Dip into creamy vegan ranch dressing and enjoy a whole-food version of a classic ranch dressing. For a nut-free version of this delicious vegan ranch dressing recipe, substitute white beans or silken tofu.
As a kid, we ate ranch dressing like it was ketchup. We put it on everything from pizza to french fries and even salad (haha). I think that's how my mom got us to eat vegetables when we were little. Unfortunately, like most kids, the ingredients in the ranch dressing had little to no meaning. But, regardless of the nasty ingredients and high calories, I love ranch dressing. So, to continue to indulge in my ranch obsession, I made my version of vegan ranch dressing. And you will love this simple vegan ranch dressing recipe.
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Even though I stopped eating ranch dressing long before being plant-based, I missed the creamy herb dressing I adored as a child.
Despite trying many store-bought vegan ranch dressings, they all had an aftertaste that didn't even come close to that Hidden Valley Ranch I loved.
Initially, I planned to use the Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning mix, but I was shocked to read the ingredients. Not only is it not vegan, but most of the ingredients are anything but natural.
Hidden Valley Ranch Ingredients
According to the Hidden Valley Ranch Label, the ranch dressing seasoning packet includes:
- Maltodextrin: Maltodextrin is a highly processed, plant-based substance usually made from corn, but rice, potato, wheat, or tapioca can also be used
- Buttermilk: Dried buttermilk that has been dehydrated until it becomes a fine powder, similar in texture to flour, or regular milk powder. But unlike regular buttermilk, it lasts practically forever tucked into the back of your fridge.
- Salt: Table salt
- Monosodium Glutamate: Today, instead of extracting and crystallizing MSG from seaweed broth, MSG is produced by the fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses.
- Garlic: Dried garlic
- Onion: Dried onion
- Lactic Acid: In ranch dressing, lactic acid in salad dressing is probably used as an emulsifier, helping to keep the oil and water from separating. It may also be used as a thickener. Lactic acid is used to adjust acidity.
- Calcium Lactate: Calcium lactate is a calcium salt and is one of the most common ways to introduce calcium into mixtures.
- Spices: Unknown
- Citric Acid: Citric acid occurs naturally in lemons, limes, and other citrus fruits. It is also manufactured in a dry powder form by adding a special mold to glucose and letting it ferment. The dry powdered stuff is the one that chefs are using to elevate flavors and bring harmony and balance to a finished dish.
- Calcium Stearate: Calcium stearate is primarily used as an acid scavenger, release agent, and lubricant in the plastics industry, for waterproofing in construction, and as an anti-caking additive in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
- Artificial Flavor: NO specification provided.
- Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is a common food additive that you find in everything from sauces and dressings to ice cream and yogurt and, of course, gluten-free baked goods. In most cases, it's used as a thickening agent, or as a stabilizer to prevent the separation of ingredients (like yogurt).
- Carboxymetrcellulose: Studies have also found that long-term consumption of cellulose gum, or CMC, can cause inflammation in rodents (8). As for studies involving humans, a 2021 study found that long-term consumption of cellulose gum can alter levels of beneficial bacteria and nutrients in the gut.
- Natural Flavor: No specification provided.
- Dried Milk: Powdered milk, also called milk powder, dried milk, or dry milk, is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating milk to dryness. One purpose of drying milk is to preserve it; milk powder has a far longer shelf life than liquid milk and does not need to be refrigerated, due to its low moisture content
- Dried Soy: Dried Soybeans are delicious seeds with a flavor reminiscent of sunflower seeds. It is a legume with a rich nutritional composition, particularly in protein, which is why it is often consumed by vegetarians to compensate for the lack of animal protein.
In other words, I ate processed goo for years and liked it. YUCK!
So, let's make a healthy vegan ranch dressing with whole-food ingredients we can pronounce. And, of course, vegan ranch dressing tastes way better than Hidden Valley's version.
Vegan Ranch Ingredients
- Raw Cashews: Raw cashews are a great base for a creamy vegan dressing.
- Water: The water thins the dressing.
- Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar provides an acidic component while also giving a little sweetness.
- Lemon juice: The lemon juice also adds acidity and helps balance the flavors in the dressing.
- Salt/Pepper: Salt and pepper enhance the ingredients in the dressing. I prefer sea salt or pink salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Garlic powder: Garlic powder gives the dressing additional depth of flavor.
- Onion powder: Onion powder helps to develop the flavors in the dressing.
- Dill: Fresh dill is the key to a fabulous vegan ranch dressing recipe.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley brings a fresh herb flavor to the dressing.
Vegan Ranch Ingredient Substitutions
- Choose sunflower seeds, white beans, or silken tofu as a nut-free option for this vegan ranch dressing recipe.
- Apple cider vinegar is a great substitute for rice vinegar.
- I prefer fresh lemon juice, but when it isn't available, use bottled lemon juice.
- One clove of fresh garlic equals ¼ teaspoon of granulated garlic powder.
- Similarly, if your recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of onion powder and you need to sub it, use 3 tablespoons dried minced onion, or 1 cup chopped fresh onion.
- One tablespoon fresh dill = 1 teaspoon dried dill. This substitution ratio works for any dried herbs.
How to Make the Dressing
- Place all ingredients except dill and parsley in a high-speed blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add chopped dill and parsley.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- It lasts one week in the refrigerator......if it lasts that long.
Serving Suggestions
Consider using vegan ranch dressing for recipes other than salads.
- Drizzle over your favorite pizza or breadsticks!
- Dip your oil-free french fries!
- Use vegan ranch on your favorite salads!
- Or dip your favorite quesadilla recipe into a dish of vegan ranch!
Regardless of what you like to dip, dip into a healthy whole foods version of my vegan ranch, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Ranch dressing and seasoning are not considered vegan. It's a combination of buttermilk, salt, onion, garlic, herbs, and spices. However, it does contain a number of plant-based ingredients, so it's fairly easy to find vegan-flavored ranch sauces on the market or to simply make your own.
Traditional ranch dressing contains mayonnaise and buttermilk which are not vegan. There are vegan ranch dressing brands available at teh store, but they still contain a lot of preservatives.
Regular mayonnaise is basically made by emulsifying a raw egg with oil, and eggs are decidedly not vegan.
Tips
- If you don't have a high-quality, high-speed blender, soak the cashews overnight and drain them before blending them with the other ingredients.
- For a quicker way to soften cashews, boil the cashews for 10 minutes, and drain. Add to the blender with the other ingredients.
- However, if you have a good blender, skip these soaking or boiling.
- Do not blend the herbs into the dressing. Instead, chop them finely and add them to the dressing after blending.
- The dressing with thickening when chilled in the refrigerator.
- For a dip, rather than a dressing add less water.
- When using sunflower seeds, use the same amount of water.
- If using white beans, reduce the water by one-half and adjust for desired thickness.
If you are looking for a creamy, delicious vegan ranch dressing, you've found the best vegan ranch dressing recipe you've ever tasted!
Other Great Vegan Sauces and Dressings
If you love this vegan ranch dressing recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup raw cashews or substitute white beans or silken tofu
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons rice or apple cider vinegar
- 1 large lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ cup fresh chopped dill
- 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except dill and parsley in a high-speed blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add chopped dill and parsley.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- It lasts one week in the refrigerator......if it lasts that long.
Video
Notes
- If you don't have a high-quality, high-speed blender, soak the cashews overnight and drain them before blending them with the other ingredients.
- For a quicker way to soften cashews, boil the cashews for 10 minutes, and drain. Add to the blender with the other ingredients.
- However, if you have a good blender, skip these soaking or boiling.
- Do not blend the herbs into the dressing. Instead, chop them finely and add them to the dressing after blending.
- The dressing with thickening when chilled in the refrigerator.
- For a dip, rather than a dressing add less water.
- When using sunflower seeds, use the same amount of water.
- If using white beans, reduce the water by one-half and adjust for desired thickness.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Nicole
I haven't found a vegan ranch dressing I liked until now. This was really good and it will be in my regular salad dressing rotation from now on. It got a little thick after being in the refrigerator and I just added some water to loosen it up. Thank you for the great recipe.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Nicole! I'm so glad you liked it. I use it as a dip too; just leave it thick, or add water like you did, which works perfectly for a thinner dressing. Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it.
Koreen
Fabulous 👌
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Koreen, I'm so glad you liked it. Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.
Lorie Garcia
My favorite plant based ranch dressing recipe. I use it all the time! Thanks Kathy!
Kathy Carmichael
Lori, thanks so much! I'm happy you like it. It's a staple in our house.
Julie
I made this dressing and when I tasted it, it was sweet. Why? I won't let it go to waste but I don't like it sweet.
Kathy Carmichael
Julie, I don't think it's sweet. Did you put too much maple syrup in?
Sylvia
Oh yum, oh yum! This recipe is a keeper. Many thanks!!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Sylvia, I'm so glad you liked it. Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and rate the recipe.
Colleen Byron
I have missed ranch dressing more than just about anything. This is great. Thank you!
Colleen
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Colleen, I'm so glad you enjoyed the ranch dressing. This was the dressing recipe that convinced my kids they could eat vegan 🙂 Thank you for rating the recipe. I appreciate it.
Lorie Garcia
I have several ranch dressing recipes, but I find that I use this one the most. It has a great flavor that I enjoy. Thanks for sharing with us Kathy!
Kathy Carmichael
Thanks, Lori. I'm so glad you like my version. I appreciate the feedback.
Barbara B
Do you drain and rinse the beans if using? I would like to try them, have always used cashews in the past.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Barbara, yes. I drain and rinse the beans. I hope you enjoy the dressing.
Susan
I made this dressing a few days ago. It was way way way too vinegary for me. I improved as it aged in the fridge, but the next time I make it I will only use a teaspoon of vinegar instead of 2 tablespoons.
It doesn't taste like Ranch to me, but it's still good, or it will be with that tweak.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Susan, thank you for sharing. It's always good to adjust for personal preference. I'm sure your comment will help others who prefer less vinegar.
Amanda
I absolutely love this recipe…the seasoning is wonderful and I love to vary the texture depending on how I’m using it!! It was vital to my menu during a necessary dietary change! I see that there are 12 servings in this recipe with 94 calories and 3 protein per serving. Can you tell me what the actual serving size is supposed to be for those 12 servings(I might just be missing that in the post)? Thanks again for restoring great flavor to so many of my dishes!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Amanda, I'm so glad you like the ranch dressing recipe. It's a staple at our house. A typical serving size is 3 Tablespoons for dressing.
Char
Made this dressing a few days ago…Love it. Thank you! Looking forward to my salad for dinner tonight to pour more luscious dressing on. Much appreciated! Charlotte
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Charlotte, I'm so glad you liked the ranch dressing. Let me know if you try any of the other dressings.
Keri Mager
Delicious with the buffalo cauliflower!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Keri, ranch dressing was one of the things I missed most when transitioning to a plant-based diet. I'm really happy you liked the buffalo cauliflower dipped in the ranch dressing. I make a batch every week for my family.
ANDREA S POSNER
Thank you for this great recipe! I will be making it this week. If I want to substitute dried dill for fresh, should I use dill weed or dill seed? This always confuses me 🤔.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Andrea, you should use dried dill, but add only half the dried dill instead of what the recipe calls for. Dried herbs are much stronger in taste than fresh herbs. You can always add more to your dressing if you prefer a stronger dill taste. I hope you enjoy the ranch dressing.
Kathleen
This is a staple in our house. We call it million dollar sauce and use it on everything! Think sour cream, Alfredo, dip for veggies… I used a teaspoon of dried herbs in place of the fresh and it was just right.
Irene Raymond
Can't have nuts. Any suggestions for substitutions?
Kathy Carmichael
Irene, you can use the same amount of white beans, such as Northern while beans. It is a little grainier. You can also use shelled sunflower seeds or silken tofu. I hope this helps.
Sophie
Thanks, i came here to ask what i could use instead of cashews as I don't have a blender that can get them to a creamy texture (I've tried so many times!!). Silken tofu is a magical substance, i'll give that a go
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Sophie, Silken tofu is a great idea or you can use mashed white beans as well. You could also use cashew butter or almond butter. I hope this helps.
Laura McMinn
I have made it....and we loved it! I really enjoy making many of your posted recipes!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Laura, thank you so much. WE love ranch at my house. I appreciate your feedback., It really helps me with future recipes. Nachos are coming your way tomorrow 🙂
Donna
Amazing! I love ranch and had given it up..... until now!
I made it with a teaspoon of dried dill and parsley and came out delicious!
Thanks
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Donna! I'm so glad you liked it. I thought ranch was gone forever too. My kids begged me to keep trying, and we finally got it right (according to my kids... the ranch fanatics! Try the southwest dressing! I think you might like that one too. Stay healthy. And thank you so much for reaching out. I appreciate the feedback.
Rachel
I just made this dressing. Entirely too much dill (1/4 cup would not work for me) I only added 1 Tablespoon and it was fine, Otherwise it is okay. I will make it again and play with different herbs. The consistency and creaminess is perfect.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Rachel, thanks for the feedback. I love dill! I'm glad you enjoyed the dressing.