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.
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.
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.
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.
Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!
More delicious dip recipes
Homemade Ranch Dip
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
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.
karen Violette-Cubbison says
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.
Vickie Williams says
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
Sara says
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!
Beth says
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.
Sara says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for reporting back!
Debbie says
I love the idea of making my own ranch mix!
Erica says
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?
Sara says
It should make 4 batches!
Jn says
How to make dressing from this? Would you still use liquid buttermilk?
Sara says
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!
Greg says
Ranch dip with honest, actual seasonings and not chemicals, what a concept!
beth says
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?
Sara says
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!
Ale says
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!
Sara says
Thanks so much, I appreciate it! 🙂
Erin @ Platings and Pairings says
This looks great! I may try using fat free greek yogurt in place of the sour cream for an even healthier option! Thanks!
Paula says
How did the Greek yogurt work out?
Chris @ Celebrations At Home says
Love the idea of making your own mix. This would be great as a hostess gift too!
Christine from Cook the Story says
I love that you used powdered buttermilk. No need to buy a quart and have half of it go bad in the fridge.
Tanya Coffman says
Thanks for sharing this recipe, my family LIVES ranch as a staple…I’m looking forward to trying it 😀
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
Ok, yes and yes! This looks fabulous – and I adore ranch dip, so this is perfectly up my alley!
annabelt - geeks diet says
This looks great – my kids love ranch dip. Thanks!
Jaime says
Nice! I’ve been looking for a homemade mix that actually tastes good; I’ll have to try this.
Brenda says
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.
Joanna @Motherhood and Merlot says
Yum! I think homemade ranch is so much better than store-bought. I bet my girls would love this (they are ranch vultures too:) )
Lauren says
I had trouble finding the powdered buttermilk – I looked in the baking aisle with the evaporated / condensed milk. What does it look like?
Sara says
It comes in a metal tin, usually in with the powdered milk which is often by the hot cocoa mix.