Homemade ranch dressing is typically more affordable than store-bought options because the main ingredients, like mayonnaise, buttermilk, and spices, can be purchased in bulk at a lower cost per use.
If your family loves ranch as much as ours, you’ve got to try this recipe! I know it’s more effort than grabbing a bottle off the shelf, but trust me you’ll taste the difference with this homemade version. Making homemade ranch really only takes about 10 min at the most.
When we welcomed our second baby girl in December, our friend Donna brought us dinner and a jar of her homemade ranch dressing. It was a total game-changer! Even my husband, who isn’t usually a fan of salads, started eating more of them because he loved the ranch so much. Who knows? This could be the key to eating more salads and improving our diet!
Why we love Homemade Ranch:
- You can buy the ingredients in bulk, which helps us save money. If you consume ranch dressing regularly, as we do, making a larger batch at home will cost significantly less per serving than buying multiple small bottles.
- Make what you need, and you dont have the preservatives, stabilizers, and artificial flavors.
- Get creative and customize your Ranch. We like a tiny kick os spice, so we add a bit more cayenne pepper.
Donna’s Ranch Recipe:
Ingredients: Makes 1 and 1/2 Cups
- 1 teaspoon: Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (buttermilk recipe)
- ProTip: Since there’s 3 teapoons of dressing mix per packet you will be able to make 3 batches of dressing with 1 envelope.
- 1 cup: Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup: Buttermilk
- 1/4 teaspoon: Black pepper (use coarse pepper if you have it)
- 1/8 teaspoon: Paprika or cnyenne pepper if you want more spice
- 1/8 teaspoon: Garlic powder
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and mix well
- Cover and chill for 30 minutes before serving
Pro Tip: Make sure you use the Hidden Valley Rach dressing mix that says “Buttermilk”. It should be a 0.4 oz packet. Other mixes are not as yummy.
Combining cost-effective ingredients, avoiding unnecessary markups, and creating a fresher and tastier product makes ranch dressing at home a simple yet impactful way to save money.
Other Uses for Ranch Dressing:
- Cassic green salad
- Pizza
- Dip your veggies
- Chicken Wings
- Mozzarella Sticks
- French Fries
- Over Baked Potates
