Whip up a healthy, homemade version of America’s favorite tangy, delicious dressing in less than 10 minutes! I developed this recipe because our family doesn’t usually stock salad dressings in our fridge, but sometimes we need ranch!
Ranch dressing gets its classic flavor from buttermilk, but unfortunately buttermilk is also something we don’t usually stock! But we almost always have cottage cheese! So after some experimentation and lots of dipped cucumbers later, I think I’ve worked out a pretty good ranch substitute!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Simple, healthy ingredients! Bottled ranch dressing at the store usually has sugar, seed oils and other additives. All of these ingredients are natural and cottage cheese is famous for its high protein, low fat content!
- Quick and easy! Most of these ingredients are always stocked at my house, so all I have to do is throw everything into the food processor and combine!
- Versatile! Ranch is known for being perfect on salads, dips, casseroles and pizza and this version is no different!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chopped green onions
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dill
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
How to Make Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing
Add the cottage cheese, lemon juice and green onions to a food processor and blend on high for 2 minutes (until the green onions are incorporated into the cheese)
Add the seasonings and pulse to mix for 2-3 minutes. The mixture should now be a thick liquid sauce as opposed to a solid mixture.
How Long Does Homemade Ranch Dressing Last?
You can store your ranch in an air-tight jar or bottle in the fridge for up to a week! Since it’s made with fresh ingredients (cottage cheese), it doesn’t have the preservatives that store-bought dressing has.
To ensure it stays fresh longer:
- If you notice any off smell or separation, it’s best to discard it.
- Use fresh herbs and high-quality ingredients.
- Keep it in the coldest part of the fridge.
What Can I Use Instead Of Buttermilk In Ranch Dressing?
Our recipe didn’t use buttermilk but instead used cottage cheese. You can also easily make a substitute that works well in ranch dressing. Here are a few options:
- Cottage Cheese + Lemon Juice: This is what this recipe used. It tasted amazing!
- Milk + Vinegar or Lemon Juice: Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Stir, let it sit for about 5-10 minutes to thicken slightly, and use as a buttermilk replacement.
- Yogurt + Milk: Combine ½ cup plain yogurt with ½ cup milk to reach a buttermilk-like consistency. This will give a creamy texture and tangy flavor similar to buttermilk.
- Sour Cream + Water or Milk: Thin out sour cream with water or milk to reach a buttermilk consistency. This works well in ranch, adding both creaminess and tang.
- Kefir: Plain, unsweetened kefir (a fermented milk drink) has a similar flavor and texture to buttermilk, so you can use it 1:1 in ranch dressing.
Each of these substitutes will bring that tanginess and smooth texture, so you won’t miss out on flavor in your ranch dressing.
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We are happy to share our collection of “Old Fashioned Cravings” with you! This is our collection of family recipes that we have to collected, modified and created over the years. Our favorite meals are comfort foods tweaked to be a little bit healthier! We hope you enjoy the content and we would love to hear your favorites and suggestions!