Homemade Ranch Dip Recipe

What is ranch dip made of?

Before we went dairy free, I used to make ranch dip on the regular. I used a mix of cream cheese and sour cream, but when I was ready to revamp my recipe, I knew vegan cream cheese wouldn’t cut it.

It’s a touch sweeter than its dairy counterpart, but also because it tends to harden more when it’s in the fridge thanks to the coconut milk.

Instead, I went with vegan mayonnaise. I used vegan mayo because that’s what I had on hand, but you can easily use regular mayonnaise and it will work perfectly for this vegetable dip recipe.

More easy dip recipes: refried bean dip / onion dip / Wisconsin beer dip / artichoke dip

Is there a dairy free ranch dip mix?

There are so many recipes for ranch dip out there, and most of them use ranch dip mix. The kind that you get in the packet near the salad dressings in the grocery store. You know the kind, and they definitely contain milk.

But, I recently found a few that don’t contain milk – the store brand versions at two of my local grocery stores (Kroger and Meijer) and the Frank’s Red Hot mix.

I knew immediately that I need to share this find with everyone. It’s such an easy shortcut, especially since most of you are already cooking more than you really want to be.

I realize that the ingredient lists on these packets aren’t the cleanest, but when you want a quick ranch dip, at least you have this option. And, if you want to make your own mix, I’ve listed out how you can do that too.

Here’s what you’ll need to make homemade ranch dip

• Measuring spoons
• Mixing bowl
• Electric hand mixer

Homemade ranch seasoning

If you can’t find the ranch dip mix, or don’t want to use it, you can combine the following ingredients to use in your dip:

• 1/2 cup vegan milk powder (see notes below)
• 2 tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons freeze dried chives
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In place of buttermilk powder, I recommend using vegan milk powder. There are lots of options out there so you can really choose whichever suits your dietary needs or restrictions. I like using soy milk powder or coconut milk powder.

Simply combine the ingredients and keep them in airtight container until you’re ready to use them. To use this in place of ranch mix, use 3 – 4 tablespoons homemade ranch seasoning in place of 1 packet.

How to make ranch dip

Combine your ingredients in a large mixing bowl. I prefer to let my vegan sour cream come to warm up for a bit – just enough to take the chill out – before mixing. This makes it a bit easier to blend and helps prevent lumps in the dip.

Using an electric hand mixer, blend the sour cream, mayonnaise and ranch mix until smooth.

Transfer the dip to a serving bowl (or refrigerator container) and cover. Put the dip into the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until you’re ready to serve to give the flavor some time develop.

How to arrange a veggie tray with ranch dip

Start by choosing your tray. I usually use a large platter, plate or tray. This time I used a quarter sheet pan, but you can use whatever you think will hold the right amount of vegetables.

Place your dip bowl in the middle, and start placing your vegetables around the bowl. I like to alternate between green veggies and not-green veggies to give it a little more visual interest. If you end up with two greens next to each other try to make them ones of varying texture.

Bonus points if you add something a little less-healthy to your tray like potato chips because every veggie tray needs a little something salty/crunchy.

FAQs and Tips for making the best ranch dip

Is ranch dressing and ranch dip the same thing? No. They have the same seasoning and a similar base, but ranch dip is a quite a bit thicker than traditional ranch dressing.

How long does homemade ranch dip last? You should be able to store this in the fridge for as long as your ingredients would stay fresh. I recommend about 1 week, but you can use your best judgment.

What is ranch dip made of? Traditionally, ranch dip is a sour cream dip recipe, meaning it’s just 1 container of sour cream and ranch mix. But, I made this ranch dip with mayo and dairy free sour cream.

Can I make this recipe with dairy ingredients? Absolutely. If you can safely eat dairy, feel free to use regular sour cream and/or traditional mayonnaise. You could even use the more common Hidden Valley ranch dip mix.

More dairy free appetizer recipes:

• Pulled pork nachos
• Spicy pickled eggs
• Shrimp toast
• Chicken sliders
• Tomato bruschetta

This recipe would be great with:

• Instant pot baked beans
• Lamb burgers
• Beer brats
• Chicken drumsticks
• Olive oil brownies

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Need more appetizer ideas?  Check out my other appetizer recipes here!

Published: July 20, 2019. Updated: June 2, 2022.

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