Learn how to make the absolute BEST Vegan Ranch Dressing Oil-free and No Mayo! This recipe is dairy-free and tastes better than the traditional dairy kind! Perfect for healthy salads. Made with cashews, yogurt, vinegar and spices!
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BEST VEGAN RANCH DRESSING
Who doesn’t love ranch dressing? I know I ate bucket loads before going vegan and now we have the absolute most amazing vegan, oil-free ranch dressing that you will ever need! And unlike many versions out there, this one does not use vegan mayo or oil! Yes, this vegan ranch is oil-free and made with healthy ingredients! I’m all about recreating classics in a healthier way, just like with this Vegan Thousand Island Dressing that tastes 100% authentic!
CAN VEGANS EAT RANCH?
Yes, of course, as long as it’s vegan! Traditional ranch dressings contain mayo though, so are not vegan. There are vegan ranch dressing brands out there, but they are full of oil and unhealthy ingredients. Better to just make your own! But this vegan ranch dressing recipe will blow all the others away!
I used my original recipe as the base but changed up a couple of things and it is incredible. All my spices are the same but for that truly tangy and authentic taste and texture, I subbed most of the milk with yogurt! Oh boy did it improve that flavor! I found this to taste so much like the classic ranch and my family agreed. My hubby (Mr. Picky) called it “spot on” and “brilliant”.
HOW DO YOU MAKE VEGAN RANCH DRESSING?
First, you will need to gather these 8 ingredients (+salt):
- raw cashews
- non-dairy plain unsweetened yogurt (I use the So Delicious coconut yogurt)
- non-dairy milk (I used “lite” canned coconut milk)
- white vinegar
- dry mustard
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- dried dill
Next, add all of the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
Place in the fridge to chill until thickened.
I hope you love this Best Vegan Ranch Dressing as much as we do! I find that this ranch dressing is not only delicious on salads, but also on pizza or even avocado toast!
OTHER VEGAN DRESSINGS RECIPES TO TRY:
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Best Vegan Ranch Dressing (Oil-free)
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup (75g) raw unsalted cashews (use sunflower kernels if allergic but keep in mind it will yield a different flavor)
- 1/2 cup (120g) non-dairy unsweetened plain yogurt, I used SoDelicious coconut buy soy or another creamy yogurt should work
- 1/4 cup (60g) canned "lite" coconut milk, shaken first (or soy milk, but I preferred the taste of the coconut)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (23g) white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
FLAVOR VARIATIONS
- I tested this as other flavors too that were outstanding. Try any 3 of these separate versions with 2 tablespoons (30g) of fined diced of the following: chopped green or black olives, chopped green chiles or chopped pickled jalapenos.
- I use this scale.
INSTRUCTIONS
- If you do not have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, then you will need to soak your cashews overnight in a bowl of water, otherwise your dressing will be gritty. Drain, rinse and proceed.
- Add all of the ingredients, except the dill, to a blender and process for a couple of minutes, stopping to scrape the sides, until completely smooth. The dressing will be on the runny side but will thicken a lot in the fridge. Pour the dressing into a container and stir in the dried dill. This is so it is visible in the end dressing and does not turn the dressing green when blended.
- Store in the fridge for a couple of hours to chill and thicken some before using.
- It will thicken up a lot like a dip overnight so give it a good stir before use. You can slightly thin it out with a tad of water and an extra splash of vinegar if needed. The dressing is good for a week in the fridge.
NOTES
Nutrition per 2 tablespoons: 58 calories, 4.3g fat, 1.3g protein, 4.4g carbs, .6g fiber, 1.4g sugar, 177mg sodium
This post contains affiliate links. See my full disclosure policy here.
Wow! Soooo good! Thank you!
Thank you Kristin!!
The absolute best ranch dressing recipe on the planet. Seriously. If I didn’t make it myself I would never have believed it was vegan and dairy free. It was that good. Following your recipes. Thanks so much.
Now that’s the best feedback ever, thank you so much Wendy!!
Any subs for the cashews and vinegar? Have nut allergies and can’t do ferments/vinegars. Thank you.
I would make my other ranch dressing that has a tested version using sunflower seeds if you can’t have cashews. That other one calls for apple cider vinegar. If you can’t have that, maybe try lemon juice??
https://thevegan8.com/easy-vegan-ranch-dressing/
I made this tonight and omitted the cashews, used Almondbreeze almondmilk yogurt, and it was fantastic. I’ll be making it every night while we still have fresh garden tomatoes.
So glad you loved it Nan!
I can’t believe I never reviewed this recipe! It is so simple and incredibly tasty, not to mention versatile. Of course, it is best the way you wrote it, but due to a recently discovered coconut allergy I now use soy milk, as you suggest as an alternate, and plain almond yogurt. This last time I used half navy beans and half cashews and it was still fantastic. Thank you so much for this recipe, Brandi!! (PS- I just have to mention I purchased some of the ingredients for this at my local grocer this morning, noticed magazines while waiting at checkout, and was thrilled to show my husband People magazine and your article inside! I’m beyond thrilled for you!! Congratulations!!)
This is an amazing recipe! I have tried other oil free ranch dressings and none of them came close to what I was expecting from ranch dressing. This recipe taste just like ranch dressing and I am in love with it! Thank you so much for putting this together
This was DELICIOUS!! I have made so many vegan (oil-free) dressings that taste funky but this just tasted like…. ranch! Thank you for a winner recipe! (Also, as a note- I only had cashew milk and used that and it tasted great)
Yay Kristen! Really glad this was such a hit for you!!
I just discovered your site and am very excited to try your recipes. However, I can not have nuts. It is very difficult to find recipes that are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and contain no nuts.
Hi Dianna, yes, I use nuts since I don’t use oils in my recipes and where fat is needed for texture, nuts mimic oil results beautifully. Some recipes you won’t be able to make, unfortunately, but I have plenty of nut-free recipes on my blog.
Dianna,
I made this recipe and instead of using the cashews,
I used vegan mayo. Our fave recipe! With or without the cashew cream. 🙂 Thanks for an amazing recipe, Brandi!! It’s a winner!
Oh yes this IS the best! Finally a ranch dressing that tastes like I’m not vegan 🙂
I finally found a family favorite! Switching to a nutritarian style lifestyle for myself, husband and four kids 10 and under has posed some challenges, but now that we have a favorite sauce with the perfect smooth texture, it’s game on. Big salads are back on the menu. And it’s so yummy that when we serve it at gatherings, the non-vegan friends appreciate it too. Well done!
SO happy to hear this Amy, thank you so much!
AWESOME!!!! This is just amazing. I think it tastes better than dairy ranch. As usual, I start making your recipes before reading through and used almond yogurt instead of coconut yogurt.
I have to say it’s so delicious even with my mistake 😋
Yay Marie, so happy to hear that! OH yes, I found an amazing almond yogurt too that is really thick and creamy that works great as well, I use it for almost everything now!
This recipe is AWESOME! The flavor is nice and bold, and the texture is wonderful. I’m excited to try more of your recipes, I have the vegan alfredo sauce pinned and I look forward to trying it out really soon. Nicely done!
Yay Katie!! Really happy you enjoyed it so much, thank you for the kind words and feedback!
Love this recipe! But since I usually add wasabi horseradish to commercial ranch dressing for an extra”bite”, i added about a teaspoon to this recipe and it was also awesome!
Sounds delicious Cathy!
This is so delicious! I subbed 1/4 cup cashew butter for the cashews. I will make this often, thanks!!
This is so delicious! I subbed 1/4 cup cashew butter for the cashews. I will make this often, thanks!!
After recently having some very abnormal heartbeats, I gave up caffeine and committed to live a whole foods plant based life. I just recently found this AMAZING blog by sheer luck, and this was the first thing I made, as I had everything on hand. My daughter, who will only eat Follow Your Heart ranch was skeptical to try another one of my attempts at a healthier ranch. The first thing she said, “Mom, can you put this in my lunch everyday next year with carrots?” Yes, yes I can! We ate it on tortillas with buffalo cauliflower last night, and on the RAREST of occasions ALL five of us LOVED dinner!!! Thank you for the time and effort you put into making these WFPB recipes with NO OIL!!!! You’re a LIFESAVER!!!! <3
Thank you so much Kelly for this amazing review, it means so much!!
Excellent flavor! Mine ended up a bit thick & a little gritty, but I don’t even care! I’ll try processing it longer next time. (I just have a plain old food processor & soaked the cashews for about a day.) This is so good that I will gladly make it again & again to perfect it!
This recipe looks great but I cant get coconut yogurt. I gonna make a coconut cream and try that. I’ll let you know how it works. Thanks for helping us be healthy and well.
Hi Amber, you can use any dairy-free yogurt, doesn’t have to be coconut! You need the tang from yogurt for that ranch flavor, so I wouldn’t use coconut cream. That’ll not provide the tang and make it taste like coconut.