Homemade Ranch Dressing

Name: Homemade Ranch Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup sour cream; 1/4 cup mayo; 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk; 1 garlic clove; 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tbsp minced fresh dill weed; 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley; salt; fresh cracked peppercorns

Created: March 17, 2021 Updated: March 17, 2021 by lyuba 35 Comments

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This ranch dressing is better than any store-bought one and will only take a couple of minutes to make. It’s a creamy combination of sour cream, buttermilk, some mayo, fresh dill, fresh parsley, fresh garlic, and cracked peppercorns. Enjoy this dressing on salads or as a dip!

If you love this classic dressing, try our other classics like Caesar Dressing, Italian Dressing, and Balsamic Vinaigrette.

syrup jar with handle filled with homemade buttermilk ranch on a wood table with a garden salad in a white bowl in background to the left and a brown cloth to the right

Ranch if by far, my family’s favorite dressing and I’m sure that’s true for most other people. It’s creamy and tangy with flavor that compliments just about anything. That’s why we always have a jar of homemade ranch dressing in the refrigerator.

What makes my version of this dressing special, in my opinion, is the fresh ingredients like fresh dill weed, fresh parsley, fresh garlic, and cracked peppercorns. Fresh ingredients make this dressing pop with bright and aromatic flavors.

Ranch dressing recipe can’t be any easier to make too. All you have to do is mince herbs, press garlic, and mix the ingredients together. You can prepare it in just 5 minutes when needed.

Another reason this homemade ranch dressing is perfect is how easy you can make it into a dip. All you have to do is use less buttermilk and the dressing will be thicker. It’s a great dip for a veggie tray, chicken tenders, or fries.

Ingredients for Homemade Ranch Dressing

buttermilk ranch dressing ingredients on a wooden cutting board

Sour cream – For the creamiest and richest dressing use regular full fat sour cream. If you have to make it lighter ranch, use light sour cream instead.
Mayonnaise – Stick with real mayo like Hellman’s and NOT spreads like Miracle Whip. The latter has added sugar and spices that will alter the overall flavor.
Buttermilk – use low fat, usually 1%, buttermilk.
Garlic – I always recommend using fresh garlic when possible. It really does taste better than jarred.
Worcestershire sauce – Don’t leave this out! Even the tiniest amount makes a huge difference in flavor.
Dill weed – This feathery herb packs a lot of flavor into its tiny leaves.
Parsley – Be sure to grab either curly or flat-leaf parsley, not the more ruffled Italian variety.
Peppercorns – Crack your peppercorns right into the dressing mixture for the most aromatic result. If you want to take it even a step further, you can toast your peppercorns.

How To Make Ranch Dressing

Your first and hardest step in this recipe is to mince the herbs and press the garlic clove. After you do that, it’s a cake walk. Just whisk everything together until combined.

whisking buttermilk ranch dressing in a metal bowl

Pour the mixture into a spouted serving container for drizzling or transfer it to a glass jar with a lid.

Feel free to double the recipe to feed a larger crowd!

pouring homemade ranch dressing into a small glass pitcher

Tips For The Best Ranch Dressing

Since there isn’t really much to the preparation process, all the secrets lie in the ingredients.

Fresh herbs will be better than dried! The flavor will be much brighter and stronger with fresh herbs. Although, if you must use dried, use half the amount listed in the recipe.
Use fresh garlic! Yes, getting a jar of minced garlic or even pre-peeled garlic is much easier. But remember, jarred garlic has a pungent old taste and pre-peel garlic goes bad quite fast. So the flavor will be affected.
Peppercorns! Use a simple peppermill to crack peppercorns right when you need them.
Let it chill first. While you can certainly enjoy Ranch dressing right away, the flavors will continue to meld together the longer the mixture has to sit. Make a batch first thing in the morning or even the night before so it’s even better when you’re ready to eat!
Give it a quick whisk when using leftovers to blend ingredients back together.
Want to use it as a dip? Simply reduce the amount of buttermilk to create a thicker consistency.

homemade buttermilk ranch being poured from jar onto garden salad

Storing Instructions:

If you’re making the dressing ahead of time or have leftovers, store homemade ranch dressing in the refrigerator. Pour it into a glass jar with an air-tight lid and keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week.

view from above of syrup jar with handle filled with homemade buttermilk ranch on a wood table with a garden salad in a white bowl in background to the left and a brown cloth to the right

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