Homemade Ranch Dressing (Low FODMAP Option)

After one taste of this homemade ranch dressing, you'll never miss the store-bought stuff. Made with simple, real-food ingredients, this creamy ranch works just as well drizzled over salads (like my Easy Taco Salad) as it does as a dip for snacks (hello, Air Fryer Wings) or a sauce for chicken (as in my Creamy Ranch Chicken or Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole). It's naturally dairy-free and fits a variety of dietary needs, with a low FODMAP option, plus low carb, Keto, Paleo, and Whole30 compatibility.

If you're looking for a lighter ranch dressing recipe, my Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing is a great place to start.

Jump to:

• My Epic Love for Ranch Dressing
• Low FODMAP, Dairy-Free, Low Carb, Keto, Paleo & Whole30
• Low FODMAP Ranch Dressing: Ingredients & Success Tips
• Necessary Equipment
• Preparation Method
• Related Recipes
• Homemade Ranch Dressing (Low FODMAP Option)

My Epic Love for Ranch Dressing

Ranch dressing is, by far, my most favorite condiment on earth. As it's not widely found in German-speaking countries, when I lived in Austria for a year on the Fulbright program, I took along a bottle in my suitcase. It was gone way too fast. I shared some with some of my European friends, but they didn't seem that impressed. My love for ranch dressing has not wavered since moving to Canada. Although it's widely available here, Canadians don't seem that crazy about it either. I think it's something that's just deep-rooted in American culture. Americans love ranch dressing and eat it with so many things - pizza, French fries, air fryer hot wings, air fryer chicken tenders, zucchini fries, Buffalo pulled chicken - salads and veggies are just the tip of the iceberg.

Low FODMAP, Dairy-Free, Low Carb, Keto, Paleo & Whole30

When I started eating Paleo, I stopped eating store-bought ranch dressing as it contains dairy and potentially problematic additives. There are some Paleo compliant store-bought ranch dressings out there, but I have not yet come across one that even closely resembles the lovely, creamy, garlicy goodness that mainstream commercially-produced ranch dressings tend to possess. Store-bought ranch dressings that are Paleo compliant tend not to be low in FODMAPs, and vice versa. So, if I want a ranch dressing that is low FODMAP, dairy-free, and additive-free, I have to make it myself. The low FODMAP ranch dressing recipe that follows is also Paleo and Whole30 compliant as well as low carb and Keto-friendly.

Low FODMAP Ranch Dressing: Ingredients & Success Tips

Avocado oil mayo: In my opinion, the key to an awesome tasting low FODMAP homemade ranch dressing is the mayo. Some mayos, homemade and store-bought, do not taste the greatest; however, I found this avocado oil mayo by Chosen Foods at Costco (where it is cheaper than on Amazon), and it has been a lifesaver. I have not yet developed my own recipe for homemade mayo, so when I do have to make my own mayo at home, I use this recipe for homemade olive oil mayonnaise on Olive You Whole, but I use an immersion blender instead of a food processor as it is more fool-proof.

Garlic-infused olive oil: To replicate the lovely, garlicy goodness characteristic of ranch dressing, I use 2 tablespoons of garlic-infused olive oil. If you are not concerned with FODMAPs, you could use ½ teaspoon garlic powder instead of the oil, but I think the garlic-infused oil tastes even better than garlic powder.

Acidity: To counter the fat brought by the mayo and oil, I add a tablespoon of lemon juice. The finely-chopped scallions (a.k.a. green onions) also bring a fair amount of acidity to the dressing in addition to onion flavor. If you're not going for low FODMAP, you could use ½ teaspoon onion powder instead of scallions, but you will also want to increase the amount of lemon juice by about ½ tablespoon.

Herbs: Parsley and dill are pretty common herbs in ranch dressing recipes. If you want to add some extra tanginess and excitement to your dressing, you could sub cilantro for the parsley.

Seasonings: I find that just sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper taste the best in this recipe.

Dairy-free milk: In order to adjust the salad dressing's thickness, I use unsweetened almond milk. If you're planning to use the dressing as a veggie dip, I recommend using just 1-2 tablespoons of almond milk. I used 3 tablespoons in the salad dressing pictured, which I found easyish to spread on a salad but not too terribly thin.

Necessary Equipment

The equipment I use to make this low FODMAP ranch salad dressing recipe at home includes:

• A small bowl
• Whisk
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Chopping knife
• Cutting board
• Citrus juicer (unless you prefer to squeeze the lemon by hand)
• Air-tight container, such as a glass jar

Preparation Method

After you've chopped the scallions and herbs and juiced the lemon, combine everything in a small bowl, saving the almond milk for last. Add the almond milk one tablespoon at a time until the dressing is at your desired consistency.

Refrigerate in an air-tight container, preferably a glass jar, for about a week but up to 10 days. I typically do a "sniff test" every time I serve it, just to be sure. As it is made from whole foods and does not contain preservatives, homemade ranch dressing doesn't last anywhere near as long as the store-bought stuff, but it is a lot healthier. Be sure to shake the jar or stir well before reserving as it will separate. Serve on your favorite salads (such as my addictive Buffalo Chicken Salad, Low FODMAP Taco Salad, or Summer Detox Salad) or as a dip for veggies, french fries, chicken tenders, air fryer chicken wings, zucchini fries, or basically anything yummy you'd like to taste even yummier. The sky is the limit when it comes to eating ranch dressing!

If you're looking for a true veggie or chip dip recipe, check out my Easy Low FODMAP Dill Veggie Dip recipe.

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