Avocado Ranch Dressing

Avocado ranch dressing is unbelievably creamy and loaded with fresh herbs and whole foods ingredients. In 5 minutes, make an avocado ranch dressing recipe the entire family will love.

I love this new avocado ranch dressing. It's so creamy and delicious, that I wanted to dip my fingers in the bottom of my salad bowl, after eating every bite, to get one more taste. This avocado ranch dressing recipe is so easy to make, that you will never consider buying vegan ranch dressing again.

Jump to:

• How to Select a Ripe Avocado
• Tips for Ripening an Avocado
• Dressing Ingredients
• Dressing Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make the Dressing
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• More Yummy Vegan Dressing to Try!
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

My family loves ranch dressing! So, when we went plant-based, my first mission was to make a great vegan ranch dressing the whole family would enjoy. However, I realized a lot of people who follow my blog have nut allergies. With that in mind, I created an avocado ranch dressing for everyone to enjoy!

How to Select a Ripe Avocado

Do you ever get frustrated at the grocery store to find a ripe avocado?

I feel your pain! Here are some tips on how to pick the perfect avocados – ones that won't take a whole week to ripen or go bad within one day. Keep this list handy the next time you go to the grocery store!

Color – Look for avocados that have a rich dark green color – or even almost black. Avocados that are a lighter shade of green are likely unripe. Please note, though, that this advice applies to Hass avocados. Hass avocados make up the majority of avocados sold in Canada so you're almost 100% safe with this tip – but if you happen to come across another variety, the color may not tell the whole story.

Firmness – The firmness of the avocado will give you a hint about its state of ripeness. Make sure you don't poke it with your fingers; instead, hold it in the palm of your hand and squeeze it gently. If it yields, it's ripe. If it does not, it may need a few more days to ripen.

Stem – Turns out you can find out a lot about the state of an avocado by examining its stem. First, instead of pressing on the side of the avocado and risking bruising it, press down on the area near the stem. If you leave a dent, the avocado is likely overripe. But if it caves in slightly but retains its shape, the avocado is just ripe enough.

Another way to determine ripeness is by trying to flick off the stem. If it does not come off easily, the avocado is unripe; if it comes off too easily and the flesh underneath is brown, the avocado is overripe; but if it comes off easily and the flesh is green – you've found a good avocado.

Bruising – If the avocado has large bruises, breaks in the skin or areas that are over-soft, avoid buying it! It is likely overripe, and you might have to toss it as soon as you slice it open.

Timing – When you are buying avocados, a good rule of thumb is to think of when you are planning to use them. If you're planning to use them within the next 1-2 days, follow all the tips outlined above. But if you're planning to wait a little longer, say 3-5 days, select ones that are still green and quite firm.

Tips for Ripening an Avocado

If you have accidentally bought unripe avocados, worry not! There are things you can do that will speed up the ripening process. If you happen to have a banana at home, place it along with the avocado in a brown paper bag. Bananas produce ethylene gas, which helps fruits ripen. The paper bag will trap the gas and make it more effective in the ripening process.

Another ethylene-producing food is uncooked rice. Apparently, rice is good not just for drying phones that got wet, but also for ripening avocados! Leave an avocado in a bowl filled with uncooked rice and make sure it's covered on all sides. A few days later, the avocado should be good to eat.

One last trick is perhaps the most obvious one. Place the avocado in the sun, and let sunlight work its magic. The warmth will help the avocado ripen quicker.

Now that your avocados are ripe, you can make avocado ranch dressing.

Dressing Ingredients

• Avocado: I love avocados for their rich creaminess when added to any sauce or dressing.
• Unsweetened Unflavored Plant Milk: I used oat milk; I love the creaminess and the way it blends with other ingredients.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: The apple cider vinegar is added to the plant milk to form vegan buttermilk.
• Lemon Juice: The acid in the lemon juice as well as the fresh citrus flavor works well to create a tangy avocado dressing recipe.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is the dried and finely ground form of garlic.
• Onion Powder: Onion powder is basically dried onion that's been ground. Although dried onion is just the onion flesh, onion powder can also include dehydrated onion skins and roots. Onion powder is three times more potent than dried onion
• Salt/Pepper: Salt and pepper enhance the ingredients in the avocado dressing.
• Fresh Dill: This fresh herb has an herbaceous, grassy, and slightly tangy flavor with notes of anise. The distinct taste of dill stands out in most recipes, therefore, is a highlight of and ranch dressing recipe.
• Fresh Parsley: Similar to dill, fresh parsley helps to create the fresh herb flavor inherent in vegan ranch dressing.

Dressing Ingredient Substitutions

• Nuts and nut butters are often substituted for avocado in recipes. If you are allergic to avocado, dislike it, and prefer nuts, try my vegan ranch dressing recipe.
• Any plant milk works. Just remember to use unsweetened, unflavored plant milk.
• White wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar have a similar level of acidity, making for an easy swap.
• If you don't have fresh lemons, use bottled lemon juice instead.
• 1 fresh garlic clove can be added instead of the garlic powder.
• 1 teaspoon of minced shallot replaces the onion powder.
• If you don't have fresh dill, or fresh parsley, a general rule of thumb for the dried-to-fresh herb ratio: Use one-third the amount of dried herb for the fresh herb called for in the recipe.

How to Make the Dressing

Begin by combining the apple cider vinegar and plant milk, and set aside for a few minutes.

In the meantime, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large blender cup, except for the fresh dill and parsley.

Add the vegan buttermilk (a combination of milk and apple cider vinegar). Then, blend until smooth.

If you prefer your dressing thinner, add a little more plant milk until you get the desired texture and thickness.

Now add the fresh herbs, but DO NOT blend them into the ingredients. Instead, use a spoon to stir into the avocado ranch dressing.

Next, transfer to a ball jar or container with a lid and refrigerate until ready to use the avocado ranch dressing.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Choose a large ripe avocado. If the avocado isn't ripe, it doesn't have the right texture or flavor to blend into a dressing. Instead, it will lack flavor and creaminess.
• Refer to the tips on how to ripen an avocado above in the blog post.
• When using dry herbs remember the ratio is one-third the amount of dried herb for the fresh herb called for in the recipe.
• Refrigerate avocado dressing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

You will love this avocado ranch dressing! Use it as a salad dressing, or a vegetable dip, or pour it over your favorite cooked vegetables. In 5 minutes you can make homemade, healthy dressing.

More Yummy Vegan Dressing to Try!

📖 Recipe