Rich and creamy, this is the best creamy homemade ranch dressing. Nothing beats the velvety, flavorful topping. You will never want to buy bottled dressing again. The herbs and spices work together to create an amazing blend of flavors that will leave you actually wanting to eat more vegetables.
Salad and veggies are actually some of my favorite foods. There is no better way to dress them up than with a yummy homemade salad dressing. We are always looking for great ways to eat more fresh veggies - well, here you go!
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Taking the time to make homemade dressing is so much healthier than buying bottles of dressing in the store. The homemade version avoids the unhealthy preservatives as well as any msg that might have been sneakily added in, probably under a false name.
I’m a salad fanatic. Just ask my kids. They will tell you all about it… “Mom makes us eat salad, like, every day!” Well, it’s really not that bad when you can enjoy your salad with a delicious homemade ranch dressing. Anyway, they are eating their vegetables so I really can’t complain.
The thing I really love about salad is that you can add all your favorite ingredients to dress it up and give it flavor, spice, crunch or whatever you need in your diet. Salads are so healthy, too. I usually start with a bed of fresh chopped Roman lettuce and then add on from there. Baby spinach and spring mix are also some of my regular favorites.
I like to top my salad with avocado, a generous sprinkle of cheese, a few fancy Spanish green olives and, of course some of my homemade ranch dressing. Other special add ons that I like include are pepperoncini peppers, flax seeds, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and red cabbage.
Ingredients
The ingredients needed for this recipe are simple. Chances are you already have many of the items in your fridge and pantry. You will need:
- Mayonaise
- Sour cream
- Garlic
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Vinegar
- Milk
...and a few herbs and spices.
Many ranch dressing recipes will call for buttermilk. I use a shortcut here called "sour milk".
In many recipes that call for buttermilk you can substitute sour milk. "Sour milk" is simply milk mixed with a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice. Which is what I usually do because I don’t end up using a whole container of buttermilk before it goes bad. And, hey, one less ingredient to buy.
Making sour milk is a great trick to know if you are making buttermilk pancakes and don’t have any buttermilk around. Add 1 - 2 Tbs. vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. As you mix in the acid, it will become a little bit thickened.
If you want to use real buttermilk in this recipe just reduce the white vinegar to 1 Tb. and omit the milk. Instead, add ¼ -½ cup buttermilk, depending on how thick you want it.
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. I like to use a canning jar with a plastic lid but you can use any container that you want. Store for up to 2 weeks. The flavors will fully meld together after several hours.
Directions
To make the best creamy super delicious homemade ranch dressing just whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream. Then add in the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, pepper, salt, dill paprika and cayenne. Incorporate ¼ to ½ cup of milk, depending on how thick you want your dressing to be. Finally, chop fresh chives and mix in.
Serve over your favorite salad or with fresh cut veggie sticks.
You can use your delicious homemade ranch dressing right away but the garlic flavor will mellow a little bit after it is refrigerated overnight. Place in a sealed container and use within 2 weeks.
Recipe
Best Homemade Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Sour cream
- 1 Clove Garlic finely minced or grated
- 1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tb. White vinegar
- ½ tsp. Black pepper
- ¼ tsp. Salt.
- 1 Tb. Dill weed dried
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne papper
- ¼ - ½ cup Milk
- 1 Tb. Chives optional
Instructions
- Whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream.
- Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, pepper, salt, dill paprika and cayenne.
- Incorporate ¼ to ½ cup of milk, depending on how thick you want your dressing to be.
- Finally, chop the chives and mix into the dressing.
- Place in a sealed container. Refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.
Notes
You also might like my sweet potato fries or bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers!
Please make sure to leave your comments, questions and ratings below.
Latoya
I have always wanted to make homemade ranch. This was really delicious and surprisingly easy. It was great on my salad and the kids couldn't get enough of its a dip with their carrots.