Easy Vegan Ranch Dressing

The best Vegan Ranch Dressing recipe is so easy to make! It's creamy, tangy, herby, garlicky, and made without nuts or soy! It tastes just like classic homemade ranch, but is allergy-free, gluten-free, and perfect as a dip or salad dressing! Make it with fresh or dried herbs, this healthy vegan ranch will be a party and weekly meal prep staple!

Skip the bottled stuff, this vegan ranch recipe is the only vegan ranch you'll ever be reaching for! Homemade ranch is an American classic, so fresh, creamy, garlicky, and herby. A dip for any and everything and a classic salad dressing. Hidden Valley has nothing on this easy vegan recipe that also happens to be completely allergy-free and healthy! None of the cashews or tofu you'll find in typical vegan recipes, this ranch dressing is much more special!

What Is Ranch?

This very American salad dressing/dip is a combination of buttermilk, garlic, onion, herbs (parsley, chives, dill), salt, pepper, and something like mayonnaise or oil. It was invented by a man named Steven Henson in the 1950s. When he retired from his plumbing job, he bought a ranch in California and named it Hidden Valley Ranch. He started serving the dressing at a little steakhouse he started on the ranch, launching the dressing into popularity. He later started selling the seasoning mix to stores before incorporating Hidden Valley Ranch Food Products, Inc. and selling nationwide.

Is Hidden Valley Ranch Vegan?

Hidden Valley has long sold its bottled ranch, which contains dairy and egg, as well as its seasoning packets which contain dairy (all products contain soy). However, in 2021, Hidden Valley launched a plant-based version of its classic ranch dressing. It still contains soy but is dairy and egg-free. Its "Plant-Powered" Ranch is just a bottle of soybean oil and modified food "ingredients'.

Why You'll Love This Allergy-Free Recipe

This vegan recipe is completely allergy-free and can be made with 100% homemade ingredients if you choose. No nuts, no soy, and definitely no dairy or eggs! It's beyond easy to make, no blender required! Customize it with extra spices or herbs and even make it as thick or drippy as you'd like! This homemade ranch recipe is:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
• Keto & Low-Carb
• Paleo, Grain-Free
• Oil-Free & Sugar-Free
• Easy To Meal Prep & Make-Ahead
• Quick, Easy, & Budget-Friendly
• Great Party Dip, Salad Dressing, or Sauce

Ingredient For Vegan Ranch

• Vegan Mayo: For a thick creamy base, a vegan eggless mayo makes this ranch dippable. You can use my homemade vegan mayo or a store-bought variety like Hellmann's.
• Vegan Sour Cream: To add tang and replace the qualities of actual buttermilk, vegan sour cream is the perfect addition. My two-ingredient vegan sour cream is the easiest to make, but if you happen to have store-bought that's fine, but unnecessary.
• Vegan Buttermilk: Vegan buttermilk doesn't compare in terms of thickness to real buttermilk (that's why we use vegan sour cream), however, a few tablespoons helps get the ranch dressing drippy enough. It's just non-dairy milk and vinegar mixed together. One tablespoon of vinegar for every one cup of milk!
• White Vinegar: For extra tang and zing, a few teaspoons of white vinegar is essential. Make sure to use white distilled vinegar to achieve the best taste!
• Parsley: Fresh herby parsley brightens this dressing up and makes it taste so fresh!
• Dill: You can't have ranch without dill! This aromatic distinct-flavored herb is a must.
• Chives: The gently oniony flavor of chives is another essential green herb to add to your dressing.
• Seasonings: Lots of garlic powder, onion powder, plenty of black pepper, and salt to taste! You can also add ground mustard for a little spice or paprika.

Ingredient Add-Ins & Customizations

• Nutritional Yeast: Nooch will add a nutty, cheesy, umami flavor.
• Smoked Paprika: Instead of normal paprika, try some smoked paprika for a smokey bbq-y flavored ranch!
• Spice & Heat: Make your vegan ranch spicy by adding some hot sauce, chili powder, or chipotle powder! You can even try some minced jalapenos
• Dill Pickle: Swap the white vinegar with pickle juice and you can even go so far as to add some minced dill pickles to your ranch!
• Other Herbs: Try some cilantro, marjoram, or scallions!
• Lemon Juice: Replace the white vinegar with some fresh lemon juice for a bright lemony flavor.
• Coconut Aminos: Try some coconut aminos (gluten-free soy-free soy sauce) for an extra salty umami flavor!

How To Make Vegan Ranch Dressing

1. Prep all your ingredients by mincing your herbs and measuring out your creamy bases.
2. Add the vegan mayo, sour cream, and vinegar to a small bowl and mix them together.

3. Add your seasonings and minced herbs to the bowl and mix.
4. One tablespoon at a time, add the vegan buttermilk until you get your desired consistency.

Fresh vs Dried Herbs

The question is, what's easier for you? The benefit of using fresh herbs is that your from-scratch homemade vegan ranch really tastes FRESH and homemade. The fresh herbs add a beautiful, refreshing, "from the garden" flavor and vibrant green color! However, using dried herbs is 100% acceptable too! Dried herbs are more potent so you use less and they won't add as much vibrancy. For every tablespoon of fresh minced herbs, you use 1 teaspoon of dried (i.e. a ratio of ⅓).

Ways To Serve Vegan Ranch

• Salad Dressing: The classic way to serve ranch dressing, as an actual salad dressing! Add more vegan buttermilk for a dippy dressing and spoon it over your favorite salad!
• Dip: As a simple dip for raw crunchy veggies like celery, carrots, broccoli, or cucumbers! Of course some vegan buffalo wings or chickpea nuggets (non-vegan tenders and nuggets of course!). Maybe some french fries, tater tots, even pizza! Use less vegan buttermilk when you want a thick creamy dip!
• Sauce or Spread: Use this vegan ranch as a sauce or spread on sandwiches, wraps, mixed into pasta, or baked into casseroles!

Storage Instructions

Whether you make a batch ahead of time as part of your healthy weekly meal prep or you need to store leftovers, you can store leftover vegan ranch in an airtight closed container, like a glass jar, in the fridge for up to a week. I don't recommend freezing this creamy dressing since the acids and creamy ingredients will separate and the texture will dimish once defrosted. It's so quick and easy to make though, you don't need to freeze it!

More Vegan Condiment Recipes:

• Homemade Vegan Mayo
• Homemade Vegan Sour Cream
• Vegan Alfredo Sauce
• Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
• Easy Homemade Ketchup
• Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce
• Soy-Free Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

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All your vegan dipping dreams come true! Everyone deserves a little ranch in their life!

So tell me:

+ What's your favorite way to eat ranch?

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