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This easy healthy ranch dressing is creamy, tasty and takes just 5 minutes! It stars plain yogurt and an easy mix of spices.
Need an easy healthy ranch dressing? Here’s the recipe you need. It comes out so creamy and tasty using only a few simple spices. Every time we serve it, it gets rave reviews! It’s perfect for salad or dipping veggie sticks, and comes together in just 5 minutes. Even better, it skips the additives, preservatives, extra salt and sugar of store bought dressing. Now that we have a homemade ranch dressing recipe that we love, I don’t think we’ll ever buy it again! Here are all our secrets to this homemade salad dressing.
Ingredients for healthy ranch dressing
What’s ranch dressing made of? Most recipes include mayonnaise, buttermilk, onion, garlic, spices, and herbs. To make this healthy ranch dressing, we decided to cut back a little on the mayo. Our secret? Plain yogurt! It makes the dressing a little lighter and adds a hint of yogurt probiotics. You do need the mayo to add richness so the dressing clings to the lettuce leaves, but not nearly as much as a standard recipe. Here are the ingredients you need for this healthy ranch dressing:
- Plain yogurt
- Mayonnaise
- Apple cider vinegar
- Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, and dried dill
- Optional: Chopped chives or minced green onion
Adding chopped chives or minced green onion tops adds a beautiful freshness to the flavor. It takes it to the next level: but it’s also not necessary if you don’t have them on hand!
Is ranch dressing healthy?
Ranch dressing typically is not considered a health food. However, get this: this healthy ranch dressing recipe has only 38 calories per tablespoon, vs 73 calories in store bought! So we’d call that healthy version. It’s also gluten-free, keto and low carb. In either case though, you don’t necessarily want to go eating gallons per day.
Who invented ranch dressing, anyway?
If you’re like us, you wonder how popular foods like ranch came to be. Turns out ranch dressing was originally invented by Steve Henson, a plumber turned cowboy, in the 1950’s. Apparently he invented the dressing while working as a plumber in Alaska, then he and his wife opened a ranch in California called Hidden Valley Ranch. They started selling the popular dressing at grocery stores, and eventually ended up selling the name and recipe for a cool 8 million dollars! Here’s more about the story of ranch dressing if you want to nerd out.
Variation: vegan ranch dressing
Can you make ranch dressing vegan? Yes! Here’s a spinoff on this recipe: a Vegan Ranch Dressing that’s just as creamy as this one. The secret? Blended cashews, which make a creamy body for the dressing that you’d swear has dairy in it. It’s incredibly satisfying.
Ways to serve healthy ranch dressing
This healthy ranch dressing is perfect on any type of salad that you throw together! Here are a few of our salad recipes where we’d use it:
- Wedge Salad: This Wedge Salad with Potato Chips is over the top good.
- Cobb Salad: Try it on Vegetarian Cobb Salad for an alternate option.
- Chopped Salad: This Favorite Chopped Salad is just as perfect with ranch.
- Salad Bar: Make a Salad Bar Dinner and drizzle with ranch.
- Caesar: You can always make Caesar Salad or Grilled Caesar with ranch: no judgement!
- Veggie Sticks: This dressing is perfect for dipping!
- Pizza: This ranch is perfect for drizzling over our Taco Pizza!
- Fries: Dunk these Baked French Fries in a big bowl of ranch.
More healthy salad dressing recipes
There are so many healthy salad dressing recipes to make at home! There are so many to choose from; here are some favorites to try:
- Creamy Pesto Salad Dressing Creamy like ranch, but flavored with pesto!
- Raspberry Vinaigrette or Strawberry Vinaigrette A fruity, zingy spin with balsamic and real fruit.
- Creamy Avocado Dressing Beautifully green and fresh.
- Blue Cheese Dressing Creamy, with pungent blue cheese chunks.
This healthy ranch dressing recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, see our Vegan Ranch Dressing.
Healthy Ranch Dressing
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: About ¾ cup 1x
Description
This homemade healthy ranch dressing is creamy, tasty and takes just 5 minutes! It stars plain yogurt and an easy mix of spices.
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt*
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl. Store refrigerated (keeps at least 1 week).**
Notes
*Make sure the yogurt has a creamy consistency. Most yogurt brands we’ve used work, but we found one brand that was very runny which didn’t work well for salad dressing.
**Adding 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives or green onion tops amps it up a notch. You can also use Ranch Seasoning in place of the spices: just add 1 tablespoon in place of the listed spices above.
- Category: Salad Dressing
- Method: Whisked
- Cuisine: American
I made this tonight I had greek yogurt so that’s what I used. MUCH better than bottled. Delish!!!! Thanks
Made this tonight and sub ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt with plain whole milk Greek Yogurt. Not sure if that saved on any of the calories or not. Was really tasty.
My question is – do you think this would taste just as good with the Plain 0% MilkFat Greek Yogurt?
It would work but it would taste much more sour and less full bodied! We’ve tried it before and definitely prefer the whole milk version.
Very good home made ranch dressing! I’ve tried a few of your dressings and they’ve all been great, especially the blue cheese. I think you’re my go-to for homemade dressings from now on! We’ve started serving a small green salad before dinner most nights in an effort to cut carbs and still keep some fiber. Your home made dressings are the perfect low-cal partner to our salads. Thank you!
Thank you for making!
I just tried this ranch dressing, and I have to say I am never going back to store-bought! It is delicious! btw- This time I used greek yogurt instead of whole milk yogurt as I didn’t have any whole milk yogurt… It is still wonderful!
Thank you for sharing your kitchen prowess. I have never been a great cook and now you are helping me become one. I’ve tried so many recipes of yours, and they all have been a hit!
It’s easy Couscous, Baked shrimp, and Broccolini tonight.
Thanks again!
Brilliant! Thank you for the comment :)
It’s a keeper! Made just as instructed. Thanks for a healthy version of a creamy dressing.
Just made this and my family loves it! Question…any ideas on if you can freeze this ranch dressing, and if so, how long it would last in the freezer?
It should be fine for 2 to 3 months.
Wow, this is good! It tastes like sour cream and onion potato chips! :D
great recipe thank you for sharing!
I just made this..OMG it is the best ranch I have ever tasted!!!!!!
Hah! Happy cooking :)
It’s delicious!