Homemade ranch dressing is one of my favorite things in the world when it comes to a salad dressing or dip! I have always been a ranch dressing fan, and once I started making it from scratch, I loved it even more.

If you haven’t yet made a homemade ranch dressing, you will be amazed at two things. How easy it is and also how much better it tastes.

I feel like there are four degrees of ranch.

1. Ranch you buy off the shelf at the grocery (yuck)
2. Ranch you get from the cold section at the grocery (some can be good)
3. Ranch you make from the powered packet mixed with mayo or sour cream (pretty good most of the time and much much better than shelf stable ranch).
4. Ranch you whip up at home from scratch (ding, ding the winner every time!)

We have tried out many different variations of ranch over the years and this is our favorite.

Ingredients for Homemade Ranch Dressing

1/4 cup mayo (how to make homemade mayo)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
A few drops of Tabasco or 1/4 tsp group red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup milk or buttermilk, give or take depending on the consistency you like. Start with less than 1/4 cup

Note: A lot of people like dill in their ranch. I don’t mind it, but found that we all like it a bit more without. Try it out and see if you like it. Add about 1/4 teaspoon.

Instructions For Homemade Ranch Dressing

Whisk all the ingredients together except the milk. Pour in the milk/buttermilk and stir to check the consistency. Add more milk/buttermilk if needed.

I usually use a mason jar so I can just shake it all up, but a whisk does do the best mixing job.

Make sure to taste it and see if you need to add any more seasonings.

Variations

Ranch is such a great dressing because you can use so many different herbs and suit it to your liking.

If your garden is giving you fresh herbs, use them up and skip out on the dried. Mix and match fresh and dry if needed.
Out of an herb on the list? That’s ok. Try another or skip it altogether. One time I used Italian seasoning in place of the basil since I didn’t have any.
Play with the amount of mayo/sour cream/buttermilk or milk that you use. You might find you like a little more of one or the other.
I’ve heard that adding some pickle juice gives it a great flavor, but still need to try it myself.

By the way, have you seen the new Ergo Spout from Culinesco? (affiliate link) I was so excited when I saw it online because I always use mason jars when making my homemade dressings (and so many other things).

Yet when I want to serve the dressing, it would get messy before using this mason jar pouring spout. Instead of dipping a spoon in, now I just pour it out. And its super easy for my kids to also get the right amount.

How long does the Ranch keep?

It really depends on what dairy products you used to make it. Check the dates on the mayo, sour cream, and milk and you should get a feel for it. The fresher the products, the longer it will last.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Make the best tasting ranch in just a few minutes and enjoy it for a salad dressing, a dip, and more.

Print Recipe

Equipment

mason jar

Ingredients

1/4 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 tsp dried dill
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
A few drops of Tabasco or 1/4 tsp group red pepper flakes optional
1/4 cup milk or buttermilk give or take depending on the consistency you like. Start with less than 1/4 cup

Instructions

Whisk all the ingredients together except the milk.
Pour in the milk/buttermilk and stir to check the consistency. Add more milk/buttermilk if needed.
Make sure to taste it and see if you need to add anymore seasonings.