Homemade Vegan Ranch Dressing

Learn how to make a creamy vegan ranch dressing with no egg or dairy. Add this easy recipe to your saved recipes and try it on your next salad.

Kirsten Nunez, MS

By Kirsten Nunez, MS

19 Ratings

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Vegan ranch dressing with vegetables
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

This tangy Vegan Ranch Dressing takes less than 5 minutes to make. Simply combine the ingredients in a bowl, mix, and enjoy!

It can also be used in myriad ways. For example, if you’re looking for a plant-based dip, you can make this dressing extra-thick by using less milk. But if you’d rather pour it over a salad, you can add more milk to make it thinner.

Plus, it’s an excellent sesame-free alternative to the ranch dressing featured in our Vegan Cobb Salad. Craving some vegan finger food? Try pairing this dressing with a simple carrot and celery platter, Cheesy Vegan Roasted Cauliflower, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Key Ingredients

Vegan ranch dressing ingredients
Photo: Kirsten Nunez
  • Vegan mayonnaise. Vegan mayonnaise serves as the base for this dressing. Feel free to use your favorite brand.
  • Apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar gives this dressing a classic tangy taste. You can also use white vinegar instead.
  • Dried herbs. Like standard ranch dressing, this recipe calls for dried herbs like dill and parsley.

How to Make Vegan Ranch Dressing

1. In a bowl, combine the vegan mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, non-dairy milk, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, and dried parsley.

Mixing herbs and spices with vegan mayo
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

2. Stir until combined. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your ideal consistency. For a thicker dressing for dipping, add less milk. For a thinner dressing for salads, add more milk. You might end up using more than 3 tablespoons of milk.

Mixing herbs and spices with vegan mayo
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

3. Taste and add more apple cider vinegar, if necessary. Enjoy it immediately or store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours; this will let the flavors develop.

Vegan ranch dressing in a bowl
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

Recipe Tips, Variations, and Substitutions

  • Add avocado. For avocado ranch dressing, replace the 1 1/4 cups of mayonnaise with one ripe avocado and 1/4 cup mayo. Combine the ingredients in a blender, adding more milk as needed.
  • Make it spicy. To make a spicy ranch dressing, add your favorite hot sauce. Start with 1 tablespoon, then add more as needed. You can also mix in crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
  • Use lemon juice. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, try lemon juice instead. It won’t have the same tang as apple cider vinegar, but it will help brighten up the dressing.
  • Use white vinegar. White vinegar can be used in place of apple cider vinegar.
  • Replace the mayo with yogurt. Out of mayo? Try this recipe with your favorite plain non-dairy yogurt, or use 3/4 cup mayo and 3/4 cup yogurt.
Vegan ranch dressing with vegetables
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I store leftovers?

Store leftover dressing in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.

Can I freeze it?

It’s not recommended to freeze mayonnaise and mayo-based condiments, including this recipe. Freezing will cause the ingredients in the mayonnaise to separate.

Can I make this dressing without mayonnaise?

Yes! Try it with plain non-dairy yogurt and/or sour cream.

Serving Suggestions

Vegan ranch dressing with vegetables

Homemade Vegan Ranch Dressing

Learn how to make a creamy vegan ranch dressing with no egg or dairy. Add this easy recipe to your saved recipes and try it on your next salad.
Click stars below to rate, or leave a full review in the comments
19 Ratings
Print Rate it Now Pin Recipe
Course: Condiments & Sauces, Salad, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: vegan ranch dressing
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 155kcal
Author: Kirsten Nunez, MS

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a bowl, combine the vegan mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, non-dairy milk, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, and dried parsley.
  • Stir until combined. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your ideal consistency.
  • Taste and add more apple cider vinegar, if necessary. Enjoy it immediately or store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours; this will let the flavors develop.

Notes

  • You can use vegan yogurt and/or sour cream in place of mayonnaise.
  • For a thicker dressing for dipping, add less milk. For a thinner dressing for salads, add more milk. You might end up using more than 3 tablespoons of milk.
  • For a spicy ranch dressing, add your favorite hot sauce, one tablespoon at a time.
  • For avocado ranch dressing, replace the 1 ¼ cups mayonnaise with one ripe avocado and ¼ cup mayo. Combine the ingredients in a blender, adding more milk as needed.
  • Store leftover dressing in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 209mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @CleanGreenSimple or tag #CleanGreenSimple!
Kirsten Nunez

About the Author

Kirsten Nunez

Contributing Writer

Kirsten is a journalist who focuses on healthy food and cooking. Her vegan and plant-based recipes have appeared on VegNews, eHow, Shape, and more. When she’s not creating and photographing vegan recipes for Clean Green Simple, you can find her experimenting in the kitchen and sharing plant-based meals with friends and family. More articles by Kirsten.

Kirsten Nunez, MS
4.90 from 19 votes (7 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

15 thoughts on “Homemade Vegan Ranch Dressing”

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe was good, I used sweetened vanilla soy milk instead of plain, so it tasted kind of unusual, but very good with vegetables and even with chicken!

    Reply
  2. 5 stars
    When I went vegan, I never thought I’d have a good tasting ranch ever again. This recipe comes out perfect every time and it is so simple. I’ve tried it with fresh garlic and onion, lime juice, chipotle, dill…there is so much you can do to customize it, and it is delicious!

    Reply
  3. 5 stars
    This stuff rocks!!! I used unsweetened plain almond milk and it was delicious. I only made a half portion because I was worried I wouldn’t like it…immediately wanted to go back and double it! It’s THAT good.

    Reply
  4. 5 stars
    Thank you so much. This sounds like a great replacement for regular store-bought ranch dressing. I don’t like eggs or milk, but I love the taste of ranch dressing on my fresh veggies, so this recipe sounds perfect for me. I can’t wait to try it! And this sounds easier to make than some other recipes I’ve found. Thanks again!

    Reply
  5. 5 stars
    I stumbled on your blog via pinterest (I think!) and I made this ranch last night. I wasn’t sure I would like it at first, but I stuck it in the fridge, finished making dinner and when I pulled it out 15 minutes later it was like magic! All the flavors combined and I am now in ranch dressing heaven! THANK YOU!

    Reply
  6. 5 stars
    Wow! This is so good. I didn’t have any onion powder on hand, so I added minced fresh onion (about 1/8 cup). Otherwise, followed recipe exactly. We are just transitioning to a vegan diet and my kids are going to LOVE this. Thanks! 🙂 PS Going to add some green chiles and cilantro to it to have over taco salad…

    Reply
  7. 5 stars
    This could finally be the recipe that wins my kids over to the “vegan” side of life. Thanks so much…I can’t wait to try it!!!

    Reply
  8. I’ve made a variation to this and found it tasted much better with fresh parsley, so you might want to give that a try. However, fresh parsley holds a lot of memories for me from when I was growing up, so maybe that’s why I liked it so much better. 🙂

    Thanks for the recipe! I can’t wait to try this one. Ranch seems to be the “everything” sauce of the South where I’m from. I never liked it much on salads, but loved to dip fries and veggies in it.

    A friend shared your site with me last night! I love it, and can’t wait to start reading all of your entries. 🙂

    Reply
  9. 5 stars
    I am not a huge ranch person, but the husband is. Ranch dressing is the only processed food that we have in the house at the moment. Thanks for the recipe…I will be forcing the husband to make this version instead of brining home another bottle from the grocery store. 🙂

    Reply