Homemade Ranch Dressing
This recipe is a healthier version of Homemade Ranch Dressing without sour cream. You can re-create the classic ranch dressing from scratch. Super easy, healthy, and tastes just like a restaurant!
I loved ranch dressing growing up for dipping carrots into and pouring over salads. However, I can’t recall the last time I had it! Time to change that.
So how do you make ranch dressing from scratch?
I’ve been shaking up my own dressings for years now. With who knows what in the bottled products it is a fairly easy swap and I make salad dressing all the time.
Typically, I stick to vinaigrettes so I thought it would be fun to recreate a healthy homemade ranch dressing and relive my childhood a bit.
Stirrup pants, not required. 😉
HOMEMADE RANCH DRESSING
The first thing is to assemble your own personal, homemade ranch dressing mix.
A fragrant cornucopia of spices:
- dill
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- thyme
- sea salt
- coarsely ground fresh black pepper.
TIP! Make sure the pepper is coarsely ground because you want the occasional hit of a big piece of peppercorn in your dressing.
I also use some fresh chopped parsley because I happened to have some in the crisper but you could totally use dried parsley.
Go with whatever you have.
For the base of this dressing, we are using Greek yogurt.
TIP! Be sure to use a thick, Greek yogurt and not the regular kind of yogurt for your dressing to have the right consistency. Balkan yogurt would work also. The difference between Greek yogurt and Balkan yogurt is Balkan has lower protein and higher fat.
I add in a bit of milk for added creaminess.
Whisk it up until the mixture is nice and smooth and creamy.
Doesn’t the fresh parsley look pretty? I love a good pop of colour.
Add in the rest of the seasonings and give it all a really good stir.
And that is it! Simple, right? Homemade ranch dip in five easy steps.
HOW DO YOU STORE HOMEMADE RANCH DRESSING?
Store it in an airtight glass jar and give it an hour or two in the fridge to set and allow the flavours to develop when it has first been made. After that keep unused portions in the sealed mason jar in the fridge for up to a week.
This is a healthier version of what you might be used to and isn’t quite as rich as the bottled version.
TIP! If you want a creamier, richer version, you could totally use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt.
We use this dressing for dipping but also for delicious salads such as this Pulled Pork Salad and this Easy Chicken Taco Salad. So much yum!
SERVING IDEAS FOR THIS RECIPE
I chopped up a cold chicken breast from the fridge (yesterday’s dinner was Baked Honey Mustard chicken) and tossed it in with a huge bowl of greens dressed in the ranch-y goodness.
More serving ideas:
- as a dip for cut veggies
- in this Ranch Chicken Taco Salad
- stir in some adobe sauce for a spicy ranch dressing
- as a salad dressing
Is it cheaper to make your own ranch dressing? It really is about the same as far as cost goes, because store bought dressings can be pretty cheap, but the main idea is control of your ingredients.
MORE HEALTHY HOMEMADE DRESSING RECIPES:
*Originally posted February 7, 2014. Updated December 8, 2020*
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Homemade Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley chopped (or 1/2 tbsp dried)
- 1 tsp coarsley ground fresh pepper
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp dried dill
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt and milk together until well combined.
- Whisk in the parsley, followed by the remaining seasonings.
- Transfer to a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for two hours.
- Shake the jar well before using.
- Keep unused portion in the fridge for up to a week.
This missed the mark in my opinion. Ranch is typically made with fresh parsley, fresh dill, and fresh chives; the powered onion and garlic are fine. It needed a bit of acid so I added a teaspoon or two of vinegar and that added the punch I was looking for.
LIke you, I generally stick to vinaigrettes (and I haven’t purchased salad dressing in YEARS), but this is so easy, and with the swap to Greek yogurt, a lot less guilty. Don’t get me wrong, I love sour cream, but if you’re planning to use a lot of ranch in a recipe, this is a superb way to go! Cheers!
Yes, true this is really good when larger amounts are needed to healthy things up a bit. 🙂 Thanks, Sean!
We’re big ranch fans in this house so having it homemade is so much better than store bought. Thanks for sharing.
Ranch is such a classic, right? Thanks, Kristen.
I had planned to figure out how to make Ranch Dressing with Greek yogurt and you beat me to it! 🙂 This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
I absolutely love using Greek yoghurt in dressings. This sounds delish!
It turned out so good! We love ranch dressing and now I have a much healthier recipe, thank you!
I’m a huge fan of ranch also! 🙂
This is my favourite ranch dressing! I love the spice level of the pepper and I love dill (I used fresh). Thanks for giving me a guilt free alternative!
Thanks for providing us with a healthier version of Ranch dressing. It’s very tasty and creamy!
Sooo creamy!
I was looking for a healthier ranch dressing This is amazing! i love the new modern take to it!
It is a keeper!
I was looking for a healthier ranch dressing and I’ve found it. I just love Greek yogurt with everything. It’s so good. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thanks so much! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there is noting more empowering than making your own dressing. 😉 Enjoy the rest of your week!
Add some avacado for extra creaminess and mix in some jalapeños for a spicy kick
Great idea! Love the added spice. 🙂
It ain’t ranch without buttermilk.
Would you suggest a substitute for dill or could I eliminate it altogether? I’m really not a fan. Thanks!
Don’t worry about the dill if you don’t like it. 🙂
What kind of milk did you use?
I used 1% organic dairy milk, but any kind of milk should be fine. Just no flavoured ones, like vanilla or something. Enjoy it! 🙂
I tried making this and it was WAY too peppery the first time – I ended up tossing it. The second time I added the pepper at the end to taste and it was much better. Probably ended up being about half as much.
Only because I didn’t have any yogurt on hand, I used mayo instead, and it STILL turned out great! This might even be preferable for those who like a thick texture. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome! Thanks so much, Angela. 🙂
I added a few dashes of liquid smoke and worcestershire. Delicious!
Oooh! Smoke! Great idea. 🙂 Thanks so much.
Looking forward to making this for my kids veggie tray today! Thank you so much for the recipe.
Yay! You will all love it. 🙂 Thanks Elyse.
Can make with buttermilk to make buttermilk ranch, you think?
Absolutely! I would sub the milk for buttermilk. Great idea! Have a great weekend, Andrea. 🙂
Just made this, and it is delicious Sharon! I used non-fat plain yogurt with the addition of a little water. Yum yum! 🙂 Have a great Sunday girl!
SO close to the original, right? Enjoy the rest of the weekend! What’s left. 😉
Just made this using plain, regular yogurt and without the addition of milk…excellent! Thanks for sharing the recipe – will be using this one again for sure. And I will definitely try it with the originally posted Greek yogurt next time, too.
So easy and so much better than the bottles, right? Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed it! 🙂
How long can this be stored up to in the fridge? Just a rough idea. Thanks and love this recipe!
It would depend on the freshness of your milk and yogurt. Check the expiry date on those and that should be your guide. I hope you love it! 🙂
Thanks for the heads up on this recipe….will try with the picky son…do a few push ups at 440 for me whilst I am away. Love the blog
Thanks Julie! I’m doing pushups right now! 😉 Have a great holiday!
I want to try this recipe but have a dairy allergy. Can you substitute Veganaise (mayo) for the yogurt?? Thanks!
Hmmm…the veganaise might have to thick of a texture to it. Is there some kind of dairy free sour cream? That would be the closest substitute.
Yeah I’ll have to look! Thanks!
This is perfect! I love ranch for dipping cucumber, carrots, celery…oh boy I think I just may have realized I like ranch more than I thought…but I’m the same as you. I never buy it & don’t really think I remember the last time I ate it. I guess I’ll just have to try out your recipe & discover my old love for ranch again! 🙂
I know! It’s a total blast from the past. 🙂 Maybe add some chipotle? 😉
Can any type of yogurt be substituted for the Greek? My Daughter is gluten and dairy free.
Hey George! That one is kind of hard. I know there are great coconut yogurts but I can’t see that flavour working with this recipe. Dairy allergies can be tough … Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.
I use Just Mayo instead of Greek Yogurt to and it is fabulous!
Just remember that a cup of mayo is about 1500 calories, while a cup of Greek yogurt is 100 calories. There are several brands of nondairy yogurt. I personally like to make my ranch dressing with 1 c of buttermilk and 1/4 c of mayo–not as low calorie as the yogurt version, but I adore the tang of buttermilk and still get about a 1 1/2 c of dressing for about 400 calories total, or about 65 calories per serving
You can try silken tofu.
Could I use whipping cream instead of milk?
I haven’t tried with whipping cream but I think it would work! It would definitely be a richer flavour.
Love, love, love that this is made with Greek Yogurt!
I love the Greek yogurt! So versatile…