This homemade gluten free ranch dressing is perfect for salads, vegetable dips, and even dipping French fries! It is delicious, versatile, and easy to make in just minutes!
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If you have never thought to make creamy ranch dressing from scratch, now is the time. Many store-bought ranch dressings and ranch seasoning packets are full of unnecessary ingredients and artificial flavors. Just figuring out which store-bought ranch dressing are gluten free is another challenge.
Follow along as I walk you through how to make your own homemade gluten free salad dressing. I hope you agree this is the best ranch dressing recipe! You will never want store-bought again!
While you are visiting, check out all of my delicious gluten free salad recipes!
Why This Gluten Free Ranch Dressing Is Great:
- Although I use fresh herbs to make this flavorful ranch dressing, you can also use dried herbs. Go to the FAQ below for the quantities needed.
- You can make this dressing in about 5 minutes.
- My recipe is made with simple ingredients that you can find at any grocery store. These fresh ingredients are what make this salad so good.
- I include lots of easy flavor variations so you can enjoy lots of versions of this dressing. Check out below to make this with sriracha, avocado, etc.
- It is easy to make heartier salads by adding leftover chicken, steak, or shrimp.
Ingredient Notes:
- Mayonnaise - You can use any mayonnaise you like in this recipe. I used Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise, but there are many brands that are gluten free. Just be sure to check the label. Just Mayo is another brand I like to use.
- Sour Cream - Use full fat if you can, but low fat and full fat both work well. If you are cutting back on fat, you can swap Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
- Lemon - Lemon juice adds great flavor.
- Fresh Herbs - Dill, parsley, and chives all add special flavors. If you can't find fresh herbs, be sure to look at the FAQ to get the right measurements for using dried herbs.
- Garlic - I used garlic powder, but minced fresh garlic is also tasty!
- Onion Powder - This ingredient is optional and you can include it if you like a little onion flavor in your ranch dressing.
- Salt - I used a dash of sea salt, but kosher salt also works well.
Fresh vs Dried Herbs:
When it comes to using fresh herbs vs dried herbs, there are a few things to know. First, you need to use a larger quantity of fresh herbs compared to dried ones. Dried herbs' flavor is more condensed from the drying process.
Fresh herbs are really easy to grow, and it is a lot cheaper to grow them at home. Check out how easy with this guide, herbs to grow in your kitchen window. You can have access to fresh herbs all year long!
Recipe Step By Step Directions:
Step 1: If you are using fresh herbs, wash your herbs and pat them dry with a paper towel to remove the moisture. This is the best way to wash herbs to ensure all of the dirt is removed.
Place them on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut the herbs into tiny pieces. I prefer to use this herb cutter because it gets the pieces of herb cut very fine.
Step 2: Add the mayonnaise to a large mixing bowl and whip it with a wire whisk. Place ingredients including sour cream, lemon juice, garlic (or garlic powder), salt, and pepper into the bowl.
Step 3: Mix all of the ingredients together well. This easy gluten free ranch dressing is so creamy...and look at those fresh herbs. You know it is going to taste amazing on any salad or with fresh veggies on an appetizer tray.
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
To use dried herbs, use 1 teaspoon dill, 1 teaspoon dried chives, and 1 teaspoon dried parsley.
Store your dressing in an airtight container. I like to use small mason jars for storage.
This ranch dressing will keep fresh for up to 5 days in the fridge.
I do not recommend freezing your ranch dressing. Freezing it changes the texture and flavor.
Vegan ranch dressings are in high demand for many. You can make this recipe vegan by using vegan mayo and dairy-free sour cream. Forager makes a great vegan sour cream.
Variations:
- Bacon - Add chopped cooked bacon to your ranch dressing. In my humble opinion, bacon makes this a great recipe for any bacon lover.
- Avocado - Whip ripe avocado and the mayonnaise in a food processor then mix this into the other ingredients.
- Buttermilk - Substitute buttermilk for the sour cream.
- Use different herbs like finely chopped rosemary or cilantro!
Easy Salad Recipes:
Recipe
Gluten Free Ranch Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mayonnaise * see note
- ½ cup sour cream * see note
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley curly or flat leaf
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- ½ tablespoon fresh chives
- ¼ garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash your herbs and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- On a cutting board, chop the herbs into small pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl add the mayonnaise and use a whisk to whip it for 1 minute.
- Add the rest of the ingredients including the herbs.
- Mix well and serve over salad.
Notes
- If you prefer to use dried herbs, use 1 teaspoon of each. Dried herbs are more potent in flavor than fresh. You can always adjust and add more after you mix the ingredients together.
- You can make all sorts of variations of the flavor by adding chopped bacon, avocado, sriracha, etc.
- To make this vegan, use a vegan mayo and a vegan sour cream or vegan plain yogurt.
- This homemade gluten free ranch dressing will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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