Kefir Ranch Dressing is a delicious, probiotic ranch dressing recipe that is a staple for fresh veggies, salads, and chicken wings! It has clean, simple ingredients and tastes way better than the bottled dressings! Everyone loves this homemade ranch dressing. You can substitute store-bought kefir or buttermilk to make this in a pinch!

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We use Homemade Mayonnaise and ranch dressing as a base for many sauces, such as this Honey Mustard Sauce or Southwest Chipotle Sauce (Subway Copycat). I don’t buy store-bought dressing anymore; we make all our primary dressings from scratch, with the exception of some dry packet mixes occasionally. It is so easy to blend together, restaurant-quality, and so inexpensive to make!

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Kefir Ranch is made with Homemade Milk Kefir or storebought kefir if you can’t make it. It’s a good way to get good probiotics into your diet, and kids will hardly tell the difference between store-bought and homemade because it’s so similar to the savory buttermilk ranch dressing we’re all used to!

Milk kefir is so simple to make—it’s easier than making yogurt! So, don’t feel intimidated to buy milk kefir grains and try it out! I have a step-by-step tutorial showing how to make it, so go check it out!

A good ranch should taste primarily of buttermilk, but kefir is no different. You still get that slightly soured buttermilk taste, only with live probiotics from homemade kefir. I love to feed my family with this healthy ranch dressing, free of additives and weird ingredients, and the added benefits of using milk kefir, makes my gut feel so good and healthy!

Kefir Ranch Dressing Ingredients:

Kefir ranch salad dressing has simple herbs and seasonings, most of which are probably in your pantry!

Mayonnaise is the thick, creamy base for ranch dressing. We make our own because it’s so easy to make, last minute, and it’s the perfect dupe for Hellman’s Mayonnaise!
Kefir- homemade or storebought will work. Lifeway kefir is thick and creamy, so if you prefer a thick dressing, use thick kefir or cultured buttermilk. You could also make a quick buttermilk substitute by souring 1/2 cup of milk with 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar for 5 minutes.
Herbs, like dried parsley and dehydrated minced onions, are staples in my pantry, and even if it’s not Garden season, dried herbs are very handy.
Fresh Garlic- adds so much delicious and fresh flavor!
Seasonings, such as black pepper and salt, add very good flavor! Don’t be fooled by the simple ingredients here; the key to a flavorful ranch is the black pepper and dried onions!
White Distilled Vinegar adds that extra tang we all love in ranch! If you don’t have vinegar on hand, use fresh lime or lemon juice.

How To Make Ranch Dressing With Kefir:

Making homemade ranch is easy with an immersion hand blender. Simply blend the ingredients together in a 2-cup measuring cup and pour them into a squeezable dressing bottle before storing it in the fridge! If you run out of mayonnaise, it’s so simple to make it last-minute in a pinch with a stick blender, so definitely invest in the right tools to make homemade sauces! Get the printable recipe in the recipe card below.

Start with adding mayonnaise to the cup the immersion blender comes in or a 2-cup measuring cup.
Add the milk kefir and the rest of the ingredients in the order given.
Blend everything together until just combined. Kefir Ranch will slightly thicken in the fridge as it sits.
Pour kefir ranch dressing into a squeeze bottle and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Enjoy kefir ranch over green leaf lettuce as a dip or tacos!

Note: you can make this in a bowl with a wire whisk; crush the garlic with a garlic press and mix until smooth.

How Long Does Homemade Ranch Dressing Last?

Fermented foods keep longer, so, kefir ranch dressing can last well up to 3-4 weeks! Help it stay fresh longer by not dipping anything directly into the container that you’re storing it in, a squeeze bottle works great for that! Always store homemade ranch dressing in an air-tight container or mason jar so it doesn’t oxidize.

Ways To Use Kefir Ranch Dressing:

Kefir ranch tastes just like buttermilk ranch dressing, when seasoned right! Obvisouly, you could serve it over salads or as a dip but here are creative ways to use it up!

Marinade for meats like these Grilled Chicken Thighs or Chicken Kebabs!
Stir it into your favorite dip recipes like this Buffalo Chicken Dip!
Use Kefir ranch as a base to build delicious sauces like this Honey Mustard Sauce or Taco Bell Creamy Jalapeno Sauce.
Ranch goes well with potatoes, so dip it with fries or stir it into potato casseroles.
Smear it over fish and bake!

Q&A

What is Ranch Dressing?

So, if you’ve ever read the History of Ranch Dressing, you will know that a man named Steven Henson bought a Ranch in Santa Barbara, California, where he served his homemade ranch dressing at his restaurant. Guests bought jars to take home, and shortly after that, Mr. Henson began selling packages of the dry dressing mix. The original ranch dressing packet was made with the simplest ingredients: salt, dehydrated onion, garlic, black pepper, and dried parsley. This Ranch dressing mix was to be mixed with buttermilk and mayonnaise at home and was a brilliant invention!

Is Kefir Ranch Gluten-Free?

Yes, Kefir Ranch is gluten-free and contains no gluten or flour. If you prefer a thicker dressing, add some xanthan gum as a gluten-free salad dressing thickener.

How Do I Make a Kefir Ranch Dip?

If you wish to turn this into a dip, add 1 cup of sour cream for the kefir and mayo, and dilute it with a bit of kefir to your desired thickness.

Tips for Making Kefir Ranch Dressing:

Invest in a squeezable bottle! Make homemade salad dressings convenient by buying a few squirt bottles to keep all your homemade sauces in. You’re more likely to reach into the refrigerator to grab a dressing that’s already prepared!
Don’t have a squeezable bottle? Store dressing in a mason jar instead! Shake the dressing in the jar before serving!
Blend half an avocado for an Avocado Ranch twist, or add Chipotle peppers for a chipotle variation!
Give the dressing a good shake when taking it out of the fridge before serving.
Do not freeze ranch dressing. It destroys some of the good probiotics and can change the dressing’s texture.
Keep your kitchen well stocked and make your top 3 dressing recipes to eat throughout the weeks.

More Homemade Salad Dressings To try:

We make a lot of sauces and dressing recipes at home! Here are some of our favorite homemade salad dressings that take seconds to blend together!

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