I’ve never met a person that doesn’t like ranch dressing. Never. What I have met however is people who don’t want to eat it because it’s generally made with total crap.
Understandable. I was one of them.
Until recently… when I discovered that it’s so easy to make homemade ranch dressing. In short, start with mayo, add seasonings, and enjoy. Not bad.
I started making my own homemade mayo a few months back (see the recipe HERE).
Turns out, with an immersion blender, it’s the easiest thing in the world.
Literally, it takes seconds!
This ranch is a thick and creamy one, perfect for a dip. Growing up, I loved Marie’s ranch with carrots and celery. My family would go on road trips a lot when I was younger… I just sat in the back seat devouring ranch like a mad woman for days. I loved how goopy it was.
This ranch is like that. If you want it thinner, no prob… just add a little buttermilk, regular milk, or coconut milk until you get it to the desired texture. You made want to then add in a little more salt or lemon to balance it out, but point is, you can make this any texture you want!
I’ve played around a bit with this recipe. I typically like a lot of dill and lemon in ranch. Recently though, I whipped up a batch that was an accidental goodie.
I didn’t think I’d done anything different, until I saw that my jar of what I thought was dill was actually a jar of dried thyme. I was pretty surprised actually- thyme was really good, even if a total accident. So I added in some dill too and dug in.
I realized then that for those who don’t like dill (I know, weird, there are some people who don’t like dill out there!), thyme would be a great substitute. You can play around if you feel like it too… just make your basic batch (recipe below), and then try stirring in different amounts of things and tasting as you go. I’ve found the recipe below to be my favorite standard go-to. 🙂
Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
The Players
- 1 tsp chopped fresh chives
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/4 tsp mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp lemon juice, plus more as desired
- 1 cup avocado oil (find it at most Costcos for $9.98/liter, or get it HERE)
- 1 egg (beware of misleading labels like “organic” and “free-range”)
* for a thinner ranch, add in a little milk (regular, coconut, whatever you like) and adjust seasonings as needed
note: this recipe includes making mayo from scratch as part of the process, but if you have mayo already, you could add all of the seasonings to 1 cup mayo instead… as you’ll see in my mayo recipe HERE, the avocado oil and egg make the mayo- the rest is just flavoring 🙂
important: THIS RECIPE WILL NOT WORK AS WRITTEN UNLESS YOU’RE USING AN IMMERSION BLENDER AND A JAR. The mouth of the jar should be just wide enough to fit the immersion blender in it- very important!! I won’t even attempt making mayo or ranch any other way now- it literally takes seconds with a hand blender! I use and love THIS one.
The How-To’s
- Add the oil to a wide mouth jar just big enough for the immersion blender to fit.
- Add the egg, lemon, and all seasonings and herbs. (Some say the egg needs to be a room-temp… to be safe, I would go with that, however I’ve never personally had a problem when it’s not.)
- Within seconds, the egg should fall to the bottom. Wait for it to fall to proceed.
- Place the immersion blender in the jar and start blending.
- Immediately, it will begin turning into a thick white mayo-y texture.
- Keep blending until it’s evenly thick and creamy, about ten seconds or so.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired- depending on your preferences, it may need a splash more lemon or sprinkle of salt!
- If desired, add in some milk (coconut, whole, whatever you have) to thin it out… if doing so, you’ll likely need to enhance the lemon, salt, dill, and garlic levels since it will become slightly diluted.
- That’s it! Serve with your favorite veggies, crackers, or toss into a green salad… and enjoy!
- Will last approx a week in the fridge, tightly sealed.
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I had a ton of basil just sitting around and tried a bit of that with dill in my last batch of ranch. I have never seen my kids eat ranch like they did that stuff. 😀
Yum, basil sounds great!
I was so excited to make this! Unfortunately my results were not that good. I couldn’t get it to thicken up. I used my immersion blender as the recipe recommends but after 10 seconds it showed no signs of thickness, so I continued for a bit longer with still no success! I ended up tossing it with salad greens and it was just like an oil based dressing. It tasted good, but was not what I was hoping for. I read and re-read your directions to see what I might have done wrong, but I couldn’t find anything. Any suggestions? I would love to make the dip as you describe. I love ranch dip and I would love to have a healthy option for such a delicious treat. Is the amount of avocado oil correct? 1 cup seems like a lot. My avocado oil was from Costco, too, so that variable is the same. Thanks!
WHat a bummer! What size jar did you use? And you let the egg fall? Let me know- I’ll try to help! 🙂
I had the same result about 4 out of 8 times and I realized I was using a jar that was too wide every time it went wrong. The ‘vacuuming’ that occurs in the smaller jar makes it thicken…I don’t know WHY it does, I just know THAT it does.
Deidra, that’s a great idea! I’ve never tried that before.
I was so excited to make this! Unfortunately my results were not that good. I couldn’t get it to thicken up. I used my immersion blender as the recipe recommends but after 10 seconds it showed no signs of thickness, so I continued for a bit longer with still no success! I ended up tossing it with salad greens and it was just like an oil based dressing. It tasted good, but was not what I was hoping for. I read and re-read your directions to see what I might have done wrong, but I couldn’t find anything. Any suggestions? I would love to make the dip as you describe. I love ranch dip and I would love to have a healthy option for such a delicious treat. Thanks!
Adding on to my previous comment/question…is the amount of avocado oil correct? Should it be 1/2 cup instead of 1 cup? When I look at your pictures, it doesn’t look like a cup of oil could fit in that jar. I hope that’s the solution, because I really want to be able to make this! Thanks,
Yes it does appear it should have been 1/2 cup oil. I had the same problem, then saw your comment and tried adding an extra egg and doubling the seasonings and it thickened up. I still wouldn’t say it tastes like your typical ranch, but it is yummy!
Hi Kalin,
Nope, it’s 1 cup, promise! 😉
Happy to help you try again if you want to let me know what blender and type of jar you used. 🙂
Hi again,
It’s 1 cup… every time I make it! 🙂
I can’t seem to get the Ranch to thicken. I tried reducing the oil to 1/2 a cup and it worked a little bit better but all I taste is oil. Can you confirm that your measurements are correct. Thanks!!!
Hi Christine,
Sorry to hear you’re having problems. They are indeed correct! I’ve made this probably fifty times, each time the same, and it always turns out. I know plenty of friends and family have had success too… so maybe it’s the method!? Are you using an immersion blender? That is a must! Also, are you using a small jar with the correct width mouth? I’d love to help you figure this out so you can have success too!! 🙂
i wish I had read the comments before I made this! Mine didn’t thicken up either! I didn’t gave an immersion blender so I tried my cuisinart and then my vitamin with no success. Bummer.
I think if you’re not using an immersion blender, the technique will be entirely different. You’ll want to add another yolk, for one thing. And you’ll want to put the ROOM TEMPERATURE yolks in your blender first, then whip them alone for about 15 seconds before SLOWLY drizzling in the oil as the blender keeps blending.
Hi Stacie,
You really need an immersion blender for this… it’s a totally different process without one!
This sounds similar to the one I use but I just may try this. Mine doesn’t call for chives and I bet that would be delicious! And I make my own paleo mayo too but not with the avocado oil…. maybe I should try that.
I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Yes, I wish I would have looked at the comments beforehand, too… mine didn’t thicken up either. 🙁 I did add an egg and that helped, but it still doesn’t seem to be as white and thick and creamy as the one in the picture. I just blended mine in a bowl with a hand blender though so maybe that was the issue. If that really does makes that much of a difference in the outcome, if there were some alternative instructions for the hand blender up above in the recipe, that would probably help newbies like me! 🙂
Hi Liz,
I’m sorry to hear this- my guess is the problem is that you used a bowl. I mentioned in the recipe that a jar with a mouth just big enough to put the immersion blender is needed… otherwise too much air gets in and it messes it all up! Hope that helps… I’ve never had a problem in the many many times I’ve made it, so I have a feeling it should work for you next time!! 🙂
My husband LOVES ranch so this looks great. I am not a fan but wanted to make some from scratch for him. Question: why the avocado oil? If I have Olive Oil from a quality source (not cut with other cheapo oil) can I use that instead or will it not turn out as yummy? Thanks!
Hi Kristine,
Olive will work, but it will leave a slight olive oil taste (and color). The avocado is flavorless and clear, which is why I like it. Hope that helps! 🙂
I have tried several ranch recipes, but none of them came close to the store-bought that I am used to. This recipe is awesome! My whole family likes it, and it is so easy with an immersion blender. I used grape seed oil. The color was a bit more yellow than normal, but the mild flavor of the oil works well. Thank You!!!
Great to hear, thanks for sharing!! 🙂
can I leave out the egg (b/c of allergies)?
Honestly, I’ve never tried without egg since egg and oil is what makes mayo, but I’m tempted to say it would not work. Maybe you can google eggless mayo and see if any ideas come up!? Sorry wish I could help more!! Good luck! 🙂
Looks good. What size jar is that? It looks like a 1 pint wide mouth canning jar. BTW – the link to your mayo recipe didn’t work. I get “failed to open page.”
Hi Kristin,
Thanks for letting me know- fixed it!
As for the jar, I use old 13 oz ghee jars I have- but as long as the mouth is not too big AKA just big enough to put the immersion blender through, you should be fine. Here’s the jar I always use in case you want to see- http://amzn.to/1E6fiDz Wide mouth, not too tall- in case it helps, I just measured it… it’s 3 1/2 inches tall, and the mouth is 3 inches in diameter. 🙂
Ok there is definitely an issue with this recipe. I read the comments and thought- ok these people just don’t know what they are doing or are not following the directions…I was wrong. I have made mayo the normal way and with an immersion blender many times and it has never come out like water until I tried this recipe. Just added in an extra egg yolk and it still has to go in the garbage. I hope someone figures out a solution and let’s us know where the error is. Expensive waste 🙁 Maybe the brand of avocado oil?
Hi there,
I am so sorry to hear you are having problems with this recipe. I honestly don’t know what the problem may be… I sure wish I did so that I could tell you how to remedy it! I have made this recipe exactly as is at least fifty times, never a single problem. I asked some random friends and family to try it out, seeing that some people were struggling, and they too all had success. It’s killing me to see that this isn’t working for some, yet to have no idea what to tell them. 🙁
I’ve tried it with different oils, with varying jars, I’ve added everything in at different times, and still, never a problem. The only thing I can think of is that the immersion blender itself may be playing a role. I have tried with three brands before (mine, my mom’s, and my friend’s), and I’ve not seen it makes a difference, but I wonder if maybe there are lower quality ones that don’t emulsify as well or something. I am utterly stumped… and saddened to hear it’s a failure for some of you. I would never post something that didn’t work well, and I have been so happy with this recipe myself that I was so excited to share it, so it’s a bummer to hear it’s not working for everyone the same. Happy that many are enjoying it of course, but sure do wish I could help you and the others that aren’t getting the same happy result. So Sorry about that. :/ Hope you (and I) can figure it out soon…. I want you to see how delicious this can be! 🙂
I followed the directions exactly but my dressing came out very funny. Is there a specific setting that the blender should be on? Mine has low and high
Thanks!
Stephanie
You really NEED to use an immersion blender for this or you are just going to waste your ingredientes and your time (and money, when you throw the whole thing in the trash). The secret is to give it a couple minutes to separate and let the egg go to the bottom of the jar. Then you stick your immersion blender straight to the bottom of the jar, not quite touching the bottom but hovering right above it, and blend for a full 20 seconds *without moving* the immersion blender. By the time you count 20 seconds, most of the oil will have incorporated into mayonnaise/ranch dressing. Then a little at a time keep raising the immersion blender away from the bottom, letting the remaining oil at the top of the mixture get fully blended into the creamy dressing at the bottom of the jar. Do this til you don’t see any more plain oil floating around and you’re done!
Thank you for emphasizing again the need for an immersion blender- it’s so important for this! 🙂
I just tried this and it is not thick and creamy at all! It just tastes like oil! Super bummed!
YUM! I was so glad to find this! I used an immersion blender with the cup that came with it which is tall and narrow. I wish I’d made it in a canning jar so that I could just slap on a lid and put the leftovers in the fridge. I did not have chives or parsley handy. I did add 1/4 t of onion powder to add a bit more flavor since I was missing things. I did not let my egg sit at room temperature, just pulled it straight from the fridge. I missed the part about allowing the egg to sink to the bottom. Thankfully, I was still busy measuring seasonings and the egg sunk anyway. I stuck in the stick blender to the bottom of the cup, but probably had it too far down, because at first, nothing really seemed to be happening. I moved the blender up a little bit and wowee, it thickened up so much! I have never had success making a mayo or anything like this and it was total success! I did have oil sitting around at the top, but I just moved the blender up and around until the oil incorporated and that worked fine. I could totally see using this as a dip! In fact I am so excited about this, I want to make it as a dip for a family reunion coming up this weekend. I wanted mine like a dressing and thinned it out, plus added a bit more seasoning. I would NOT recommend using almond milk for thinning, especcially not the vanilla flavored I used (oops!). It has such a distinctive flavor that really overpowered the other flavors. I ignored the almond vanilla flavor and focused on the rest that tasted so great. Tonight we had a salad buffet for dinner and I was so excited to eat salad again! Thanks to this recipe, I have a new dip and salad dressing I can have on a regular basis. Thanks again!
Happy to hear you enjoyed it!! ✨
It’s funny that people say “it didn’t work, I used my regular blender”. You did say a hundred one use and immersion blender. Lol! I tried it first with my ninja smoothie cup because I was like “well, the blade is on the bottom like an immersion blender, so it should work.” Nope, got pure liquid. I tried again in a large plastic drinking glass that my immersion blender could just fit in and it turned out perfect! If the recipe doesn’t work for you try to follow the direction…immersion blender and a jar.
Thank you!! Reading directions (and following them) really helps. 😉
IT WORKS .. but you have to use the immersion upside down blender thinga ma jig and I got a plastic cup with just a tad larger diameter than the immersion cuisanar blender attachement … used ONE cup .. yep 1 cup … one CUP of .. sit down .. hyvee vegetiable oil .. why .. didn’t want to buy avocado until I knew it would work
thru in the egg / garlic powder / pepper / salt / dill / (sorry .. didn’t actually follow the exact recipe (squirted in some yellow mustard cause I like mustard)
waited a minute and put in the immersion blender to the bottom of the cup were the egg sunk as per instructions … spun it on high and it started thickening right away
there was some oil at the top so I raised the blender up towards the top and it sucked it right down … tastes pretty good as is .. tossed it on some well rinsed black beans and delightful .. fresh and no strange chemicals to worry about
I’m not sure if this is the solution for everyone who had runny results but I followed the recipe as written, but measured my oil in a liquid measuring cup. I also got runny results. I tried the recipe again measuring my oil in a dry/typical measuring cup. There was a full 1/4 cup difference with the standard cup yielding less than the wet measuring cup! This made the difference for me. I didn’t find that the size of the jar made any difference aside from needing to be large enough to fit the immersion blender and hold the ingredients. I hope this solves the problem for some.
You said this recipe includes homemade mayonnaise. However, I don’t see mayonnaise listed in the ingredients or in the photo. How much should be added?