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Ranch dressing has always been my absolute favorite, and this Ranch Dressing Recipe is absolutely perfect whether you use regular milk or a non-dairy substitute. When I post a recipe as “dairy-free” I get a lot of emails asking how to make it with regular products, which is completely fine with me 🙂 I love your emails….I just thought maybe I could simplify things and make the recipe appeal to everyone…..
When I convert a recipe to dairy-free, I generally do not change the measurements unless absolutely necessary. This usually works, unless the composition of the substitute is completely different. It’s the same concept as using non fat milk in a recipe that calls for whole milk, it will be more diluted and not as thick. Traditional Ranch Dressing is made with whole milk, so I substituted coconut milk (box in the refrigerator section) and the consistency is the same as the original.
How to make Homemade Ranch Dressing:
Pour apple cider vinegar into coconut or cashew milk. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to “curdle” and become buttermilk.
In a bowl or jar, whisk/shake the together mayonnaise, pressed garlic, parsley, green onions, white wine vinegar, “buttermilk”, and pepper…..
Pour into container and store in refrigerator. Use within 7 days.
this picture was taken right after I made it, I was loosing daylight. Once it chills for a few hours, it will be thick and creamy just like you would expect a Ranch Dressing to be:)
How to make Dairy-free substitutions:
I originally made this dressing with soy milk, also a good substitute for whole milk…but there is a huge drawback. Soy milk is made from soybeans that contain flavonoid compounds called isoflavones that exhibit a weak-estrogenic activity when ingested. The medical community is still arguing the effects of consuming soy for men and women alike. The commercial soy bean growers also use genetically modified seeds that is then used to produce the soy milk. So I am limiting my consumption of soy milk until there is a better understanding of how it truly affects the human body. That’s just me, the choice is yours 🙂 ***Update – it turns out that my hormone imbalance, joint pain, and mood swings were being caused by soy, so I no longer go anywhere near it!!***
Let’s move on to Almond and Rice Milk. Also great substitutes for dairy, but their viscosity is closer to that of non-fat milk. It all comes down to the recipe that you are converting and what roll the milk plays. If the recipe is a cake, it may need the additional fat that whole milk provides. Almond and rice milks have half the amount of fat as coconut or soy milks, so that needs to be factored in.
This is how I convert recipes:
Heavy Cream = Coconut Milk (can)
Whole Milk = Coconut Milk (box) or Cashew Milk in the refrigerator section
Non Fat Milk = Almond or Rice Milk
Half & Half = Half Coconut Milk (can) & Half Coconut or Cashew Milk (box)
More homemade salad dressing recipes:
Whole 3o Ranch Dressing – identical recipe but whole30 & paleo compliant
Sweet Onion and Citrus Dressing
By the way, this Homemade Ranch Dressing also works really well as a dip!
Enjoy!!
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsweetened CashewMilk (or coconut milk in a box)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 cloves garlic (pressed or finely minced)
- 2 Tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
- 3 Tablespoons minced green onions
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pour apple cider vinegar into cashew milk. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to “curdle” and become buttermilk.
- In a bowl or jar, whisk/shake the together mayonnaise, pressed garlic, parsley, green onions, white wine vinegar, “buttermilk”, and pepper
- Pour into container and store in refrigerator. Use within 7 days.
Nutrition
I have made this a couple of times and love being able to have ranch that is dairy free. The first time that I made it, it was thicker (perfect for dipping veggies in) and then every time since every batch has been runnier (perfect for salads but not so much for dipping). At first I thought that maybe it was because the first batch I made with mayonnaise out of a jar and the others I made with squeeze mayonnaise out of a bottle but I have since switched back to mayonnaise out of a jar and it is still thin. Any suggestions on what I can do to make it thicker? Thanks!
I would add less milk to make it thicker, Beth. I’m so glad you like it!!
I can’t use mayo because of the eggs in it. Is there something I could substitute for that? My kiddo is gluten, dairy, egg, peanut free. Thanks
Have you tried a vegan mayo? http://amzn.to/2sMrvUg
Try Just Mayo. It’s egg free and dairy free.
I make this all the time. We love it! I cut down on the garlic and onions because it gives it quite a kick. I would like to add avocado to this recipe. Any suggestions?
I am so happy you like it, Candice! Here is a link to my Avocado Ranch Dressing: https://cookingwithcurls.com/2015/01/28/avocado-ranch-dressing/
If the reason for needing diary free is lactose intolerance, could this be made with Lactaid instead of coconut milk … or would there be a consistency issue?
I cannot drink Lactaid so I have never tried it in this recipe, Robin. For some reason it makes me sick, so I stick to non-dairy options. I would suggest giving it a try and see how you like it. 🙂
I absolutely love this recipe. I’ve been dairy free for ten years and gave up on filling the ranch void till I found this.
I also love the milk sub guide given and have played with it a little. I love it with the boxed coconut milk but my favorite is to split the ‘milk’ portion between half coconut milk from the can and half from among milk it reminds me of an old ‘home style ranch’ consistency.
Anyhow, love it!
I dislike the taste of almond milk and coconut milk. I’m currently drinking soy milk, can I use soy milk for this recipe? Is the white wine vinegar necessary for this recipe? Seems like a lot of vinegar going into it with the addition of the apple cidar vinegar.
Yes, you can use soy milk Shelly. Feel free to use less vinegar.
It’s very tasty but VERY watery! It’s like trying to pour soup over my salad or dip my veggies in soup. Is there a way to thicken it up?
Using less milk will make it thicker.