect ranch dressing – this is it!
How do you make it thicker to serve with crudités?
Hi Emily, you could Up the amount of sour cream and mayonnaise in order to thicken it, but be sure to taste it as, while it changes the texture, it will also change the taste a bit. You could also try mixing all the ingredients in the blender as that helps to thicken dressings and sauces.
Great idea….I will use the immersion blender!!!
You might break it with a blender.