3-Ingredient Paleo Dairy Free Ranch Dressing

at a glance
Prep Time 10 minutes
5 from 1 vote

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This ranch dressing is dairy free, contains no junky oils, and comes together in minutes with only 3 ingredients!

a labeled jar of homemade ranch dressing

Best Dairy Free Ranch Dressing (Paleo Friendly and Whole30 Compliant)

Every person has their condiment of choice. Some people like to drown each bite of their eggs and steak in ketchup. Others like to slather everything from morning frittatas to evening pizza in Tabasco. There’s the mustard people, the Sriracha people, the mayo people, and the apple cider vinegar people. While I enjoy all those fabulous sauces from time to time, there’s one condiment that is MINE. I am a banner-waving, button-wearing, proud ranch dressing enthusiast.

Store-bought ranch dressing is full of vegetable oil (we know to avoid because of rancidity and an unbalanced Omega-6/Omega-3 profile), sugar, and nonfat buttermilk. While grabbing a bottle of the famous vegetable dip is easy and appealing, I’m here to tell you that you CAN make it from home and that it’s easy. as. pie.

Does Ranch taste like Mayo?

While it may have some underlying flavors similar to mayo (because that is the base of the dressing, afterall), between the additions of lemon juice and dried dill, the dressing itself does not have an overwhelmingly mayo-y taste.

Whole30 Ranch Ingredients

You only need three really simple ingredients here:

the ingredients for homemade ranch dressing in different sized bowls sitting on a marble surface
  • Mayonnaise – the base of this dairy-free ranch dressing is mayo — you’ll need about 2 cups here.
  • Lemon Juice – to thin the mayo and brighten the dressing, you’ll need a ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice. This is equivalent to the amount of juice from about 2 juicy lemons.
  • Dried Dill – 1 tablespoon of dried dill weed really brings the classic ranch dressing flavor!

How To Make Ranch Dressing

The process is incredibly easy: you’ll just add all of the ingredients to a bowl or jar and whisk until fully combined and smooth.

a person using a fork to whisk together a homemade ranch dressing in a large, spouted, glass measuring cup

How do you make ranch dressing from scratch without buttermilk?

It’s so easy! You’ll just add the mayo, lemon juice, and dried dill to a bowl and whisk until combined — no buttermilk (and no fussy instructions) needed!

Serving Suggestions for Whole30 Ranch Dressing

If you’re a ranch-lover, you KNOW that ranch can literally go on anything. And if you aren’t a ranch-lover, you probably know someone who is, and that someone probably puts it on *all* of the things. This homemade, 3-ingredient ranch dressing can go on anything you’d use normal, store-bought ranch on. Here are a few recipes that we think are especially perfect for a good ole ranch finish:

And, of course, ranch is always a delicious dipping sauce for crunchy veggies, chicken tenders, and pizza!

How to Store Dairy-Free Paleo Ranch Dressing

Your homemade ranch can be stored in an airtight container (a mason jar works great!) in the refrigerator.

a person pouring homemade ranch dressing from a large, spouted measuring cup into a labeled jar

How long does homemade ranch last in the fridge?

This homemade dressing will last for about 1 week in the fridge. Plenty of time to slather it on all of the things you can think of!

How do you thicken ranch dressing?

Because the base of this easy ranch dressing is mayonnaise, it really doesn’t need any thickening at all. The lemon juice thins out the mayo to the perfect consistency.

Dairy Free Ranch Dressing Recipe

By: Cassy
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 10 mins
This homemade ranch dressing is made with just 3 ingredients and is so yummy!

Ingredients  

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
  • 2 cups avocado oil mayonnaise

Instructions

  • Whisk all ingredients together until fully combined.
Meet the Author
Cassy Headshot

Cassy Joy Garcia

HOWDY! I’m Cassy Joy and I am just so happy you’re here. I’m the founder, Editor-in-Chief, and Nutrition Consultant here at Fed and Fit. What started as a food blog back in 2011 has evolved now into so much more.
Get to know Cassy

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  1. Meg @ A Dash of Meg says

    Meg @ A Dash of Meg —  03/27/2014 At 21:03

    I am so excited to try this 🙂 Thank you!

    my condiment of choice would be bbq sauce or mustard. I want to make a recipe for a good bbq sauce to share on my blog 🙂

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  03/31/2014 At 19:43

      Oooo, yes please!! I’m happy to taste test for you 🙂

  2. Alexis says

    Alexis —  03/30/2014 At 18:16

    Was looking for a good paleo ranch dressing and found your blog via Michelle Tam! And then you made me homesick with the HEB bottle!! No HEBs here in Tennessee (and boy do we need ’em!).

    Hubby loves this recipe – thank you!!

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  03/31/2014 At 19:45

      That’s so awesome!! Which link of her’s led to me? (just curious) 🙂

      Also, I’m so sorry about the HEB teaser! I usually try to post photos of brands that can be found everywhere, but this puppy was all I had at the time. It’s a great grocery store!

  3. Ellie Long says

    Ellie Long —  04/05/2014 At 19:40

    Followed the recipe, end result in the processor was a perfect consistency, it was beautiful with the dill added in…and then I tasted it :/ I bought a store brand light tasting olive oil and maybe that’s the problem, but yuck. I was so disappointed too, I found your recipe through stupideasypaleo’s buffalo chicken recipe and wanted to pair them. Is there a specific brand of light tasting oil that I should use in the future?

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  04/29/2014 At 00:31

      I’m sorry about the bad taste! The right olive oil makes all the difference. I’ve used Bertolli Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil before and it worked well. Hope that helps!

  4. Tilly Greer says

    Tilly Greer —  04/13/2014 At 15:28

    I added more dill, some garlic powder, some onion powder, and fresh cracked pepper and it was very good. It had more of a mayo flavor than I usually like in ranch but still worth making.

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  04/29/2014 At 00:31

      Glad you liked it, Tilly!

  5. Lindy says

    Lindy —  04/25/2014 At 02:36

    Maybe this is a stupid question, but why are we not concerned about eating an uncooked egg?

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  04/28/2014 At 13:42

      Not a stupid question at all, Lindy! See my answer to Chris. Hope that helps!

  6. Chris says

    Chris —  04/28/2014 At 08:46

    Hi Cassie, thanks for this great recipe. A question, what are the risks associated with eating a raw egg? (or am I missing something?)

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  04/28/2014 At 13:42

      Hi Chris! Good question. There are some risks (percentages of which are all debatable) associated with consuming raw egg. I buy local, pasture-raised eggs which tend to have less risk of disease compared their mass-produced cousins. It’s still a personal choice. I enjoy eggs over-easy and use raw eggs in my homemade mousse {}. You can also learn more about the awesome healing powers of raw foods (eggs, meats, dairy, etc.) from my friend Melissa Henig over at https://rawpaleo.com/. I hope that helps!

  7. Kayla says

    Kayla —  05/01/2014 At 00:07

    I just went to the store and didn’t realize it’s dried dill… I bought fresh. Is that ok??

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  05/02/2014 At 20:17

      Totally okay!

  8. Jessica says

    Jessica —  05/05/2014 At 21:09

    Because it’s not full of preservatives to keep it on the shelf or fridge for an eternity, how long do you estimate homemade condiments, such as this ranch dressing, last in the fridge before spoiling?

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  05/05/2014 At 21:11

      Great question! I would give it about one week.

  9. kristina says

    kristina —  05/08/2014 At 14:28

    do you think you could use avocado oil instead?

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  05/08/2014 At 15:44

      Absolutely! I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t vouch for what flavors to expect …but the science should be the same.

  10. Julia Kurtz says

    Julia Kurtz —  06/13/2014 At 20:52

    How is yours white? Mine looks the color of the oil & it looks like oil {I used an emulsion stick blender, which I read is the best way to make mayo/dressings?}

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  06/17/2014 At 14:32

      Hm, good question Julia. While some people make mayo using an emulsion blender, I recommend using a food processor to get the same results as in my photos. That being said, I do have an emulsion mayo recipe on my to-do list for a video in the future 🙂

  11. Esther says

    Esther —  06/24/2014 At 02:58

    Thanks for the recipe! Instead of just dill, I used a tablespoon from this homemade ranch mix:
    2 Tbsp. dried parsley
    1 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
    2 tsp. garlic powder
    2 tsp. onion powder
    2 tsp. dried onion flakes
    1 tsp. ground black pepper
    1 tsp. dried chives
    1 tsp. salt
    Turned out wonderful, but I’ll have to invest in some better olive oil as the flavor was more pronounced than I hoped.
    Thanks again!

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  06/25/2014 At 16:30

      Good tip! Thanks, Esther. I hope the different olive oil gives you the mayo you want next time 🙂

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  07/10/2014 At 15:26

      Fantastic!

  12. Ana k says

    Ana k —  07/28/2014 At 22:03

    I attempted your recipe 2x and followed it to the t and failed. It keeps coming coming in a liquid consistency 🙁 I even took 3+ minutes of pouring the evoo in the blender and I still got the same result :/ HELP!

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  07/28/2014 At 22:08

      Oh no! The temperature and size of the eggs can make a big difference. To help create more structure for the dressing, we can add in additional egg yolk. Toss in an additional egg yolk with the whole egg, blend it (by itself) until it starts to get fluffy and thick. At that point, add the lemon juice and salt and then blend again. THEN, follow the instructions to slowly drizzle in the oil.

      I hope it works for you!

  13. John Taylor says

    John Taylor —  08/12/2014 At 16:26

    I’m new to the paleo lifestyle and I’ve never made the paleo mayo recipe until now. I figured I would take it a step forward and try your ranch dressing recipe and I have to say I was impressed. It taste very good, thanks! It was even better the next day.

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  08/17/2014 At 20:04

      Awesome! Thanks, John!

  14. Joyce says

    Joyce —  08/19/2014 At 23:52

    What is the shelf life if the mayo and ranch?

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  08/20/2014 At 16:17

      I’d give it about 7 days.

  15. Sarah says

    Sarah —  01/02/2015 At 22:51

    this was my first crack at both a paleo mayo/ranch and it turned out great! I also added onion powder, diced garlic, and black pepper! Thanks for the recipe!

  16. Bryan says

    Bryan —  01/05/2015 At 02:03

    Have you tried this with Coconut oil?

  17. Kari says

    Kari —  01/07/2015 At 01:25

    Are we able to freeze this if we don’t use it all up in a week?

  18. Holly says

    Holly —  01/11/2015 At 23:10

    Mine NEVER ever got thick even after using all the tips, added an extra yolk. Just runny- 🙁

  19. Tracie says

    Tracie —  01/20/2015 At 17:40

    Hi – question – my mayo is already made – how much mayo should I use in relation to the other ingrediants to make the ranch dressing?
    Thanks so much

  20. zutsalors says

    zutsalors —  01/21/2015 At 10:01

    this is an emulsion. Not an “immersion”.

  21. Emily says

    Emily —  01/21/2015 At 16:34

    Hey, I was on the hunt via Pinterest for a simple tasty ranch dressing, I have yet to try this recipe but plan on doing so. I was searching for a recipe that I could make with ingredients that I have on hand. I do not keek buttermilk or plain yogurt on hand in my household so this recipe looks stellar! My question in regards to this and other recipes is: why has no one bothered to use a bit of Creme of tartar in the recipe? I was wondering if it isn’t a healthy seasoning/flavor. I do not use creme of tartar in my cooking baking regularly so I do have some on hand. Would creme of tartar be too much, wrong consistency or texture? Please reply as I am curious, and if anyone else knows please let me know. Thanks for the assistance in my learning 🙂

  22. JWalter says

    JWalter —  01/21/2015 At 22:55

    hi. I’m making this as I write but it doesn’t say how much mayo anywhere. I double checked your steps and the receipt part. One cup?

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  01/21/2015 At 23:14

      1.5 cups! 🙂

  23. Kristina Beagle says

    Kristina Beagle —  01/23/2015 At 17:38

    Silly question, but what size food processor are you using in the photo. I feel like my food processor would be too big for this, but then again I’ve thought that before and its been fine. I have a 7cup cuisinart pro classic.

  24. Austin says

    Austin —  01/28/2015 At 05:16

    Is this whole 30 approved?

  25. Ania says

    Ania —  02/05/2015 At 02:09

    This looks Yummy!! I can’t wait to try it. Also, thought you’d like to know that you are creating an “emulsion” not an “immersion” when you add the oil to the egg base.

  26. Alex says

    Alex —  02/17/2015 At 19:49

    Can I freeze this? I love the recipe but since I am the only one eating it, I definitely won’t finish it all in 7 days. If I can freeze it, how long should it last for in the freezer?

  27. Nicole says

    Nicole —  02/25/2015 At 17:24

    Tried this for the firstime time this weekend and accidentally got extra virgin olive oil and it tasted like olives and some great seasoning… we might just use that for cooking but we remade it with the correct olive oil and added the fresh parsley and some ground cayenne and it tastes amazing!

  28. Laura says

    Laura —  03/12/2015 At 12:38

    How much mayo? It’s not in the printable recipe area….

  29. kirkor says

    kirkor —  03/16/2015 At 14:36

    re: the raw egg thing, I’ve also had it explained that if you let the egg and lemon juice commingle and come to room temperature together, the citric acid “cooks” the egg in a similar fashion to the lime juice in shrimp ceviche.

  30. lacey says

    lacey —  03/25/2015 At 23:51

    This is a great ranch recipe, I’ve tried a few and I love how easy this one is. I used avocado oil and it was excellent !! Although it didn’t get as thick as I was hoping it was still awesome though. Thanks for sharing !!

    • Kelly says

      Kelly —  04/05/2015 At 02:21

      Thanks for trying it Lacey!!

  31. Adrienne says

    Adrienne —  08/18/2015 At 01:55

    Made this tonight. Delicious! I used it on a roast beef spinach salad. Would be delicious with a little horseradish. Gonna use it on salmon this week too!

    • Kelly says

      Kelly —  08/23/2015 At 23:02

      Love that idea Adrienne! So glad you liked it, thanks for trying it out!!

  32. Lauren says

    Lauren —  08/28/2015 At 13:49

    Is consuming a raw egg in this recipe not a concern? Just curious. Thanks!

    • Kelly says

      Kelly —  08/31/2015 At 18:46

      Hi Lauren, good question! There are some risks (percentages of which are all debatable) associated with consuming raw egg. I buy local, pasture-raised eggs which tend to have less risk of disease compared their mass-produced cousins. It’s still a personal choice. It is also said that if you let the egg and lemon juice commingle and come to room temperature together, the citric acid “cooks” the egg in a similar fashion to the lime juice in shrimp ceviche. Hope that helps!

  33. ngyoung says

    ngyoung —  10/01/2015 At 13:08

    FYI. Most of the light olive oils are cut with cheap canola or vegetable oils as well. Even a lot of the big brand ones that are just regular EVOO still cut theirs down with veggy/canola oil. Almost all real olive oil is bottled in dark glass bottles to protect from oxidation. That isn’t 100% a sign that it is pure olive oil but helps narrow it down. Clear bottles, even if it happens to be pure will likely have a lot more oxidation from light just sitting on the store shelves.

  34. Michelle says

    Michelle —  11/01/2015 At 21:22

    How many calories are in one tbsp of this dressing?

    • Kelly says

      Kelly —  11/02/2015 At 14:04

      Hi Michelle, I do not know how many calories are in one tablespoon of this dressing. You could enter all the ingredients into a website/app (like MyFitnessPal) to figure out the breakdown per serving though. Hope that helps.

  35. Danielle says

    Danielle —  01/10/2016 At 00:47

    Can you freeze any of this at all? I will never go through all of this in one week? Thanks!

    • Kelly says

      Kelly —  01/10/2016 At 22:40

      Hi Danielle! We haven’t tried to freeze it, so we can’t speak if it would work or not. If you give it a go, we recommend defrosting it slowly – don’t try to heat it up as that will break the emulsion. If you try please report back and let us know how it goes!

  36. Danielle says

    Danielle —  01/11/2016 At 03:38

    For anyone who is having issues with the taste of olive oil being super strong, add Apple cider vinegar. I found a lot of ranch recipes that used this vinegar and thought I might as well try it. I had used extra light tasting oil and it still tasted SO much like the oil. I kept adding apple cider vinegar little by little and BAM, oil taste gone! Now it also has a little bite like ranch does.

    • Kelly says

      Kelly —  01/17/2016 At 22:46

      Thanks for the tip Danielle! And thank you for trying it 🙂

  37. Whitney says

    Whitney —  03/31/2016 At 17:41

    Hello. I am making this recipe for just myself and there is no way I can eat 2 cups of ranch dressing in a week. If I cut the recipe in half can I use just the egg white/egg yolk? If so, which would you recommend?

    • Kelly says

      Kelly —  04/10/2016 At 17:10

      Hi Whitney. We haven’t tried to cut the recipe in half, but if you were I would only use the egg yolk to make sure the emulsion happens. You could also try to make it as is and freeze some. If you give that a go, we recommend defrosting it slowly – don’t try to heat it up as that will break the emulsion. I find that the ranch will last as long as the expiration date on the eggs you use also!

  38. Fix Your Skin says

    Fix Your Skin —  01/16/2017 At 02:00

    Definitely going to try this! It looks and sounds like a dream.

  39. Robin says

    Robin —  04/20/2017 At 10:26

    I’m more concerned with my aversion to the IDEA of eating raw eggs than anything in these recipes. Is there a way to make a paleo/whole 30 creamy dressing without using raw eggs?

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  05/02/2017 At 05:41

      There is, it requires a few tricks (from what I understand) with flax seed. Primal Kitchen Foods is coming out with an egg-free mayo that is STELLAR! I got to sample it at Expo West. It’s excellent.

    • Linda says

      Linda —  01/09/2020 At 18:24

      I love making mayonnaise and I’m looking forward to making this ranch dressing recipe. But I use pasteurized liquid egg whites instead of raw eggs (5 T liquid egg whites = 1 whole egg). I find that the difference in consistency is minimal and it lasts longer because it doesn’t contain raw egg. Also, it’s easy to make smaller quantities – just use less liquid egg whites. Some turmeric or yellow mustard can be added if you don’t like the whiter color of mayo made without egg yolk.

  40. Sam koontz says

    Sam koontz —  08/20/2017 At 09:57

    How long dies it lady in refrigerator.

  41. Jennifer says

    Jennifer —  09/12/2017 At 12:28

    It did have a but of a mayo taste I added an avacado a garlic glove some onion powder an extra half a lemon n some cracked pepper! Still good n super easy thanks!!

  42. Jake says

    Jake —  10/05/2017 At 15:44

    Paleo ranch!?!?! Ranch is one of my favorite sauces (foods…). This is a super simple recipe that I am going to have to try tonight.

  43. Sherry says

    Sherry —  12/30/2017 At 17:27

    What can I use in place of the egg? I am allergic to them?

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  01/04/2018 At 11:55

      I don’t have a tested egg-less mayo recipe, but I recommend doing a google search! I’ve also tried (and enjoyed) Sir Kensington’s egg-less mayo.

  44. Faye Crowell says

    Faye Crowell —  03/10/2018 At 14:11

    This is so much better than the first homemade ranch I tried!

  45. Samantha says

    Samantha —  02/20/2019 At 06:27

    Great dressing..love to watch the way you’re making..

  46. Jenna Bell says

    Jenna Bell —  01/12/2020 At 12:11

    Any chance you have a recipe for ranch without raw egg? I can’t eat it medically.