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!
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”.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
Full amounts and details on recipe card below.
- raw cashews
- non-dairy plain unsweetened yogurt: I use the So Delicious coconut yogurt, but Kite Hill almond yogurt is delicious, too.
- non-dairy milk: I used “lite” canned coconut milk because it’s very creamy and lends a beautiful texture. If you are allergic, make sure to use another creamy milk like soy or a high-quality oat milk.
- white vinegar
- dry mustard
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- dried dill
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN RANCH DRESSING
Step 1: Add all of the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
Step 2: Place in the fridge to chill until thickened.
I hope you love this 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!
MORE VEGAN DRESSINGS 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 (THIS IS KEY to ranch flavor, so do not sub with another 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
- I use this scale.
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (for stirring in at the end)
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.
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 fresh 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, perfectly pourable, but will thicken a lot in the fridge more like a dip for veggies.
- Pour the dressing into a container and stir in the fresh dill. This is so it is visible in the end dressing and does not turn the dressing green when blended.
- Use immediately or 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.
Nutrition
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The best Vegan Ranch dressing ever! Hands down!
Thank you soooooo much for sharing!!
Yay, thank you so much Jacqy!
SO delicious!! I didn’t have any fresh dill so I used 2 tsp of dried dill in place of the fresh and it came out great! I love it as a dressing but also after it thickens in the fridge it’s the best veggie dip. Also used it to make jalapeno, ranch veggie burgers on sourdough bread! Soaking some more cashews to make more now!
Omg that sounds amazing! So glad you loved it Joanie!
This is without a doubt the best ranch dressing I’ve ever had, and one of the best dressings I’ve ever had period. Next time will try some coarsely-grinded peppercorns in here as well for well, peppercorn ranch. Thanks for this!
Steve
Brandi, you are a MAGICIAN with food! You’ve done it again. This dressing is absolutely perfect, and I haven’t even gotten to the next day that everyone speaks of yet. I couldn’t stop eating it and licking every bit out of the blender. Will definitely be doubling or tripling it next time. Also, don’t curse me, I used a sub as I don’t have coconut milk, but a plain and fairly pure soy milk (Vitasoy Protein Plus for the Aussies) and it was perfect.
Aww thank you so much Louisa!! Soy milk is great!!
Wow, this is absolutely delicious! Thank you, I finally found an oil-free dressing that I like!
Yay! I’m so glad!!
Found my favorite vegan ranch dressing.
Yay!
This was amazing! Everything I hoped for and more. Followed the recipe almost except I used oat milk since that was all I had. I LOVE this recipe. Just what I had been looking forward to for dressing my ginormous salads I am supposed to be eating since going whole food plant based 3 weeks ago. Thank you!!
I’ve been searching for years for a homemade salad dressing that my family loves. Finally found it!
Thanks so much!
It is probably better with fresh dill added at the end, but I didn’t have any. So, I subbed an extra 1/2 tsp of dry. It was soooo delicious!!! I may have eaten it with a spoon straight out of the blender!
This is a fantastic dressing. I serve it with vegetable platters and everyone loves it. It’s even better the next day, so I always make it a day in advance. Thanks for this great recipe!
I started a nutrarian journey/experiment this year, eating fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and beans. I have moved to 90% vegan (no dairy, chicken or fish once a week, and eggs once a week).
I have been looking for a ranch dressing alternative that doesn’t leave me feeling guilty for its dairy and fat content. I found this recipe and made it according to the directions. I ate immediately thereafter. It was good but didn’t approximate ranch…until the next day. Oh, my gee! I’m in heaven! It amazes me that cashews, vinegar, dill, and all end up such a tasty ranch flavor!
Thank you for sharing your delicious vegan ranch dressing recipe. It is now my go-to dressing for my daily salad.
Ok, I’ve found the only ranch dressing recipe I need from now on! This is by far the best that I’ve tried. Comes together easily – I even love how it pours easily out of the blender and then thickens up in the fridge. Thank you for another great recipe, Brandi!
Brandi, you should get some kind of award for this recipe! It’s genius! Tonight is the third time I made it, and it’s perfect every time. Tip: To minimize waste, I freeze my coconut milk in cubes, and used them frozen in the recipe. Still came out great! Thanks for a winning recipe!
Haha aww thank you so much Carol! SO happy you love this! Great idea on the coconut milk!
How many servings does this make?
On the recipe card, it lists it makes 1 1/4 cups sauce. So how much you use per serving will depend on preference.
I made this dressing about two months ago and it’s been my go to dressing almost every day! I love it! It’s so good and easy to make. I did leave out the coconut milk by accident and tried it with coconut milk the next time but I feel I don’t need it and love the taste a teeny bit better without it. I do add a little bit of water to thin it out if necessary especially after it’s chilled. I use it as a dressing and a dip. Thank you so much for creating this recipe!!!!
Sorry…I forgot to give the five stars you deserve.
The absolute best! You are a genius!
Aww thank you Pamela, so kind of you!
Delicious. Another winner. 💗
Yay!!
I own you book I love it I also use other recipes you have i love this dressing it is the best one that I have found the only variation I did was to use fresh 1 tsp of dill and add 1 tsp of dill seed when I do the first blend o boy my familyloves it try it out, but I am looking for a good scone recipe if you ever make one I would be very happy
Thank you so much Catari, so glad to hear that! Adding to my list!
Can this recipe be made without vinegar? I am highly allergic to vinegar, which seems to be in everything!
10 stars for the PERFECT Ranch! Finally! I’ve been plant based since 2013 and tried dozens of ranch recipes to no avail. This has the perfect balance of tangy, creamy, rich deliciousness. Next time I’ll sub some of the cashews with oats or white beans to cut down the fat. I used my own yogurt (that I make in the instant pot with Trader Joe’s “soy beverage” because it’s much cheaper than buying packaged yogurt and the only ingredients are organic soy beans and water). Overall, super simple and it will be a staple in my fridge! Thank you.
Yay, so glad you loved this ranch Tammy!
This is THE BEST VEGAN RANCH EVER!!!! Your caesar dressing is a staple in our home and I had some xtra yogurt from another recipe (your mozzarella cheese) – so thought i’d give the ranch a try – WOW! The flavors are spot on! Thank you so very much!!!
PS – if you could figure out Catalina, I would be in salad dressing heaven 😉
This really is a game changer–I enjoy salads again. Best ranch dressing ever (vegan or not!). Thank you!
Yay, that is wonderful!
This was my second attempt at making ranch dressing. Needless to say this is the winner and now keeper. So easy. I used the sunflower seeds. I did do some minor changes because I did not have coconut milk nor white vinegar. Subbed water for coconut milk and apple cider vinegar for white. I highly doubt they changed the flavor of the original recipe thus this is a five star yummy ranch
I used white balsamic which is slightly sweet, and soy milk.
This was soooo good. I am often disappointed with salad dressings, but not with this one.
Thank you for this.