Avocado Ranch Dressing

This Avocado Ranch Dressing recipe is the perfect alternative to store-bought ranch dressing. It’s full of healthy fats, lean protein and it’s packed with delicious ranch flavour! Easy to make in minutes!

 

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

We love salad season and with all the gorgeous greens and fresh produce available, we’re making this Avocado Ranch Dressing recipe on repeat! It’s the perfect healthy alternative to store-bought ranch dressing and it’s SO flavourful. We love enjoying it as a dip for veggies too, and we know you’re going to love it as much as we do!

Avocado Ranch Dressing is a creamy salad dressing or dip made with fresh herbs, fresh avocados, greek yogurt, mayonnaise, and other flavourful ingredients. It’s made extra creamy by blending the ingredients in a blender or food processor and thanks to the fresh avocados and herbs, it’s a vibrant green colour.

When it comes to how to serve it, Avocado Ranch Dressing is delicious as a salad dressing on a regular garden salad, but here are some other ways we love to enjoy it:

• as a dressing for pasta salad
• as a sandwich spread on all our favourite sandwiches (it pairs SO well with toasted tomato sandwiches!)
• as a sauce for tacos, burritos, fajitas, or even as a dressing on taco salad
• as a dipping sauce for grilled chicken
• as a sauce for grilled chicken wraps with bacon
• as a sauce on chicken of beef burgers in the summertime

If you’re after a creamy avocado ranch dressing, here’s all our best pro tips and tricks for the best homemade dressing:

Choosing a full fat Greek yogurt and high quality mayo makes a huge difference in this recipe. Be sure to choose high-quality ingredients when making salad dressings at home as this will make or break their flavour and texture.

A high speed blender will help you achieve an ultra creamy texture. A regular blender or hand-held blender will do the trick, but if you don’t have a high speed blender, a food processor will also work.

Fresh herbs are far superior to dried ones when it comes to this dressing. Be sure to choose fresh, fragrant herbs with a bright green colour.

Follow our guide below to choosing the best avocados. We recommend buying underripe avocados a few days ahead of time and letting them ripen in a warm place in your kitchen for several days before using.

The thing with homemade salad dressings is, they just get better with time. We always make salad dressings 24 hours ahead of time in order to let the flavours develop.

Be sure to follow the measurements in the recipe and taste as you go. If it needs more salt or pepper, or more of another ingredient, adjust it to your tastes.

We love avocados because of their creamy texture, unique flavour, and of course, their health benefits. Here’s how we make sure we choose the perfect avocados, every single time:

• Check for Ripeness: Gently squeeze the avocado with the pads of your fingers, but not too hard as this can bruise it. A ripe avocado will give a little bit to firm, gentle pressure but won’t feel overly soft or mushy. If it’s hard, it’s not ripe enough, and if it’s too squishy with spots that feel empty, it may be overripe and brown on the inside.
• Check for Colour: While colour can sometimes help you tell how ripe an avocado is, it’s not always reliable due to the differences between the types of avocados. Generally, Hass avocados turn dark green to nearly black when ripe, and they’re the most common variety available.
• Stem Check: Gently pull the dry stem off the top. If it comes away easily and you see some green underneath, the avocado is ripe. If you see brown, the avocado is likely overripe, and if the stem doesn’t come off at all, it needs more time to ripen before you can use it.

Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand to make this delicious avocado ranch recipe (paid links):

• measuring cups and spoons
• a large knife
• a Cutting Board
• a garlic press
• mason jars for storing the dressing (ooptional)
• my favourite salad dressing shaker (large size)
• my favourite salad dressing shaker (small size)
• a high-speed blender or a hand-held immersion blender

Here’s a list of the ingredients you’ll need to have on hand to make this creamy avocado ranch recipe (paid links):

• 2 medium avocados ripe
• 1/2 cup low fat Greek yogurt substitute coconut yogurt to make it dairy-free
• 1/3 cup low fat mayonnaise or use vegan mayonnaise to make it vegan
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic pressed or very finely minced
• 3 scallions chopped finely (or green onions)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• a pinch each salt and pepper to taste
• a few tablespoons of cold water, only if necessary to achieve the right consistency

If you want to create your own twist on our recipe or you’re missing an ingredient or two, here’s a few ideas!

1. Lime: Add some lime juice instead of the lemon juice for a lime-flavoured dressing that’s perfect for Mexican dishes like taco salad or served as a sauce for tacos or fajitas!
2. Vinegar: If you don’t have lemon on hand, substitute the lemon juice with a few teaspoons of white vinegar or white wine vinegar in a pinch.
3. Sour Cream: Replace the plain Greek Yogurt with full fat sour cream for an extra creamy dressing!
4. Garlic: If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, add some garlic powder in a pinch and even some onion powder for added flavour.
5. Herbs: Add more fresh herbs like dill, parsley, and cilantro for some added flavour and colour.
6. Buttermilk: Substitute half the Greek yogurt with fresh buttermilk for a classic buttermilk ranch flavour.

We hope you like this salad dressing as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite salad dressing that you’d like to see as a recipe on The Busy Baker? We’d love to know!

• Caprese Salad
• Classic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
• Classic Creamy Italian Salad Dressing
• Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
• Low Carb Italian Chopped Salad
• Tabbouleh Salad (Tabouli)
• Easy Caesar Salad
• Homemade Ranch Dressing
• Tahini Dressing
• Easy Homemade Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
• Best Ever Creamy Coleslaw

Watch the video below to see exactly how we make this amazing vinaigrette. You can find more delicious recipe videos on our YouTube channel.