Calling all ranch lovers! This Paleo Ranch Dressing Recipe is creamy, dreamy, and dairy-free. Making a batch will be the best 5 minutes you spend this week. Stir it together and just watch those salads and veggies disappear when they get drizzled or dipped into this delicious homemade dairy-free ranch dressing made with simple real-food ingredients right out of the pantry.
This recipe was originally published on May 31, 2016; Updated on May 27, 2021.
An Easy Recipe for Paleo Ranch Dressing and Whole30 Ranch Dressing
This is a Dairy-Free, Paleo, Whole30 Ranch that’s easy to make and perfect for veggie dipping, drizzling on a bed of greens, or as a dipper for all of your favorite dip-needing foods.
Our quick recipe makes it easy for you to say goodbye to highly-processed ranch dressings made with unpronounceable ingredients and cheap, inflammatory oils. Once you make it, you’ll be saying hello creamy, dreamy, homemade ranch made with fresh, real-food ingredients.
With just a few ingredients and less than 5 minutes of your time, you’ll want to print and hold on to this paleo ranch dressing recipe forever. We’ve combined mayo, coconut milk, and a blend of dried herbs to create the iconic ranch flavor that so many love.
Ingredients to Make Paleo Ranch Dressing & Substitutions
- Mayonnaise – use homemade mayo or purchased; we love the Primal Kitchen avocado oil mayonnaise, which doesn’t contain any inflammatory oils and tastes great. You can also use vegan mayonnaise (which doesn’t contain eggs) if you want a vegan ranch recipe
- Canned coconut milk – use full-fat coconut milk (here’s one we love from Thrive Market) to create the perfect ranch dressing consistency. This is what makes this recipe so creamy and you’d never guess it’s dairy-free. We don’t recommend other types of non-dairy milk, as they make a thinner consistency and can affect the taste
- Dried parsley – can substitute 1 tablespoon fresh parsley for the 1 teaspoon dried parsley. If using fresh, mince the parsley super fine, or blend everything in a small food processor
- Dried dill – can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill for the 1/2 teaspoon dried dill. If using fresh, mince the dill super fine, or blend everything in a small food processor
- Garlic powder – get a great deal on organic garlic powder from Thrive Market
- Onion powder – and get a great deal on onion powder and many other organic dried herbs and spices from Thrive Market
- Dried chives – we love the addition of dried chives, but this ingredient is optional if you don’t have any on hand
- Sea salt – once mixed together, taste and add more salt, if desired
- Ground black pepper – helps round out and complete the iconic ranch flavor
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How to Make Paleo Ranch Dressing
This is one of those recipes where you measure everything out and then dump it in a bowl to mix together. No cooking required. Easy, peasy paleo ranch for all to love! If you have a lot of ranch lovers in your home (like we do), we recommend making a double batch. This recipe makes about 1 cup.
Tips to Make Perfect Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing Every Time
Full-fat coconut milk is the secret ingredient that makes this paleo ranch dip recipe so creamy and thick, and it doesn’t even taste like coconut. Be sure to shake the can really well before opening since the fat solids and coconut water can separate (this is normal). If you already have the can open, just use a spoon or whisk to mix it all together before combining the coconut milk with the mayonnaise and dried herbs.
Are coconuts a nut?
You’ll see that this recipe is listed as nut-free, which may be confusing if you consider coconuts to be a nut. Many people think that a coconut is a nut, especially since the word coconut has “nut” in its name. And from a culinary standpoint, many people consider coconuts to be a nut, but it is not really a true nut. Coconuts are technically a type of fruit called a drupe.
Coconuts don’t have the same proteins that people who are allergic to true tree nuts (like almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, pecans, and more) react to. While some people who have a severe tree nut allergy may also be sensitive to coconuts, most people who have a tree nut allergy can safely eat coconuts. If you’re interested, you can read more here about coconuts and their true classification as a drupe.
Yogurt-based Health Homemade Ranch Dressing
Don’t need a dairy-free ranch dressing? Or don’t want to use coconut milk? We have another delicious recipe for Healthy Homemade Ranch Dressing that has a base of yogurt and sour cream. Check it out here.
6 Ways to Enjoy Paleo Ranch Dressing
This Paleo Ranch Dressing is our go-to to add that finishing flavor pop to recipes and just to make veggie dipping that much better! The good fats in this homemade dairy-free dressing make it easier for you to absorb all the nutrients in fresh produce. That’s a nutrition win-win!
- Take any salad to the next level with a drizzle of this fresh dressing
- Use as a creamy dip for fresh vegetables
- Use it as the dressing to make our Creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad, Creamy Ranch Broccoli Slaw, or Creamy Ranch Pasta Salad
- Mix with canned chicken or tuna to make a creamy protein salad
- Use as a dip for chicken nuggets or drizzled over our Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Recipe or Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash or Crispy Garlic Ranch Roasted Potatoes.
- Add to a lettuce wrap with chicken, bacon, tomatoes, and avocado – yum!
How to Store Homemade Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing
Store the paleo ranch dressing recipe in a covered mason jar or other covered container in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can easily double the batch if ranch goes as fast in your home as it does in ours!
Video: How to make Paleo ranch dressing
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Paleo Ranch Dressing & Dip
This creamy, dreamy, dairy-free ranch dressing is the real deal! One taste and you’ll see why it’s our go-to for drizzling over salads, serving with fresh veggies, and as a dipper for all things!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (homemade or purchased)*
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup full-fat canned coconut milk (shake or stir well before using)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried chives (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt (plus more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth and creamy.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Store in a covered container or mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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Notes
* To make vegan ranch, use vegan mayonnaise that doesn’t contain eggs.
You can use fresh herbs in place of the dried herbs, if you’d like. We call for dried herbs so you can easily make this recipe year-round. To use fresh herbs, use 1 tablespoon fresh parsley and 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill, and mince them super fine, or use a mini food processor to blend everything.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 109
- Fat: 12 g
- (Sat Fat: 3 g)
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Carbohydrate: 1 g
- (Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 0 g)
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 6 mg
Dietary
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Hello,
I just made this recipe and it is FABULOUS!! Could this dressing be made and then frozen?
I also made your buffalo chicken meatballs and decided to bake them instead of cooking on the stove top and they turned out nicely. I just came upon your website and look forward to trying many of your interesting recipes. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Melanie
Hi Melanie!
Thank you for your kind words! I’m so happy to hear you loved the Ranch dressing and Buffalo Chicken Meatballs (baking them is a great idea and keeps the stove much cleaner).
I’m not sure if you could freeze the dressing – I mean, you can freeze anything, but how it will turn out once thawed is anyone’s guess. Maybe freeze just a tiny bit in a small bowl or ice cube tray then thaw it out to see how it holds up – if it separates you may be able to just whip to back together but maybe not…I’d love to hear the outcome if you give it a try.
Thanks again for stopping by – glad you found us over here in our little corner of the interwebs!
Hi there,
Melanie asked if this recipe could be frozen. I would advise against it. I put an opened jar of vegan mayonnaise in my fridge, however, I didn’t realise it was set to its coldest temperature which actually freezes stuff. The mayonnaise separated and was unusable even after vigorous mixing.
I would also like to ask why dried herbs were used instead of fresh? Is there a particular reason or was it just availability? I ask because I am lucky enough to have a herb garden and always use fresh when I can
Kind regards
Mim
Hi there,
Thanks for this delicious recipe. I made it with homemade mayo which is surprisingly easy! I also took out the garlic and onion powder to make it low fodmap friendly. I just replaced the garlic powder with some garlic infused olive oil (1/2 tsp). I also didn’t have any dried chives so replaced them with a tsp of fresh. This was a great addition to the buffalo chicken stuffed sweet potatoes. This dinner will make into the regular rotation. So easy too!!!!
Hi Kathy! We’re all about simple recipes and it’s great to hear the Ranch dressing turned out for you and you were able to enjoy it too! It’s the perfect compliment to the slow cooker buffalo chicken recipe. Thanks for stopping by and giving this recipe a try!!
This is absolutely delicious and is going right into the folder of recipes for everyday use! I love salads but was getting bored of oil and vinegar and was really craving something creamy. This hit the spot! I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
So great to hear! Thanks for sharing your feedback. We love hearing from our readers.
Finally a dairy free recipe that tastes good!! I love this so much. It’s been a real struggle since I gave up dairy 2 years ago.
Thank you for your feedback! So happy you found a ranch recipe you love!
Mine is a bit on the runny side. I used Thai Kitchen brand, full fat. Was I only supposed to use the solid matter in the can? Or the blended solid/water mixture?
Hi Aimee,
You’re supposed to use both the fat (the solid matter) and the liquid however I find that the thickness of coconut milk can vary from can to can (and brand to brand) so I’ve updated the recipe to give a range so you can adjust accordingly.
It is, however, not as thick as store-bought ranch because it doesn’t have any added thickeners or emulsifiers.