Real Ranch Dressing Recipe (2024)

Outstanding. One tip: find a local source of really good buttermilk. I used a whole milk buttermilk from Kimberton Whole Foods. I stuck with salt and freshly ground pepper, and fresh chives from the garden. I did not use the powdered buttermilk--just mayonnaise, buttermilk and seasoning.

Deejay, I'd say that it adds both body or thickness and extra tang. I'd try either adding a few tablespoons of regular powdered milk and a squeeze of lemon juice, if you have those things, or just leave it out. A little plain Greek yogurt might do the trick, too.

This is so yummy! I used powdered buttermilk and Organic Valley Buttermilk. I halved the mayo and substituted Organic Valley Sour Cream. I added parsley and finely diced jalepeno.

I like fresh dill and a smidgen of garlic.

Thin without the buttermilk powder. Sour cream helped and tastes good.

Sorry Mark, but out here in Issaquah, WA we love our Uncle Dan's Ranch Dressing. It is made with Mayo and buttermilk for dressing or mayo and sour cream for a dip. It will taste great for a week and then some. I might try yours but I think I'd add some dry dill to make it taste the way I like it.

Great recipe, so easy and adaptable. I seasoned with garlic salt, dill and parsley. Delicious,!

Does anyone know what purpose the buttermilk powder serves in this recipe? It's not an ingredient I regularly have on hand. Thanks!

Hooray! A fresh and clean-tasting buttermilk dressing that provides use for herbs in the garden and leftover buttermilk! Used for a simple salad tonight (lovely with ripe tomatoes), and will use a dressing for falafel tomorrow night :)

Wedge salad: Used this as base 1 tbsp each lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Scatter halved grape tomatoes. Dress the wedge with an attractive pour-over, s&p to taste, crumble blue cheese on top of the wedge and sprinkle with bacon bits. Serve with seared butter steak and potatoes roasted in Rez House oil.

Thank you for that, I was wondering what on earth to use as I had not heard of it. Now I can happily go ahead and try the recipe!

This is my favorite recipe for ranch. I love it with dill or cilantro instead, too, depending on what I am serving it with.

Where can you buy buttermilk powder?

This was really thin and tasted like watered down mayo. We’re adding sour cream to see if that helps

This is not “real” ranch dressing. This is dairy with salt and pepper and the most barely noticeable herbs as an optional mix-in. This recipe made as written is extremely bland and a waste of calories, as many have pointed out. REAL ranch uses onion, garlic and dill at the very least.

I added a cup of yogurt to the recipe

Mayonnaise taste was absolutely overwhelming. Dressing was greasy and bland.

I always have buttermilk and so I never buy buttermilk powder. I make this often - and it's fine without the powder. As a matter of fact, we love it! Sometimes I add a bit extra buttermilk for the tang, then salt & pepper, and a good helping of dried chives. It's fresh and delicious. As simple and as good as it gets.

Followed as instructed and it was atrocious. The Classic Ranch recipe is the clear winner between these two on NYT.

Perfect. Used parsley and chives, half sour cream, half mayo.

This is my favorite recipe for ranch. I love it with dill or cilantro instead, too, depending on what I am serving it with.

Has anyone else noticed something happened to the supermarket ranch dressings? They're awful now, so I started searching for a recipe and I think this is the best of them. Like others, I halve the mayo and added garlic powder (which somehow tasted better than fresh) and cornstarch to thicken it up. Totally delicious.

To make a lower-fat version without mayonnaise, I mixed nonfat Greek yogurt with black salt (3/4 tsp :: 1c yogurt) to provide the egg yolk taste of the mayonnaise, and 1Tbl avocado oil for a little fat mouthfeel, and thinned it with a few tsp wine vinegar.

Every store was out of buttermilk powder! I made it without, doubled the recipe and did half sour cream and half buttermilk. Still very thin. It clearly needs the buttermilk powder!!

Hooray! A fresh and clean-tasting buttermilk dressing that provides use for herbs in the garden and leftover buttermilk! Used for a simple salad tonight (lovely with ripe tomatoes), and will use a dressing for falafel tomorrow night :)

Good! I didn't have buttermilk powder so put little extra buttermilk in. Needed leamon to my taste. I threw a little garlic powder in and then wished I hadn't - next time will try it without. It was thin without the powder but I didn't mind that!

This was pretty mind blowingly simple and delicious. Also so many variations as people have commented. We were looking to make the Mark Bittman Caesar salad, but wanted something quicker. Love it!