Keto Ranch Dressing

This easy Keto Ranch Dressing is going to become a new staple in your house. It takes less than 5 minutes to make and is perfect for a keto and low carb diet. Made with only a handful of ingredients that are likely found in your fridge and pantry. Ready…Set…Dip.

Salads and dipping just got a whole lot better guys and way cleaner! Our homemade keto ranch dressing is the newest to our website and besides tasting great, it doesn’t contain any fillers or chemicals that most of your store-bought ranch dressing have. 

I know there is a big debate on what’s the best dressing especially for wings: Ranch or Blue Cheese? It’s such a hard question but I can go either way. But I have a friend who is 100% ranch for everything and I’m looking forward to making her this keto ranch dressing. 

Dressings actually are pretty easy to make at home, and our low carb ranch dressing is one of them. If you are looking for another great keto dressing try our Cilantro Lime Dressing, it’s just as tasty!

What is Ranch Dressing?

Ranch dressing is a classic American salad dressing made usually with buttermilk, mayonnaise, spices, and herbs such as parsley, dill, and chives. Not only is it probably the most popular salad here in the U.S. but it might just be the most versatile. 

It’s most commonly used as a dip for veggies, buffalo wings, and of course as a dressing for salads. It’s also a great addition to burgers, sandwiches, baked chicken, and pork.

What Does it Taste Like?

This keto-friendly ranch dressing recipe is creamy, herby, and tangy. The tang comes from the lemon juice and slightly from the sour cream. The classic herb flavors come from dill, chives, and parsley. 

It’s kind of hard to describe but ranch dressing has a coolness to it which is what makes it ideal for partnering up with spicy food like buffalo wings.

What’s the Difference Between Ranch and Ranch Dressing?

While eating out at a restaurant you may see on a menu “Ranch” or “Ranch Dressing” and wonder “what really is the difference?” 

“Ranch Dressing” is going to be pretty much what you see in our recipe. It’s a traditional dressing which is going to be thinner and messier on a sandwich. 

“Ranch” may just be referred to as the spices used in ranch dressing. People will add ranch seasoning to different things like mayo making it a “ranch mayo.”

Is Ranch Dressing Keto?

The answer is yes ranch dressing can be keto, but you need to check your ingredients first. Some store-bought ranch dressings work well for a keto diet but others have hidden ingredients in them like sugar. 

That’s one of the best reasons for making your own homemade keto ranch dressing. You know exactly what ingredients you are using, all of which are keto-friendly.

How Many Carbs in Ranch Dressing?

We already determined that our sugar-free ranch dressing is keto-friendly, but how many carbs does it actually have? 

Just 1 tbsp of keto ranch dressing is only 0.4 NET CARBS per serving.

What Ingredients are Low Carb Ranch Dressing?

• Mayonnaise – ½ cup mayonnaise, my favorite brands are Hellmann’s and Primal Kitchen.
• Sour Cream – ½ cup full-fat sour cream. Don’t use low fat, it can be higher in carbs.
• Herbs – I used all dried herbs, including parsley, dill, and chives. 
• Spices – Salt and pepper.
• Lemon Juice – This gives the tanginess you need in a homemade keto ranch dressing. You can replace this with apple cider vinegar instead.

Can I Use Buttermilk in Low Carb Ranch Dressing?

Even though buttermilk can be a common ingredient in ranch dressing, it’s also high in carbs, so it’s not a low carb ingredient you want to use in this recipe.

Fresh Herbs vs. Dried Herbs

Both fresh herbs and dried herbs work great for making a low carb ranch dressing. In the summer a lot of people have fresh herbs growing in their garden so go ahead and use them. 

I chose to use dried herbs, mostly because that’s what I had on hand and I always have dried herbs in my cabinet. 

Something to keep in mind though is that you may need more fresh herbs than dried. The flavors of dried herbs are more concentrated so taste it and adjust as needed.

How to Make Homemade Keto Ranch Dressing from Scratch?

Making your own homemade keto-friendly ranch dressing recipe is BEYOND EASY!!! 

STEP 1: Gather all of your ingredients. If you are using fresh herbs, then chop them. And if you are using fresh lemons, then go ahead and squeeze the juice.

STEP 2: In a medium-sized bowl add the mayo, sour cream, dill, chives, parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

STEP 3: Stir or whisk until smooth.

STEP 4: For best flavor, refrigerate for an hour before serving.

FAQs & Best Tips

• Primal Kitchen and Chosen Foods are the 2 best store-bought vegan mayo brands. 
• You can replace the lemon juice with apple cider vinegar for a more tangy taste.
• Dried or fresh herbs both work. 
• If using fresh herbs you may need more than in the recipe card. Taste and add more accordingly. 
• Store in an airtight container or mason jar, and keep for 1 week. 
• I don’t recommend freezing any leftover keto ranch dip.

How to Make Ranch Dressing Creamier

Adding in a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar will thin out the low carb ranch dressing and it will make it more creamy and pourable.

How to Use Keto Ranch Dressing?

We talked earlier about how versatile keto ranch dressing is and how it goes with many different things. 

The first thing that probably comes to your mind is that keto ranch dressing is perfect for dipping veggies. I tend to always put a side of ranch on my veggie platter. 

Ranch dressing is obviously a dressing meaning that it’s most commonly used on salads. And of course, you can’t forget the all-famous ranch dressing as the perfect sauce to dip your buffalo wings into. 

However, here are some other delicious ideas for your homemade keto ranch dressing recipe: 

• Dip Fried Eggplant or Fried Zucchini 
• Keto Buffalo Cauliflower Bites 
• Drizzle it over pizza. I love dipping my keto pizza crust into our low carb ranch dressing. 
• Spread it on your burger or sandwich.
• Garlic Parmesan Wings 
• Homemade Low Carb Chicken Nuggets 
• Baked Zucchini Fries 
• Crispy Baked Jicama Fries 

The world is your oyster when it comes to using keto ranch dressing. Go ahead and use it for anything you want!

How to Store Ranch Dressing?

Storing the low carb ranch dressing is easy. I like keeping it in a mason jar sealed with a lid. Place in the fridge and keep for 1 week.

Can You Freeze Ranch Dressing?

I don’t recommend freezing any leftover keto ranch dip, the ingredients may not freeze and thaw too well. But that’s ok because it’s so easy to make from scratch and takes just 5 minutes.

Other Diets This Recipe is Good For

• Gluten-Free: A lot of store-bought dressings are gluten-free but it’s always smart to check the labels. But when making your own homemade keto ranch dressing recipe, you don’t have to worry at all. 
• Sugar-Free: Sugar is a super common ingredient in most store-bought dressings. Clearly, it’s not something you have to worry about in our keto dressing recipe. 

Can I Make a Dairy-Free Version?

If you need a dairy-free keto ranch dressing that’s totally doable. 

My suggestion is to replace the sour cream with extra mayonnaise. Instead of using just ½ cup of mayo, use 1 cup instead. If you find that it is too thick, just add in a dash more lemon juice.

Can I Make an Egg-Free Version?

What about making an egg-free ranch dressing?  No problem! 

Replace the regular mayonnaise with a vegan mayo instead. My 2 favorite vegan mayonnaise brands are: 

• Primal Kitchen Vegan Mayo
• Chosen Foods Classic Vegan Mayo

Best Low Carb Salad Dressings

If you are looking for the best low carb salad dressings the ones I recommend buying are anything from Primal Kitchen. They are the cleanest store-bought dressings out there. You can order them online here.

But making your own low carb salad dressings is great too, you know exactly what’s in them. Not only is our Keto Ranch Dressing delicious, but you should try our Cilantro Lime Dressing, it’s just as tasty!

What Salad Dressing NOT to Use on a Keto Diet?

Reading labels is very important when using dressings on a keto diet. Just because some might have a better fat-to-carb ratio, the biggest problem is the added sugar in so many dressings. 

Ingredients you want to say away from are things like sugar, bad oils such as soybean oil, sunflower oil, and pretty much anything you can’t pronounce. 

Salad dressings made with olive oil, avocado oil, MCT oil, herbs, lemon juice, vinegar are things you want to look for.

Can You Buy Keto Ranch Dressing?

Yes, you can buy keto ranch dressing. Here is the one I recommend: 

• Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing: Keto-Friendly, Paleo, and Sugar-Free

Primal Kitchen has the cleanest dressings, marinades, sauces, and condiments. It’s best in class! 

Is Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Keto-Friendly?

You can have Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing while on a keto-diet. It has 1 NET CARB per tablespoon. 

It does have some added sugar, but we are talking 0.5g per tablespoon. It has other added ingredients that make it shelf-stable.

Tools to Use

• Small to Medium Mixing Bowl 
• Spoon or Whisk 
• Measuring Spoons and Cups 
• Cutting Board and Knife – If using fresh herbs. 
• Mason Jar – My favorite way to store the keto ranch dressing in the fridge.

Other Low Carb Sauces

If you are looking for more delicious keto-friendly sauces, try one of these:

• Homemade Tzatziki Sauce 
• Keto Tomato Sauce 
• Keto Pizza Sauce 
• Easy Keto Cheese Sauce 
• Homemade Easy Keto Cranberry Sauce 
• Keto BBQ Sauce

All of them are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will have your friends raving!

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