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Home » Appetizers » Homemade Ranch Dip

Published: March 25, 2015 Last Modified: July 14, 2019 By Sara 28 Comments

Homemade Ranch Dip

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Ranch Dip Recipe | Veggie Dip #ranch #dip #appetizer #snack #dinneratthezoo

This homemade ranch dip is full of all of the familiar herbs and spices, but has no preservatives like the store bought version. The homemade ranch powder is easy to make and keeps in the fridge for months!

Ranch dip is a classic snack that never goes out of style, and the homemade version is SO much better than those little packets of seasoning.

Ranch Dip Recipe | Veggie Dip #ranch #dip #appetizer #snack #dinneratthezoo Ranch Dip Recipe | Veggie Dip #ranch #dip #appetizer #snack #dinneratthezoo

Ranch dip surrounded by fresh vegetables.

When I was pregnant with my youngest my #1 craving was ranch. Ranch dressing, ranch dip, I couldn’t get enough of it. So it’s really no surprise that homemade ranch dip is one of Audrey’s favorite foods. This child is a very light eater – she eats about 3 bites of food and she’s done. But I can usually coax her to eat a bit more if I provide a side of ranch for dipping. She calls it “dipt” – I have no idea where that “t” at the end came from but it’s super cute so I don’t bother to correct her.

How do you make ranch dip?

Here’s the thing. It’s super convenient to go to the grocery store, buy a packet of ranch dip and mix it with sour cream or mayo. But have you ever read the ingredient list on the back? It’s full of MSG and preservatives. I didn’t want to feed that to my kids so I mixed up my own ranch dip powder with a blend of herbs and spices.

A bowl of ranch dip topped with chopped parsley.

Most of the ingredients in this recipe are herbs and spices that you already have at home – parsley, onion, garlic, chives, dill. The secret ingredient is powdered buttermilk, and I’m sure you don’t have that at at home. Powdered buttermilk is often sold in a tin near the other powdered milk products. It’s inexpensive and lasts a long time but the can does need to be refrigerated after it’s opened. Which means you’ll also need to refrigerate your powdered dip mix until you’re ready to use it.

Homemade ranch with radishes, cucumber, potato chips and breadsticks.

This recipe is crazy simple. Combine the dry ingredients and mix it into sour cream. You can use a combination of sour cream and mayo if you prefer. I typically make up a double batch of the dry ingredients so that I always have it in the fridge when the ranch dip mood strikes. Or when I’m trying to get Audrey to EAT!

My children were like vultures circling while I was taking these pictures, you would have thought I was photographing chocolate cake or something. My husband had to actually restrain Audrey so that she didn’t dive head first into the dip. I’ll spare you the messy-baby-covered-in-ranch pictures, but here’s Alice who also approves of it.

A girl eating a pepper dipped in ranch sauce.
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More delicious dip recipes

  • Dill Dip
  • Pizza Dip
  • White Queso Dip
  • Bacon Ranch Dip
  • Dill Pickle Dip
Make your own ranch dip and skip all the MSG and preservatives in the store bought kind.
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5 from 6 votes

Homemade Ranch Dip

This homemade ranch dip is full of all of the familiar herbs and spices, but has no preservatives like the store bought version. The homemade ranch powder is easy to make and keeps in the fridge for months! 
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 85kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup dry buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoon dried onion flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried chives
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup of sour cream (you can use regular or light)

Instructions

  • Combine all of the dry ingredients in a resealable container.
  • Stir 3 tablespoons of the dry mix into the sour cream. You can serve the dip immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
  • Refrigerate the remaining dry mix for future use.

Notes

Make Ahead: The dry mix can be stored for months in the refrigerator. The dip can be made up to 3 days in advance.
Little Helpers: Let your kids help you collect all the herbs and spices from your cabinet and do the measuring and stirring. My kids like to smell each spice before they add it in.

Nutrition

Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 184mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 635IU | Vitamin C: 6.3mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!
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Filed Under: Appetizers, Comfort Food, Eat Your Veggies, Gluten Free, Snacks

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    Comments

    1. Malina says

      November 19, 2022 at 10:34 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! Just made it this morning to go alongside some homemade Buffalo wings. I didn’t change anything, but didn’t have dried chives. I think I’ll add fresh chives right before consuming. Thanks so much for the great recipe, this is my first time here and I’m excited to try other recipes on your site.

      Reply
    2. karen Violette-Cubbison says

      May 20, 2021 at 3:05 pm

      5 stars
      I’m so glad that I found your recipe! I need to have a low sodium diet and can substitute for that salt. 🙂
      On another note: I LOVE that you added a child friendly section. It’s so important for little ones to be comfortable in the kitchen.

      Reply
    3. Vickie Williams says

      April 16, 2021 at 2:20 pm

      if all the ingredients are dry why do you have to store it in the fridge? If i am not adding the sour cream till i need it

      Reply
      • Sara says

        April 17, 2021 at 7:09 pm

        The powdered buttermilk I use says refrigerate after opening. If your brand does not require refrigeration then you shouldn’t need to refrigerate the mix!

        Reply
    4. Beth says

      January 20, 2019 at 5:03 pm

      Just made this because I didn’t have a Hidden Valley Ranch Dip mix. My boyfriend said it’s even better than the real mix! I expect it to be even better after it is refrigerated a day or so. Thanks for the recipe! I’ve saved it for later use.

      Reply
      • Sara says

        January 20, 2019 at 9:52 pm

        So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for reporting back!

        Reply
    5. Debbie says

      August 13, 2018 at 7:29 pm

      5 stars
      I love the idea of making my own ranch mix!

      Reply
    6. Erica says

      November 6, 2017 at 8:15 am

      Since you’re only supposed to use 3Tbsp of the herb mixture to 1 cup of sour cream/mayo, approx how many batches of dip should this end up making?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        November 6, 2017 at 9:27 pm

        It should make 4 batches!

        Reply
    7. Jn says

      February 24, 2017 at 7:54 am

      How to make dressing from this? Would you still use liquid buttermilk?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        February 24, 2017 at 1:02 pm

        I haven’t tried making dressing from it, I would suggest using mayo and a little milk to thin it out to a pourable consistency!

        Reply
    8. Greg says

      January 27, 2017 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      Ranch dip with honest, actual seasonings and not chemicals, what a concept!

      Reply
    9. beth says

      December 3, 2015 at 2:36 am

      I haven’t found powdered buttermilk in Germany. I wonder if I can substitute normal buttermilk if I’m making the recipe to be eaten right away?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 3, 2015 at 8:08 am

        I would try making the powder with just the herbs and spices, and then when you add it to the sour cream add a tablespoon or two of normal buttermilk. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    10. Ale says

      September 5, 2015 at 7:24 am

      Love your recipes! All I’ve tried come out great every time, which is not the case with other recipes I’ve tried via Yummy. Thanks for the honest recipe ingredients and cooking tidbits, makes experimenting with new methods foolproof!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        September 6, 2015 at 10:39 pm

        Thanks so much, I appreciate it! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

      April 13, 2015 at 8:52 am

      This looks great! I may try using fat free greek yogurt in place of the sour cream for an even healthier option! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Paula says

        April 2, 2016 at 3:56 am

        How did the Greek yogurt work out?

        Reply
    12. Chris @ Celebrations At Home says

      April 13, 2015 at 6:34 am

      Love the idea of making your own mix. This would be great as a hostess gift too!

      Reply
    13. Christine from Cook the Story says

      April 13, 2015 at 6:11 am

      I love that you used powdered buttermilk. No need to buy a quart and have half of it go bad in the fridge.

      Reply
    14. Tanya Coffman says

      April 8, 2015 at 8:38 pm

      Thanks for sharing this recipe, my family LIVES ranch as a staple…I’m looking forward to trying it 😀

      Reply
    15. Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says

      April 7, 2015 at 8:59 pm

      Ok, yes and yes! This looks fabulous – and I adore ranch dip, so this is perfectly up my alley!

      Reply
    16. annabelt - geeks diet says

      April 7, 2015 at 11:30 am

      This looks great – my kids love ranch dip. Thanks!

      Reply
    17. Jaime says

      April 7, 2015 at 10:50 am

      Nice! I’ve been looking for a homemade mix that actually tastes good; I’ll have to try this.

      Reply
    18. Brenda says

      April 7, 2015 at 10:39 am

      I have a serious ranch addiction! I dip almost all foods into ranch at some point. Thanks for sharing this homemade recipe with me! I’m definitely going to need to try to make it this weekend.

      Reply
    19. Joanna @Motherhood and Merlot says

      April 7, 2015 at 9:58 am

      Yum! I think homemade ranch is so much better than store-bought. I bet my girls would love this (they are ranch vultures too:) )

      Reply
    20. Lauren says

      March 26, 2015 at 4:12 pm

      I had trouble finding the powdered buttermilk – I looked in the baking aisle with the evaporated / condensed milk. What does it look like?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        March 30, 2015 at 9:45 pm

        It comes in a metal tin, usually in with the powdered milk which is often by the hot cocoa mix.

        Reply

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