Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
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This buttermilk ranch dressing is cool, creamy, and garlicky. Serve it over a green salad or use it as a dip for crudités or chips.
Gourmet is probably not the word that comes to mind when you think of buttermilk ranch dressing, but homemade is nothing like the mass-produced bottled stuff on the grocery store shelves. This buttermilk variation of my standard ranch dressing recipe is one of my go-to salad dressings. It’s cool, creamy, tangy, garlicky, and, honestly, good enough to eat straight with a spoon. Try the dressing over a crisp green salad or as a dip for crudités, potato chips, or baked chicken wings.
“Delicious. This takes just a few minutes to make with outstanding results. A+”
What You’ll Need To Make Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Sour Cream: Provides creaminess and tanginess to the dressing.
- Buttermilk: Adds a subtle tang and helps thin out the dressing to a pourable consistency.
- Mayonnaise: Contributes richness and helps bind the ingredients together.
- Garlic: Infuses the dressing with a bold, savory flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: Enhance the overall taste of the dressing.
- Dill: Adds a hint of herbal flavor and freshness.
- Fresh Chives: Offer a mild onion flavor and a pop of color.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Provides brightness and balances the richness of the other ingredients.
- Tabasco Sauce: Adds an optional touch of heat and extra flavor for those who enjoy a bit of spice.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
To make it, simply combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.
And whisk to blend.
That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! It will keep well in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Keep in mind that the garlic flavor gets stronger the longer it sits, so you may want to cut back if you’re planning on making it in advance. Also, the dressing will thicken up to more of a dip consistency as it chills. If you’d like it to be pourable, let it sit on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes before using.
Sure, you can omit the mayo and increase the sour cream to 3/4 cup. Because the additional sour cream will add more tangy flavor, reduce the lemon juice to 1 teaspoon.
While I’m a big fan of making your own buttermilk for baked goods, when something relies more heavily on the buttermilk flavor and consistency, I suggest using store-bought.
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Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
This buttermilk ranch dressing is cool, creamy, and garlicky. Serve it over a green salad or use it as a dip for crudités or chips.
Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (see note)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1½ teaspoons dried dill
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Few dashes Tabasco sauce, optional
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Chill until ready to serve.
- Note: The dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The garlic flavor gets stronger the longer it sits, so you might want to cut back if you're planning on making it in advance. The dressing will thicken up to more of a dip consistency as it chills.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 69
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Sugar: 1g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Sodium: 113mg
- Cholesterol: 9mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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We’re winding down from Christmas dinner, and I have to say this dressing was wonderfully delicious and a huge hit. I’ll definitely be making it again. Thank you so much, and happy holidays!
I must admit that I used your recipe as a guide as I had tried a new recipe and had fresh parsley, mint and dill leftover. Other than that I used everything else in your recipe and it is the bomb!! It turned out like a wonderful tziziki (sp). I have now subscribed to your emails. Thank you so much!!
Excellent recipe. Heed the advice about garlic, even if you’re a garlic lover. You can always add more!
Dear Jenn,
Just a quick buttermilk question, please.
In the UK where we live, buttermilk comes in a 300ml tub like yoghurt and is thick and spoonable.
I have been wondering for ages, is this what buttermilk is like in the US?
(I am guessing US buttermilk is a lot thinner, as when I have made cakes using the thick English buttermilk they have turned out dense and gummy, but when I switched to homemade buttermilk they were fine).
I am just trying to decide I should use store-bought buttermilk or homemade for this recipe?
Very many thanks for your insights!
Hi Savanna, Your homemade buttermilk sounds like the texture of the US version of buttermilk (it’s pourable), so I’d go with the homemade. Hope that clarifies and that you enjoy the dressing!
Thanks Jenn! I’ll give it a try!
Yes, US butter milk comes in a carton or jug, and is just barely thicker than milk. I’d love to try UK buttermilk, though. It sounds like it’s more of a consistency of Sour cream, but I bet it’s tastier.
Excellent dressing recipe. I added THREE garlic cloves and it was definitely garlicky but so delicious 😋
This was awesome! I had about 1/4 c leftover of Carla Hall’s homemade Chive Mayonnaise and used that up in the dressing instead of storebought. Rave reviews from the family! Thanks!
Made this recently and received rave reviews from everyone. It’s a super fresh tasting dressing and I’ll make it again over and over again!
Solid recipe. I did everything “by the book” and didn’t make any changes. Did not add the optional Tabasco out of oversight but will next time. Will make it again and add a variety of fresh herbs come summer. Thanks for the recipe —look forward to spinning off of it.
This salad dressing rocks! We use it as a dip, dressing for taco salad and multiple versions of veggie salads. The entire family loves the fresh, herbal notes and because we are garlic lovers, it only gets better with age.
Thanks Jennifer!
Absolutely delicious.
I will never buy store bought again.
Family loved it.
Hands down the BEST ranch!! I’ve only made it with dried herbs, go a touch heavier on the garlic, and sub a pinch of Ajinimoto MSG for the salt…so good I could drink it!
I love MSG!!!!!
This is the first recipe I ever tried of your and I was blown away. This is an excellent ranch recipe with ingredients you can find in your fridge. I could eat this stuff off a shoe it’s so good!!!!!
LOL… I think I’ll go grill me up a shoe and make this dressing and CHOW DOWN!!!😂
Outstanding. Reminds me of one of my favourite dressings at a restaurant I went to as a kid. I love the heavy garlic and dill combo.
I do add a splash of worchesterchire to mine.