Homemade ranch dressing mix so you can have healthy ranch dressing (with no processed ingredients) seconds away at any given time. This recipe is a huge game changer for a healthier lifestyle.
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In an effort to remove the processed ingredients from my diet (along with my family’s) I have done a lot of searching over the years for perfect salad dressings. Bottled salad dressings are full of preservatives and other ingredients that I don’t like to include in our diet.
And I’ll let you in on a little secret.
I can’t stand eating salad without dressing.
Blech.
For me food needs to still be enjoyable even if it’s “healthy”.
I’ve tried dozens of recipes for homemade ranch dressing and truly none of them have quite satisfied me until this one.
Oh they were okay.
But I’d still find myself slipping back into old habits because they were either too much work or not really tasty enough to keep me making them on a regular basis.
But I have good news today my friends because this recipe is the winner. And I’ll tell you why:
Why I love this Homemade Ranch Dressing
- First off you can make the ranch dressing mix ahead of time and it keeps for up to three months. This is a huge deal. There are ten different spices included in this ranch dressing mix. And they are all important to get the depth of flavor needed. Ranch dressing recipes with just a few ingredients have never cut it for me because there is always something “missing” in the flavor. But no one wants to sit and mix together minuscule amounts of 10 different spices every time they want to have ranch dressing. What a chore! So making enough for four to six batches all at once of ranch dressing mix is really the way to go. Then when it’s time to make the dressing you just add a couple of tablespoons of ranch dressing mix to a few other ingredients and you are all set. It’s really easy to mix up as little or as much as you want so you don’t need to worry about preservative-free ranch dressing going bad in the refrigerator.
- Second the flavor is so good. I kind of alluded to this in #1 but the flavor of this ranch dressing tastes like real ranch dressing. For some reason a good old ranch dressing is just so familiar, you know? I love trying new dressings and experimenting, but there are times when I just want a familiar (but delicious) ranch dressing and this, my friends, is it.
- Finally it’s healthy. I hesitate a bit to use that word because the healthy police force that roam the internet world will probably come after me with their little health badges shaking their fists to warn me the reasons why this recipe is not healthy. And everyone has their own idea of what healthy is or is not. But for me, this homemade, from scratch ranch dressing is so much better for me and my family than the kind out of a bottle at the store. And especially since I can use this delicious homemade mayonnaise.
This recipe was given to me by my good friend Marlou who I’ve mentioned before on this blog. She’s also the one who share the recipes for homemade mayonnaise and this chicken or vegetable bouillon substitute.
I just have to take a minute and share one of the most helpful things that Marlou has taught me.
One step at a time
If you are trying to change your family’s diet the best way to do that is one step at a time. You don’t try to do it all or it will just fail. So you pick something to change and you change it.
Maybe it’s making homemade mayo instead of buying it from the store. Or maybe it’s not buying bottled ranch dressing and making this homemade ranch dressing. Maybe it’s something else. Adding more fresh veggies? Not using canned soups? Not buying fast food for a week? Making dinner once a week? You pick! The possibilities are endless.
It really depends on where you are on this journey. Are you just beginning? Just pick one thing and start doing it. And pretty soon you will find that you are eating better and better.
A few ingredient pointers
This recipe uses buttermilk powder. In case you’re not familiar with buttermilk powder, it is usually found in the baking section (next to the powdered milk usually). Here’s a visual of what I use so you get the idea.
The only other maybe strange (but important) ingredient is mushroom powder.
What in the world is mushroom powder?
I make mushroom powder by blending up dried or freeze dried mushrooms. I buy this brand of freeze dried mushrooms on Amazon (aff. link).
Don’t worry about whether or not you like mushrooms, this ranch dressing does not taste like mushrooms. But the dried mushrooms do add an interesting flavor dimension to the recipe so you won’t want to leave them out.
A few more things…
First off I wasn’t planning on sharing the recipe for this salad that I have pictured on this post since this post really is about the dressing. But I decided to quickly tell you about it because it really is tasty.
Throw a handful of spring salad mix (or other greens) on a plate. Add chopped tomatoes, cheddar cheese (grated or cubed), diced avocado, sliced cucumbers, slivered carrots, and chopped cooked chicken (this is rotisserie chicken that I had previously frozen). Top with the ranch salad dressing from this post. Sometimes I like to add croutons if I have any on hand. YUM. This is a salad combo that I come back to again and again.
Next, letting the dressing sit in the refrigerator for a few hours after mixing it together makes it taste better. But I’m going to be honest here and say I don’t always do that. Hahaha. The lazy girl approach (which usually what I resort to) is to quickly throw a dressing together right before I need it. And guess what? It’s still good.
Finally I can’t go without telling you how good the vegetable dip is. I’ve focused on the ranch dressing in this post but the ranch dressing dip is really yummy too. In fact, sometimes I like to use it as my salad dressing (especially if I’m out of buttermilk but happen to have sour cream). If you do try using it for your dressing you may want to add a little milk to thin it slightly and maybe a little bit more ranch dressing mix to taste. It is so good.
Well my friends, I really hope you give this ranch dressing mix a try. Don’t be scared off by the ingredients that you may not have in your pantry. This recipe is totally worth it. You will be so excited that you can have really delicious homemade ranch dressing anytime you want without all of the processed ingredients.
As always let me know if you have any questions in the comments section of this post. I’d love to hear from you. Have a great day!
Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix {Plus instructions to make the dressing + dip}
Homemade ranch dressing mix so you can have healthy ranch dressing (with no processed ingredients) seconds away at any given time. This recipe is a huge game changer for a healthier lifestyle.
Ingredients
Ranch Dressing Mix:
- ½ cup (2.8 ounces) powdered buttermilk
- 4 teaspoons dried parsley divided
- 1 teaspoon dried dill divided
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons salt see note
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- pinch cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon mushroom powder see note
Ranch Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise see note
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons ranch dressing mix
Ranch Dressing Dip:
- 1 cup mayonnaise see note
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons ranch dressing mix
Instructions
For Ranch Dressing Mix:
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In a clean and thoroughly dried blender jar combine buttermilk, 3 teaspoons dried parsley, ½ teaspoon dried dill, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, sugar, cayenne pepper, paprika, and mushroom powder and blend until well combined.
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Add contents of blender to a container with an airtight lid (I use a small mason jar). Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon parsley and ½¾ teaspoon dill.
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Store in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.
For Ranch Dressing:
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In a small bowl (or a blender jar) combine mayonnaise, buttermilk, and ranch dressing mix and blend until smooth. For best results, refrigerate for 1-2 hours before using for flavors to combine. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Makes about 2 cups.
For Ranch Dressing Dip:
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In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch dressing mix and blend until smooth. For best results, refrigerate for 1-2 hours before using for flavors to combine. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Makes about 2 cups.
Recipe Notes
1. I use Real or Himalayan salt in this recipe.
2. For the mushroom powder, I blend up dried or freeze dried mushrooms into a powder. This brand of freeze dried mushrooms is one I have tried and works well.
3. For the mayonnaise I like to use this homemade mayonnaise recipe.
4. It’s really easy to adapt this recipe in order to mix up as little or as much as of ranch dressing or dip as you want. If you are just making enough for a single serving you can even just add the ranch dressing mix to taste.
*This recipe makes ¾ cup ranch dressing mix which yields 4-6 batches of ranch dressing or ranch dressing dip
Recipe Source: Adapted from a recipe shared with me by my friend Marlou.
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.
