Dairy Free Ranch Dressing Recipe

Melissa King Dips, Spreads and Sauces, Recipes

Dairy Free Ranch Dressing you guys!! I have never met a soul that didn’t like ranch dressing. When we went vegan, my husband really missed ranch.

We wanted to make a dairy-free ranch dressing that would really curb his craving.  This dairy-free ranch recipe really hits the spot.

I don’t know about you, but it seems as though a lot of people have dairy sensitivity lately.  My husband and I are lactose intolerant and my younger daughter is allergic to dairy and soy.

Most of the non-dairy recipes I have seen online use tofu or veganaise as a base.  I was looking for a way to make a soy free ranch dressing recipe and it totally worked!  This is just as easy as the Homemade Peanut Butter and the Healthy Honey Mustard!

 

dairy free ranch dressing

This yummy dressing passed the ultimate kid test.  My 4 year old loved it!  So, now those of you with kiddos that are dairy sensitive can enjoy the taste of ranch.

I was actually amazed at how well this turned out.  I had my doubts in the beginning.  So here is the recipe.

If you like this, you may also want to check out my dairy free sour cream and my dairy free pesto sauce.

Dairy Free Ranch Dressing

Dairy Free Ranch Dressing

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Prep Time 10 min Serves 1.25 cups     adjust servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cashews (I used raw and unsalted)
  • 1/4 cup almond milk (If you like a super thick dressing, just omit the milk)
  • 1 clove garlic minced (I do this using a microplane )
  • 3 T chives finely chopped
  • 3 T parsley finely chopped
  • 3 tsp white wine vinegar
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Place the cashews in water and soak overnight in the fridge.
  2. Drain and rinse the cashews and throw them in the blender with just enough water to cover.
  3. Blend them for about 1-2 minutes.
  4. Now add the rest of the ingredients and blend on low for another minute.

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Recipe Notes

That’s it! This made about 1 1/4 cups and should keep for a few weeks in the fridge. I store mine in recycled glass jars.

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112 thoughts to “Dairy Free Ranch Dressing Recipe”

  3. I am very allergic to cashews and pistachios, so I don't know what their flavor is like to replace them in a recipe. Do you have any suggestions for an alternative to cashews in this recipe?
    Reply
    2. Jen, those are my two nut allergies as well! did you try it with the brazil nuts? what about thoughts on macadamia nuts?
      Reply
      1. I think Brazil nuts may work. I am not so sure about macadamia nuts, but I would love to know if they could work!
        Reply
  4. I'm lactose intolerant as well. After watching Genetic Roulette http://youtu.be/Vd_X1-moZkc it makes me think that it could be because of GMOs. In fact a lot of the health issues that I've been having could be attributed to it. Or it's just the fact that the food industry puts sugar in EVERYTHING. I have found that I can have goat cheese and greek yogurt. Yet another recipe that makes me excited to be off of my current diet, so that I can try it. Keep up the good work!
    Reply
    1. Thanks! My daughter can have yogurt as well. It must be less processed. I think a lot can be contributed to the fact that GMOs are in so many foods.
      Reply
      1. I believe it has to do something with milk protein versus milk sugar (which must deal with how they process it). Googled real quick, I found this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVS34lEPv7k From research and discussions I BELIEVE that my problem is with milk sugar and I can digest milk protein normally. I'm currently with a naturopath doctor and we will be looking into this further after I'm done with my current yeast elimination diet.
        Reply
          1. The only dairy product I can digest without problems is non fat live cultured yogurt and I was told by the nutritionist that I was sent to by my doctor, that it is because it is considered predigested because of the bacteria.....
        2. Many people and cultures with lactose intolerance can eat yoghurt. I don't think it has anything to do with GMO's because yoghurt has been eaten for generations, especially in Asia where much of the population develops lactose intolerance naturally. I think it has something to do with the yoghurt bacteria affecting the sugar in the milk.
          Reply
        3. I am SO glad I browsed the comments. Recently atopped eating dairy but love love love greek yogurt. In a couple weeks i may start trying to reintroduce at least the greek yogurt. Worth a try.
          Reply
      2. The process for creating yogurt digests the milk sugars which result in significantly less lactose and casein if any at all. Greek yogurt is the lowest and an excellent base for this recipe as well as a sour cream substitute
        Reply
    2. My kids and myself are lactose intolerant, goat cheese is tolerable but you should try most soft and any hard cheese from Europe.. Parmessan, Grana Padano, Gouda, Beimster, Cantenar(low cal).. Funny that we only have this problem in Canada, when we go to Italy and Uruguay to visit family we can eat anything... Mozarella is the worse, it gets you everytime.. Hope this helps
      Reply
    1. You might be able to do it with white beans, but you will probably need to add a bit more milk to thin it out. I would love to know if it works!
      Reply
      1. people with nut allergies aren't necessarily allergic to seeds as well. you might try pumpkin or sunflower seeds. if those don't appeal, chick peas give a comparable texture. :)
        Reply
  6. I can't eat cashews so I used alomonds. It smells good but didn't taste like anything. The more I blended it the worse it tasted. Your thoughts?
    Reply
    1. The cashews are much softer than almonds. When you soak almonds and then blend them, it will become more like almond milk. I am not sure if there is a substitute for cashews in this recipe. Maybe you can try pistachios or brazil nuts? I don't know for sure. Just guessing.
      Reply
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  8. I made this and it turned out great! I had to use soy milk. I coudln't find an almond milk without carageenan in it. I used more chives & garlic for a little extra kick and a dash of salt! It really does taste great. Thank you for sharing.
    Reply
    1. Awesome! Happy you liked it! I can't find an almond milk without carrageenan either. That's why I make my own now. Just almonds and water in my recipe. :)
      Reply
  9. Hi, I was just stopping by to see if your ranch dip was nut free, for my sons daycare.I might still give it a try to see if he likes it! I just wanted to let you know about this great site: http://fedup.com.au/factsheets/additive-and-natural-chemical-factsheets/a2-milk.It explains there are two different types of casein, it has to do with the breed of cow that gives the milk.More farmers have switched to Holstein cows and the milk causes an adverse reaction in many people. If you watch these videos on you tube with farmer/raw milk activist Micheal Schmidt he explains about how the way milk is produced and processed is leading to lactose intolerance.It takes a while to watch all the videos he has but what an eye opener!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYFrq0o_9zA Cheers!
    Reply
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    1. You are very welcome Monica! My daughter is allergic to milk and soy, so that is why I made this. I was very surprised how much it tastes like ranch!
      Reply
  13. Oh my word, this dressing is awesome!! I used it to replace a cilantro ranch recipe and used vermouth in place of the white wine vinegar since I'm all out, and tossed in fresh cilantro. This will be a staple in my fridge from now on, thank you!
    Reply
      1. I have another recipe I'm making tonight, red pepper hummus wraps. I think instead of sour cream, I'll make a thicker batch of this and use it instead.
        Reply
          1. It did, it was amazing and now I keep making veggie pita sandwiches with it in it for my lunches :)
    2. Cashews thicken quite a bit when you cook them, so I don't think this would be safe if canned as is. In any event, if you did can a version of it, I would pressure can it just to be safe.
      Reply
  15. Just found your blog, so excited about all the great recipes to try, but particularly excited about this one! Thanks for creating it!
    Reply
  16. I love all of your recipes!!! Found you through Pinterest. I haven't made this recipe yet, but I make a similar soy-free dairy-free ranch using raw hemp seeds and thought maybe for those allergic to nuts could try using hemp seeds instead!
    Reply
  17. Hi, I just want to say that you're my new hero! I can't even remember how I stumbled upon your blog but I was looking for healthy alternatives to processed food. All of your recipes sound awesome and I can't wait to try this one! I have been wanting to cut out processed foods and now I have the recipes to do so without sacrificing too many things-- like ranch!
    Reply
  19. what would you suggest since I am allergic to dairy and all nuts, plus many more foods? I really need recipes like this because I love ranch dressing, but right now the only "milk" products I tolerate is coconut.
    Reply
    1. I'm not sure. Can you use beans instead of nuts? White beans may work, but coconut milk will change the flavor a lot.
      Reply
  20. A while back someone mentioned using avocado in place of the cashews, has anyone tried this yet? Did you just use a cup for a cup ratio?
    Reply
        1. I am also allergic to legumes, tomatoes, eggs, dairy, nuts, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, green beans apples, peaches, celery, onions and beef..
          Reply

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