Servings
Font
Back
4.8 from 90 votes

Best Vegan Ranch Dressing

Vegan Ranch Dressing tastes better than the kind you'd buy at the store, and gets its creaminess from cashews. Serve it over a salad, or as a creamy dip for chips and veggies!

Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 85 kcal
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup raw cashews
  • 1/2 cup warm water , plus more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried chives
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried dill (optional; but recommended)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place the cashews in a bowl and cover them with the warm water. Let them soak together while you measure the rest of the ingredients, about 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. Pour the cashews and their soaking water into the blender, then add in the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Secure the lid on the blender and blend until smooth, about 60 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides, as needed, to make sure everything gets blended, and add an additional tablespoon of water, if needed, to help the cashews break down into a silky-smooth texture.
  3. Next, add in the parsley, chives, and dill, and pulse briefly, just to incorporate them. (This gives the dressing a speckled look, like traditional ranch. If you blend too long it could turn green instead.) Taste and adjust any seasoning as needed. You may want to add up to 1/4 teaspoon more salt, or extra lemon for a more tangy flavor.
  4. Pour the dressing into an airtight container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors develop. It will thicken much more in the fridge overnight, so I recommend adding a tablespoon of water, or more, as needed to thin it out again the next day. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shake the dressing before each use.

Notes

  • Nutrition is for roughly 2 tablespoons of dressing, assuming you get roughly 3/4 cup of dressing from this recipe. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
  • Recipe is adapted from Eat Dairy Free, by Alisa Fleming, and the Hemp Seed Ranch Dressing, from my first cookbook.
  • Need a nut-free recipe? You can swap the cashews for hemp hearts, which provide a similar creaminess.
  • Update note: I updated this recipe in January 2021 to taste even better, using less oil. If you preferred the original recipe, increase the water to 2/3 cup total, use 1/4 cup olive oil, add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice and vinegar, and add 2 teaspoons of maple syrup. (I lowered the acid content in this recipe to eliminate the need for an added sweetener.) I also added the dried dill, because I think it tastes more like the ranch I buy at the store, but you can omit that, too.

Nutrition Information

Calories 85kcal (4%) Carbohydrates 4g (1%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 7g (11%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 4g Sodium 298mg (12%) Potassium 107mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 565IU (11%) Vitamin C 7mg (8%) Calcium 14mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 85

% Daily Value*

Calories 85kcal 4%
Carbohydrates 4g 1%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Sodium 298mg 12%
Potassium 107mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 565IU 11%
Vitamin C 7mg 8%
Calcium 14mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.