Ranch Dressing without buttermilk is an easy and delicious recipe for dairy-free homemade ranch dressing. Great with raw vegetables or salads.

Pretty much everyone is familiar with the amazing commercials about Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing where family and friends are all gathered around a picnic table. It was incredible marketing, because now every dressing company seems to have their own version, because ranch dressing is a thing.

However, Hidden Valley isn’t just a brand. The original ranch dressing was actually created by the founder of Hidden Valley Ranch!

And while, admittedly, Ranch Dressing without Buttermilk isn’t the original by Hidden Valley, it’s still REALLY good.

Want a good salad to use this with? Try using Dairy-Free Homemade Ranch Dressing for the dressing in Deli-Style Broccoli Salad instead of the one in the recipe.

Really Easy Homemade Ranch Dressing in a clear jar on a a white table

General information regarding cooking:

The following information may not particularly pertain to this recipe but rather answers general useful questions related to cooking.

What are the different oils used in cooking?

“High-heat” oils have neutral flavors and have been processed in order to handle high temperatures and are good for sautéing, searing, and frying. These include canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, and grapeseed oil, each with its own “best for” with chefs.

Some oils have their own flavor and are good for sautéing and roasting and add a little extra to the dish. These include extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and peanut oil. Extra virgin olive oil works well with roasting or sautéing, but not for deep frying.

Coconut oil is good in dishes where a slightly coconut flavor enhances the dish, and peanut oil is good for deep frying and will add a subtle nutty taste and smell. Many Asian dishes call for peanut oil in the ingredients.

Then there are oils that are not used with heat but rather for dressing up foods, such as sesame oil, flaxseed oil, and walnut oil, among others.

What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?

When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking though).

The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it. Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.

Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.

What does it mean when a recipe says that an ingredient is “optional”?

If an ingredient is “optional,” it means that you can add it in or not based on your own preference. An optional ingredient can be flavor related (i.e., salty, sweet, spicy, etc.), appearance related (garnish), or even something like nuts or chocolate chips in baking.

What does “savory” mean?

“Savory” refers to foods that are not sweet, such as foods that taste salty, spicy, or herbal.

What cooking measurement expressions mean:

Drop – ¹/₆₄ teaspoon (or less—it’s however a literal drop comes out)

Smidgen – ¹/₃₂ teaspoon

Pinch – ¹⁄₁₆ teaspoon (what you can grab between your finger and thumb)

Dash – ⅛ teaspoon (what comes out when you shake out of a shaker or bottle)

Tad – ¼ teaspoon

Dollop—a glob on a spoon (like with mayonnaise or ice cream)

Scant—a scant cup is almost a cup, just below the line.

Heaping—above the line of the spoon (teaspoon, tablespoon)*

Some useful cooking terms:

Sauté: Cooking quickly in a small amount of oil or fat in a frying pan on a relatively high heat that causes a slight browning of the food on the outside.

Sear: Browning the outside of meat at a high temperature.

Sweat: Cooking vegetables (often onions) in a little oil or fat on a low heat until they become soft and translucent (no browning).

Simmer: Heating liquid to just below the boiling point (has slow bubbles).

Boil: Cooking food submerged in water hot enough to have rapid, rolling bubbles.

Poach: Cooking in a liquid, or partially submerged, on low heat.

Roast: Cooking with consistent dry heat in an enclosed space, over 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake: Cooking with dry heat in an enclosed space, under 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Broil: Cooking with intense heat from above.

Grill: Cooking with heat from below, typically over a flame or coals.

Braise: Cooking already-seared meat in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot.

Blanch: Quickly submerging food into boiling water and then immediately into ice water to stop the cooking.

Steam: Cooking with vapor from hot simmering water from below.

Shred: Creating long, thin strips (not necessarily uniform) of vegetables, like in coleslaw.

Grate: Scraping food against a surface with rough, tiny holes that break it down into very small, fine pieces.

Zest: The scrapings of the colorful outer skin of a citrus fruit.

Mince: Cutting into the smallest pieces possible.

Dice: Cutting into small cubes.

Chop: Cutting into small (bite-size) pieces.

Julienne: Cutting into long, thin strips (like matchsticks).

Glaze: a thin liquid with high-sugar or high-fat coating applied to food or baked goods that gives a shiny look and adds flavor.

Fold in: To gently combine a light ingredient into a heavier one.

Al dente: Cooking rice or pasta to the point before it gets soft (is slightly firm).

Emulsify: Forcing two liquids together that don’t normally combine (like oil and vinegar) into a smooth sauce or dressing.

Deglaze: Adding a liquid to a hot pan after searing meat to loosen the browned bits (called fond) that got stuck.

Slurry: A mixture of liquid and dry starch, such as cornstarch or potato starch, into a paste that is used to thicken sauces and soups. One can use flour to make a slurry as well.

Roux: (pronounced “roo”) is a cooked mixture of fat and flour.

Everyday pantry essentials to keep in your kitchen (suggested)

While not all of these essentials will be relevant to this particula recipe, I have found that this list of “essentials” are great to always have on hand in my kitchen and have saved me numerous sudden trips to the store or having to borrow from a neighbor.

While this is my comprehensive list based on my cooking needs, you should definitely make your own based on yours.

Utensils:

Measuring cups for liquid
Measuring cups for solids (flour, sugar, etc.)
Measuring spoons
Mixing bowls
Kitchen scale

NOTE: When using measuring cups and spoons, make sure that the measurements are comparable to one another (example: that 4 tablespoons equals 1/4 of your measuring cup). You’d be surprised to know that not all measuring cups are the same, and this can throw your measurements off.

Seasoning and flavoring:

salt (my recipes use regular table salt)
ground black or white pepper
granulated garlic or garlic powder (I prefer granulated)
onion powder
sweet paprika and/or sweet pepper flakes (paprika is ground dried red pepper, pepper flakes are crushed dried red pepper)
hot paprika, hot pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper (moderately spicy dried ground chili pepper) for those occasional spicy dishes
ground turmeric
ground cumin
ground cinnamon
ground ginger
ground nutmeg
ground cloves (for pumpkin flavors)
sugar (granulated)
brown sugar
chicken consommé powder / beef bouillon powder (regular or vegetarian)
onion soup mix
onion flakes (substitute for fresh onion—3 tablespoons for 1 medium onion).
various herbs
additional spices to adapt taste to preference

Misc:

oil / margarine / butter / cooking spray
coconut cream as a dairy-free cream substitute
flavorless milk substitute as a dairy-free milk alternative
cornstarch as a thickening agent
flour
baking powder
baking soda
bread crumbs or cornflake crumbs (you can make these with your blender or food processor) for coating
condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce
tomato sauce/tomato paste/canned tomatoes—diced or crushed/pasta sauce
soy sauce (makes a great flavoring for savory foods)
ready-made pie crusts and dough (to just add filling)

We always have eggs in the fridge and onions, rice, and potatoes on our shelves, as well as pasta.

In addition, having some fresh vegetables in the fridge, such as carrots, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers (various colors), etc., can be very useful when putting together a quick but delicious meal.

It is also a good idea to have some ground meat or chicken (breast, ground, or in parts) in the freezer for anyone who likes meat dishes in a snap.

Weather can have an effect on some of the spices and on the chicken consommé powder, so I keep as many of the seasonings in the refrigerator or freezer as I can, and I keep everything tightly closed in containers (you will be surprised to know just how determined moths are at getting into sealed bags and how hot red pepper powder can attract little black bugs—YUCK!).

Therefore, store your items properly.

Yield: 8 servings

Ranch Dressing Without Buttermilk

Delicious and easy, dairy-free homemade ranch dressing

Ingredients

1 cup oat milk
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon vinegar (or lemon juice)
2 teaspoons cornstarch*
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chives
1/3 teaspoon dried parsley
1/3 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions

Pour the oat milk and the cornstarch into a saucepan.
Bring to a boil, turn off the heat, let cool, and pour into a jar.
Add in mayonnaise and vinegar or lemon juice and shake to mix.
Add onion powder, chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, and salt, and shake again until mixed well.
Transfer to a bottle or something that is convenient to pour from.
Chill if desired.

Notes

* The cornstarch is only a thickener. If you prefer the dressing loose, then skip this step and just mix all the ingredients together.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 101Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 183mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g