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Healthy Ranch Dressing Recipe (High Protein)

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protein ranch dressing
Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » Healthy Ranch Dressing Recipe (High Protein)

One flavor many people miss when they drop unhealthy vegetable oils is creamy, tangy ranch dressing. I know I did. I still love the taste of a good ranch dressing recipe. But I cringe to remember how I’d put store-bought ranch dressing on almost every school lunch in high school. Adding vegetable oils and processed soy to more vegetable oils and processed soy…

Now that I prefer my food to have healthy, whole ingredients, I needed a grown-up version. An upgraded and healthier ranch dressing.

This easy real-food ranch dressing recipe doesn’t taste the same as the junk version. But it does have a creamy texture and the same type of flavor. If you have kids (or adults) who will eat anything with ranch, try this recipe!

It’s good for people focusing on eating more protein since it’s much higher in protein than traditional ranch. Plus it’s lower in total fat and you avoid the vegetable oils found in many ranch dressings.

Why Homemade Ranch Dressing?

Why take the time to make homemade dressing? I wasn’t thrilled to find my favorite condiment had some not-so-great ingredients like:

  • Vegetable oils
  • Sugar
  • Soy
  • Xanthan gum
  • Modified food starch
  • Artificial flavors
  • Calcium disodium EDTA (as preservative)
  • MSG

(Cringe.)

I go through some extra trouble (and money) to make sure our meats and produce are from the best sources we can afford. I don’t want to ruin them! This homemade ranch salad dressing avoids all these unhealthy ingredients. Plus it adds probiotics and protein with Greek yogurt.

Many people make protein ranch by mixing ranch packets into greek yogurt and a little mayo or milk. I’m not a fan of the ingredients in those ranch packets, though.

Ranch Recipe With Fresh Flavor

And honestly, the fresh flavor alone makes it worth it. This ranch dressing recipe doesn’t get its characteristic zip from “fake food” additives but from fresh herbs and spices. And all of their health benefits as a bonus. The best ranch

I use dried herbs like dill, parsley, and one teaspoon onion powder in my usual recipe. Making your own dressing also means you can mix up the flavors from time to time. Experiment and find your favorite variation. Also, check out some of my other easy recipes for salad dressings below.

Some people add mayonnaise or sour cream to their homemade ranch. I prefer the flavor without it but you can add 1/4 cup mayonnaise for a richer flavor that also tastes more like a traditional ranch.

If you want a buttermilk ranch dressing, then use buttermilk to thin when mixing instead of water. For a blue cheese version, add some blue cheese crumbles to the yogurt and herbs.

Fresh vs. Dried

I use dried herbs for this because it’s what I usually have on hand. When the fresh herbs from the garden are vibrant though, sometimes I’ll use those. If you want to use fresh herbs instead of dried ones, here’s how. Use 1 tablespoon fresh dill, 2 tablespoons fresh chives, and 1 tablespoon fresh parsley. You can also add some freshly ground black pepper if you have a grinder.

Ranch Dressing Recipe from Scratch

It may sound intimidating at first to make things like condiments and dressings from scratch, but the secret is simply a little practice. Soon, it feels like no work at all to whip up a dip or sauce that can be stored in the fridge and used on a whole variety of foods throughout the week. It helps keep meals interesting and makes fresh veggies more appealing to little ones.

It helps me to keep my list of staple ingredients in a meal planner (I use this one) so I can whip up ranch dressing at any time. (And it avoids a trip to the store… always a bonus!) In fact, if I have the ingredients around, my older kids can even make this recipe on their own.

Another helpful shortcut: Looking for a real-food alternative to those Hidden Valley ranch dressing packets featured in so many recipes? Check out this simple dry mix recipe that makes a great marinade, soup addition, or base for a dip.

protein ranch dressing

Protein Ranch Dressing and Dip Recipe

Homemade healthy ranch dressing with Greek yogurt and herbs and spices from your pantry… and no artificial ingredients!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Calories 20kcal
Author Katie Wells

Servings

8

Ingredients

For ranch dip:

Additional ingredients for ranch dressing:

  • Milk or water (just enough to thin to the right consistency)

Instructions

  • Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
  • If you're making ranch dressing, rather than dip, whisk in water or milk a little at a time until the consistency is right.
  • Use immediately or refrigerate to let the flavors meld.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Protein Ranch Dressing and Dip Recipe
Amount Per Serving (2 TBSP)
Calories 20 Calories from Fat 1
% Daily Value*
Fat 0.1g0%
Saturated Fat 0.03g0%
Trans Fat 0.001g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.01g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.01g
Cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 157mg7%
Potassium 66mg2%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Fiber 0.3g1%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 430IU9%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 37mg4%
Iron 0.2mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

There are a lot of ways to tweak this recipe.
  • Use cottage cheese instead of yogurt, pureeing the mixture in a blender or food processor
  • For a richer flavor, use ¼ cup of mayonnaise and only ¾ cup of Greek yogurt
  • Use fresh herbs instead of dry: 1 TBSP dill, 2 TBSP chives, 1 TBSP parsley

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

Ranch Dressing Variations:

  • Use 2 tsp of fresh herbs like dill, mint, or basil for alternate flavors.
  • Use avocado instead of yogurt if you don’t tolerate dairy.
  • Use Italian seasoning instead of dill and double the parmesan for a Caesar-like dressing.

My Favorite Salad Dressing Recipes:

What’s your favorite way to use ranch dressing? Leave a comment and let me know!

This healthy ranch dressing recipe is made with real food ingredients like yogurt, herbs, spices, olive oil, garlic and parmesan cheese, and is easy to make.
Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

77 responses to “Healthy Ranch Dressing Recipe (High Protein)”

  1. Deanna Avatar

    4 stars
    Hello all;

    I combined 1/4 C Lowfat Cottage Cheese, with 1/4 C avocado Oil Mayo and 1 Cup of LF Greek LF Yogurt
    The herbs and spices I ground finely a bit at a time based on the original recipe and taste.
    Lime juice subbed for lemon.
    It all worked well just do not tell my beau that it is low fat and or healthier fats.

  2. Lexie Smith Avatar
    Lexie Smith

    I make a similar one with sour cream and yogurt and ferment them before adding the herbs and it’s outstanding!

  3. Marsha Dunsmoor Avatar
    Marsha Dunsmoor

    I do not like the consistency with yogurt so I opt for blended cottage cheese and I love it! That would work spendidly in this recipe as well.

  4. Ceps Avatar

    1 star
    Been doing this recipe for years. Except, this is not it. The previous version was amazing, and it has just been updated.

    1. Jamie Larrison Avatar

      Did you try the new recipe? This one uses more herbs and replaces the 6 Tbsp of olive oil with more Greek yogurt, but you can customize the herbs to your liking.

  5. Kim Avatar

    What can replace the olive oil ?
    Perhaps avacado oil but im looking for
    No oil substitutions?

  6. Lisha Avatar

    Looks yummy! If you feel like something’s missing, try adding onion powder 🙂

    I normally use sour cream to make ranch. Obviously greek yogurt can be used instead in this recipe: I use sour cream, dill weed, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add a tiny bit of water if you want it to be a bit more runny. I just wing it. You can put whatever amounts are suitable for your taste buds.

    Super easy, super fast, super tasty 🙂

  7. Sarah Avatar

    5 stars
    I made this recipe, and I really liked it! I added some parsley, and a bit of extra garlic. Do you have a good chip recipe? I really like potato chips w ranch, but I’m trying to not eat so much unhealthy stuff.

  8. Kris Avatar

    5 stars
    This is really tasty! I wasn’t expecting it to taste as good as the store kind (won’t eat it though, because it’s garbage), but I think I like this even better! My 11 year old and husband gave it the thumbs up too! Thanks so much!

  9. Shelia Avatar

    I haven’t tried your ranch dressing yet, but i did make my own recipe for Ranch Dressing and Cool Ranch Dressing. Im curious why you left out the main flavor of Ranch Dressing – onion. Does yours still taste like Ranch? My recipe tastes almost exactly like the packages Ranch that you mix with mayo and milk.

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