This vegan cashew ranch dressing is incredibly creamy and it's made without mayo or oil! Pantry and fridge staples are all you need to make this delicious dressing and it's ready in 15 minutes! Drizzle it over salad or serve it as a dip with veggies, after one taste you'll want to put it on everything!
Ranch and blue cheese were my husband's favorite sauces before we were vegan. I'm still working on a blue cheese recipe, but this is the best vegan ranch dressing! It's super creamy, tangy, herby, and it contains no oil and no mayo!
Ranch is traditionally made with a combination of mayo, buttermilk, sour cream, and herbs. Instead of mayo and sour cream, I use cashews to make it taste rich and thick, and the combination of almond milk and lemon juice replicates buttermilk for the perfect amount of tang!
This vegan ranch is delicious drizzled over salad, and it's super thick so it makes a great dip for vegetables too! It's easy to make in about 15 minutes with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge and pantry!
Ingredients
Almost all of the ingredients needed to make this vegan ranch recipe are simple fridge and pantry staples. Let's go over some notes about the recipe ingredients.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk: It's important to use unsweetened plant milk so the dressing doesn't taste sweet. It's also my favorite option to use to make dairy-free buttermilk.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice is used to curdle the plant milk and to add acidity to brighten the flavor of the sauce.
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce: Worcestershire is added for an extra layer of savory, tangy flavor.
- Dried Herbs: Fresh or dried herbs can be used, but I usually use dried herbs because I don't always have fresh herbs on hand.
Step by Step Instructions
First, combine the raw cashews in a small saucepan and cover with water. Boil the cashews for 10 minutes. While the cashews are boiling, pour the almond milk into the blender cup and add the lemon juice. Stir to combine and let it sit for 1 minute while the lemon curdles the milk and makes vegan buttermilk. You should start to see the separation happening within 20-30 seconds. It's pretty cool to watch!
When the cashews are done boiling, drain the excess water and add them to the blender cup with the buttermilk. Add the dried seasonings, vinegar, and vegan worcestershire sauce and then blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Serving Suggestions
Obviously, this vegan ranch is delicious drizzled over salad, but it can also be used as a thick and creamy dip for sliced cucumbers, carrot sticks, broccoli florets, and slices of bell peppers. It's a great appetizer to put out for guests to munch on! You could also add it to these smoky chickpea lavash wraps.
How to Store It
Store the cashew ranch dressing in an airtight container in the fridge and it should stay fresh for 5-7 days. The ranch will get thicker as it chills. If it's too thick, add 1-2 tbsp water to thin it to your desired consistency.
Can I Freeze It?
You can freeze vegan ranch for several months. To defrost, put the container in the fridge to thaw for 24 hours. If any clumps develop, run it through the blender until smooth. You may need to add a little bit of water to thin if it's too thick.
Substitutions & FAQ
- Cashew Substitute: Raw sunflower seeds can be substituted for the cashews. If you use sunflower seeds, they also need to be boiled before blending.
- Almond Milk Substitution: I've only tested making vegan buttermilk with unsweetened almond milk and unsweetened soy milk. I can't say that it wouldn't work with other varieties of plant milk, but I haven't tested it.
- Can I use fresh herbs? I used dried herbs because they're convenient and most people have them in their pantry. However, you can definitely use fresh herbs instead of dried. Substitute 1 tbsp fresh for every 1 tsp dried.
Success Tips
- Use unsweetened plant milk to make the vegan ranch. Sweetened or vanilla-flavored will make it taste sweet.
- I like to combine the plant milk and lemon juice to make the vegan buttermilk before adding the rest of the ingredients. I think it adds a little extra tang to the ranch. However, if you just want to throw all the ingredients into the cup and blend it together, that's fine too. It will still taste delicious.
- You can serve the vegan ranch as soon as you make it, but it tastes best chilled in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Once chilled, the ranch tends to get even thicker. If it's too thick for you, stir in 1 tbsp water at a time until you get the texture you like.
- Store the leftover vegan ranch in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-7 days, or you can freeze it.
Want More Vegan Dressing Recipes?
Vegan Cashew Ranch Dressing
Equipment
- Small Sauce Pan
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews boiled
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp vegan worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Combine raw cashews and enough water to cover them by 1 inch in a small sauce pan on the stove. Increase the heat and boil the cashews for 10 minutes. Drain the excess water.
- While the cashews are boiling, put ½ cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk + 2 tbsp lemon juice into the blender cup and let it sit for 1 minute to make the vegan buttermilk. The lemon juice will curdle the almond milk and you should see the difference in texture almost immediately.
- Add the drained cashews, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, ½ tsp worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp dried dill, 1 tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper to the blender cup. Blend until the dressing is smooth and creamy.
- For best results, put the ranch in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- Use unsweetened plant milk to make the vegan ranch. Sweetened or vanilla-flavored will make it taste sweet.
- I like to combine the plant milk and lemon juice to make the buttermilk before adding the rest of the ingredients. I think it adds a little extra tang to the ranch. However, if you just want to throw all the ingredients into the cup and blend it together, that's fine too. It will still taste delicious.
- You can serve the vegan ranch as soon as you make it, but it tastes best chilled in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Once chilled, the ranch tends to get even thicker. If it's too thick for you, stir in 1 tbsp water at a time until you get the texture you like.
- Store the leftover ranch in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-7 days, or you can freeze it.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally shared on 4/21/16, but I updated it with new pictures on 8/13/20.
