Homemade Buttermilk Ranch

I have had a lot of ranch dressing and dip in my life and landing on this Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Recipe has been a game changer. Cool and creamy, it’s simple to make and keep in the refrigerator to accompany all the things.

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch

The base for this recipe is simple with mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk. We hit it with big flavors from the get-go. The creamy familiar base of the ranch dressing with the mayonnaise and sour cream. While the tang and slight bite from the sour cream and the buttermilk hit just right

I think the kicker to this recipe though is the dill pickle juice and the dried herbs. I always make this with dry herbs, they tend to provide a deeper flavor which requires less than when using fresh and I always have them on hand.

Gather The Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 Tablespoons dill pickle juice
• 2 Tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Let’s Make A Batch of Homemade Buttermilk Ranch

This is so simple, literally measure all the ingredients into the bowl and whisk until smooth.

• Add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine until you have a smooth dressing.
• Give a quick taste to adjust for salt and pepper.
• Store in an airtight container or sealed jar in the refrigerator.
• Perfect as a salad dressing or for dipping vegetables.

Tips, Tricks, Comments, and Questions

Dried herbs not fresh?

Yep! I chose dry for a couple of reasons!

1. I always have dried herbs on hand. The rest of the ingredients are pretty much always in my pantry, refrigerator and spice cabinet, so by using the dried parsley and dried dill I can whip this up anytime. Fresh herbs are harder to keep around for extended periods of time!
2. Dried herbs will tend to have a deeper flavor. You will normally use less dry than fresh. If you really wanted to use fresh herbs a good ratio to use is 1 to 3.

You always have buttermilk on hand?

So I say I generally always have all the ingredients on hand for a quick batch of this but I have to say buttermilk is not always in my refrigerator. I do however keep buttermilk powder in my pantry for times that I don’t have fresh on hand!

It is a great pantry staple and comes in more handy than you might think! I use it a lot when I have a sudden craving for my Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake, which is more often than you might think!!!

Mayonnaise, say it with me again, MAYONNAISE

I can’t say it enough, use a good mayonnaise and not a salad dressing version. The mayo is providing the creamy texture and taste we are looking for in ranch. A salad dressing version has more tang than we need or want in this recipe.

Storage

Obviously, this is a refrigerator item. I love to keep it in my Weck jars, makes it super easy to just put on the table to spoon out of for dipping or drizzle on salads.

Kept in the refrigerator and in an air-tight container it will keep up to 2 weeks, but we all know it will be long gone by that time!

Kick It Up

If you like your ranch with a little kick add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Add a pinch or 2 at a time, tasting as you go till you get exactly what you are looking for!

Another great thing to freshen it up is some fresh lemon juice. I’m always amazed at what some freshly squeezed lemon juice can do for a recipe. Again, add a little at a time, tasting as you go!

More Dips and Dippers

• Fiesta Ranch Dip
• Creamy Cucumber Dip
• 3 Ingredient Everything Bagel Dip
• Air Fryer Toasted Ravioli