My Whole30 Ranch is hands down one of the top 3 sauces we have to have in our fridge at all times. A great sauce can go a long way in making meals come together and this easy Whole30 Ranch is a staple for our home on and off a Whole30!
Why We Love this Whole30 Ranch
In my local Whole30 groups, I would bring this to the opening potluck and have people insist I needed to start bottling and selling it. This is a mayo-based sauce which means it’s a great source of healthy fats. Perfect for all the dipping and topping your salads!
It’s Allergen-Friendly
This Whole30 Ranch is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free (naturally), Paleo, and Keto. It can be made egg-free and vegan depending on what method and ingredients you use. To make it Vegan + Egg-free, use Method One. This method uses a pre-made mayo. You can buy a Whole30 Vegan Mayo like this one from Primal Kitchen. OR, you can make your own Plant-Based Vegan mayo like this one (note: This one is not dairy-free or appropriate for a traditional Whole30).
So, so Easy to Make!
It takes 5-minutes to make and can be made two ways. One method uses a pre-made mayo and just involves whisking in some basic spices and thinning with dairy-free milk. The other is a dump ranch method, where you are emulsifying oil and egg into a thick dressing.
Budget-Friendly
Making your own sauces is a great way to ensure they are simple ingredients and is often more budget-friendly. I can’t tell you how much it will cost you to make this in your area. However, for me, using ingredients from my local Northern California Walmart, it costs $2.34 for 12oz. That’s a savings of almost 75% from the cheapest store-bought Whole30 compatible Ranch I’ve seen (at $5.88 for 8oz). Here’s the cost breakdown:
| Ranch Dressing |
Servings = 1 1/2 cup
|
|
| Homemade Mayo | 1 cup | $1.64 |
| Coconut milk | 1/4 cup | $0.44 |
| Garlic powder | 1 teaspoon | $0.05 |
| Onion powder | 1 teaspoon | $0.05 |
| Dried dill | 1 teaspoon | $0.12 |
| Vinegar, apple cider | 1 teaspoon | $0.03 |
| Total cost | $2.34 |
Do I have to have an immersion blender?
No, you can use premade mayo (Method 1) and not have to use any blender at all. However, the dump ranch method (method 2) is super easy – don’t let it intimidate you! Making your own sauces from scratch makes you feel like a kitchen superhero. I would often bring clients into the kitchen to let them experience for themselves how EASY it is.
The trick? The immersion blender. I have tried again and again to emulsify mayo and sauces with a food processor or regular blender. It’s possible. And also, you have to pour the oil in verrrrry specifically or you will ruin the batch. I bought this fairly affordable immersion blender from Walmart and it changed the sauce making game!
Need tips on how to make sure your mayo or emulsified sauce turns out every time? Check out the tips on my Mayo recipe here.
What do we eat this Whole30 Ranch With?
Well, all the things.
Haha, ok, we can get more specific than that! Here are some ways we love to use our Ranch:
- Dipping chicken strips in, like my Paleo Chick-fil-a Chicken Strips or my Chicken Nuggets with Hidden Veggies.
- Pairing with fries or roasted potatoes like my Whole30 Curly Fries or Garlic Fries.
- Drizzling over roasted meat and veggies, like my Garlic Chicken Sheet Pan or Blackened Chicken
- To bring together budget-friendly meals like my Hash Brown Waffles topped with shredded BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- Mayo (if using Method 1) – I use my Homemade Mayo here, you can use whatever store-bought variety works for you and your dietary needs.
- Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil (if using Method 2) – Your mayo will largely taste like your oil, which is why I don’t recommend using regular olive oil. Your mayo or ranch will taste like olives. Look for an olive oil with “extra light tasting” on the label. You can also use avocado oil.
- Egg
- Lemon juice (if using Method 2) – The acid in the lemon juice helps neutralize the bacteria in the raw egg, making it safe to eat.
- Spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill. I usually get these from Winco’s bulk spice bins, Sam’s club, or Walmart. Usually fairly easy spices to find, at least in my area.
- Apple cider vinegar – Can use white distilled vinegar, if needed, as well.
- Dairy-free milk of choice, to thin – Everyone loves ranch at a different thickness. Use dairy-free milk (I usually use coconut milk), 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin until it reaches your desired thickness.
Whole30 Ranch
Ingredients
Method One - With Pre-made Mayo
- 1 c. compliant mayo see notes for link to my 5-minute Mayo
- 1/4-1/2 c. full-fat coconut milk or other dairy-free milk adjusted for desired thickness
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- pinch each ground salt and black pepper or to taste
Method 2 - Dump Ranch with Immersion Blender
- 1 cup extra light tasting olive oil
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- pinch pepper
- dairy-free milk of choice to desired thickness
Instructions
Method 1 - With Pre-made Mayo
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl or blender and whisk or blend until well combined. Store in fridge covered for up to 2 weeks.
Method 2 - Dump Ranch
- Add all ingredients to a container that is just slightly bigger than the head of your immersion blender like a large mouth mason jar. Let sit for a few minutes so egg can settle to the bottom.
- Put immersion blender into the mixture, positioning right on top of the egg yolk. This placement is important. Wait 10 seconds.
- Turn on immersion blender, to high if your blender has speeds, holding it down at the bottom over the egg yolk and DO NOT MOVE for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds of blending on high at the bottom of the mixture, slowly pull up, still mixing, mixing up and down slowly a few times through the whole mixture. Result should be creamy and thick.
- Thin with a dairy-free milk to desired thickness. Store in the fridge covered for up to two weeks.
I’ve been looking for a homemade ranch dressing that is easy, tasty, and creamy. Add to it that this recipe is also whole30 compliant makes it a real winner! I foresee this recipe being a regular in my fridge!
I did add some dried chives to my version.
I grew up not liking ranch dressing but then I came across this recipe on your Instagram page. Now I make it all the time and absolutely love it! I use method one with Primal Kitchen Mayo.
This is awesome! Made it tonight for a taco salad and it was perfection!
YES! We love it on all the things and how easy it is. Thank you!
So delicious and yummy! My family couldn’t tell the difference.
I will never buy store bought ranch again! This is so easy and delicious, I will add hot sauce or seasoning to it for different variations. Thank you!
“I will never buy store-bought ranch again” — wahoo!! I love it! Thank you : ).
Absolutely delish! This ranch is a staple in our home!! Don’t hesitate to replace your typical Ranch, with this yummy Whole30 Ranch! Thank you Autumn!
Woot woot to a new favorite swap! Thank you!
We made this to go along with the garlic fries and it’s even better that “regular” ranch! Now we pretty much always have a jar in the fridge ready to go with everything.
Aw, YAY! I love that it’s a must-have on hand. Thank you!
Super easy and delicious! Made the 1st method with the mayo I got in the goody bag from your book tour stop in Dallas 😁
How perfect and glad it was enjoyed! Thank you!
So excited to make this for our Whole 30 wings tonight for the game!!!
Awesome, hope it was a hit and your team won!
Absolutely delish! I’ve purchased a ton and made my own but this is by far the best recipe!
Wahoo! I’m so happy you loved this easy one, thank you!
Best vegan ranch!! I have tried several recipes before in search of a good vegan ranch and this is the best one I have found by far. I’m not surprised because all of Wholefoodfor7’s recipes are amazing!!
Why thank you so much! Happy this is a favorite!
I make a double batch of this every week using the 5-Min Mayo for my base. My family loves it. I actually just leave out the coconut milk and keep it thicker for a dip or dressing. We live abroad so we don’t have any sauces or dressings available for purchase that were Whole30 compatible and this was a lifesaver for our first whole30! Wholefoodfor7 is my first go to website for Whole30 and now for Food Freedom since my husband, 15 year old daughter and I are working out what our food will look like from now on.
I love that this has been giving you a Whole30 ranch option abroad! So happy my recipes have been a helpful resource and good luck as you navigate your Food Freedom!
I’ve always been a Hidden Valley Ranch girl through and through. Then I did a whole30 and tried the Primal Kitchen ranch that is whole30 compliant and honestly hated it. I started following Autumn on Instagram for more whole30 inspiration and found this compliant ranch recipe. All I can say is WOW. It’s hands down the best ranch, and I don’t have to feel guilty about any bad stuff in it. Even my boyfriend (who hates all things coconut) is obsessed with this dressing. We are never going back to store bought ranch again!
Beat out the store-bought?! LOVE IT!! So happy it’s been a keeper for you!