Take your salads to the next level with this creamy and delicious avocado ranch dressing recipe. Made with real avocados and a blend of herbs and spices, this dressing is the perfect addition to any meal.
The Best Avocado Ranch Dressing
This is the best creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing made with sweet buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, fresh chives, dill, parsley, and, of course, creamy avocado. This quick and easy fresh homemade dressing tastes so delicious that you will never go back to bottled again. Serve it tossed with your favorite garden salad, as a dip with veggies, as a sauce on chicken soft tacos, or as a spread on your favorite sandwich. If you like this dressing, try creamy poppy seed dressing, ranch dressing, or orange vinaigrette.
What you need
How to make Avocado Ranch Dressing
Add the buttermilk, sour cream, mayo, garlic powder, onion powder, fresh dill, chives, parsley, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Then peel, seed, and mash the avocado with a fork. Add about one tablespoon of lime juice to the avocado, stirring to combine. Then add the mashed avocado to the bowl and whisk or stir to combine. Store the dressing in an airtight container or a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Pro- Tips
- Substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
- For avocado lime ranch dressing, add 2 more tablespoons of lime juice.
- Save time and money by making your own buttermilk. Combine 1/3 cup of milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
- Feel free to mix this dressing in a food processor or blender. It’s less of a mess to mash the avocado with a fork and then mix all the ingredients with a spoon or whisk.
- Avocados brown quickly, so work quickly to mash them with the lime juice and add them to the dressing.
- For a delectable classic ranch dressing, omit the avocado.
How to Pick Perfect Avocados
For ripe, ready-to-eat avocados, look for dark green to nearly black skin. The flesh should yield slightly to gentle, firm pressure but not feel mushy. A dark black mushy avocado is overripe. If you pop the stem off with your thumb, you should see a nice green spot, indicating a healthy avocado, but if you see a black moldy spot, the avocado is overripe.
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Avocado Ranch Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 small ripe avocado peeled and seeded
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- In a small bowl, mash the avocado with a fork. Add the lime juice and stir to combine. Spoon the avocado into the bowl with the other ingredients. Whisk well to combine. If needed, add more milk to get the desired consistency.
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- You can substitute 2% or whole milk for the buttermilk.
- Save time and money and make your own buttermilk by combining 1/3 cup of milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
- Feel free to mix this dressing in a food processor or blender. I find it makes less mess to mash the avocado with a fork and then to mix all the ingredients with a spoon or whisk.
- You can use all dried herbs or all fresh herbs. Dried herbs are more convenient, but fresh herbs are flavor packed and aromatic. Remember to use one tablespoon of fresh herbs to one teaspoon of dried herbs.
- Avocados brown quickly, so work fast to mash it with the lime juice and add it to the dressing.
- For a delectable classic ranch dressing, omit the avocado.
Nutrition
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Mary
I made the recipe as written, except I left out the dill, parsley and chives and used half a fresh garlic clove. Probably should have included at least the parsley and chives because it seemed a bit bland to me, but I added more lime juice, salt and a bit of lemon juice and love it now. I know this will compliment seafood, chicken, grains and all kinds of salad greens.
I’ll be making this again with my own little tweaks. I’m always happy to find a recipe with fresh ingredients to take the place of something prepared that comes in a box or packet.
Made it in the food processor, easy peasy and it’s a lovely, pale green color.
Thank you!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Mary! So glad that you like it. Love the idea of a little lemon juice
Emily
I’ve always loved ranch dressing but this avocado version is truly the best! I’ll be making this on repeat from now on!
Jessie
This dressing is so good! I am going to be keeping this one on hand, so amazing for a lunch salad!
Mirlene
Ohhh I love making this. It’s so delicious and easy to make. Can’t go wrong.
Emily
I love the tip for how to make your own buttermilk since I rarely have any on hand. This recipe for avocado ranch dressing is one of the best! So much better than storebought. Thanks!
Betsy
This dressing is absolutely spot-on perfect for a southwest salad full of black beans, corn, radishes, cucumbers, cilantro, cabbage, etc! Also so fantastic on tacos and taco salads and even drizzled on enchiladas or dipping flautas and chips! Yum!!!
Kara
I used dry herbs because that’s what I always have on hand. Oh my goodness, this stuff is amazing! It’s great on salad, but it’s also perfect for dipping veggies. Yum!
Kristyn
My favorite dressing to keep in the fridge! We love it on so many things!
Catalina
The addition of avocado makes this dressing irresistible! It looks amazingly delicious!
Patricia
This is such a creamy (and pretty) dressing! I could eat this with so many different salads!
Erin
This Avocado Ranch Dressing couldn’t look any more perfect!
Allyson Reed Zea
My husband absolutely loves this creamy combination!
Vikki
This dressing is so tasty and versatile, and just the right consistency!
Jo
This is my new favorite way to make ranch dressing! so creamy and delicious!
Stephanie
Wow! The flavor in this dressing is so tasty! This will be a regular in my menu! Thanks.
Natalie
This is my absolute favorite dressing on salads & some Mexican food. It’s so easy to make & makes everything taste so much better!