Whole30 Ranch Dressing (“Dump Ranch,” Paleo, Dairy-Free)
Posted: 03/12/18
Updated: 12/18/21
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This Whole30 ranch dressing recipe is creamy, garlicky, and loaded with fresh herbs. This “dump ranch” dressing is definitely the best Whole30 ranch dressing you’ll ever taste and beyond quick and easy, too.
A Must-Make Whole30 Recipe
There’s not too terribly much I think you need to start a Whole30:
You should read the books. Definitely. You’ll get a perfectly clear understanding of what the program is, what it’s for, what it’s not for (Hello, um, it’s not a diet), and why the rules are what the rules are.
You should get a bottle of coco aminos because I feel like they make everything better (especially my Whole30 ketchup recipe, which you can turn into my Whole30 In N Out burgers, or use it to lightly sweeten my Whole30 BBQ sauce. Or you can drizzle into my Whole30 egg roll in a bowl recipe or Asian Whole30 lettuce wraps recipe, too).
And yeah, you should definitely make a batch of Whole30 mayonnaise and this Whole30 ranch dressing, or “dump ranch,” as it’s affectionately known in the Whole30 circles.
You see, Whole30 ranch dressing makes almost anything into a meal. Got some Aidell’s chicken apple sausages on hand? Fry ’em up, dip ’em in some ranch, and call it lunch. Need to meal prep your lunches for the week? Throw a couple of chicken breasts in the Instant Pot with some hot sauce, shred it up, pour ranch over it, and you’ve got my Whole30 buffalo chicken ranch meal prep like that. Hungry, like, ever? You should definitely make our favorite chicken zucchini poppers from One Lovely Life and go wild dunking them in your Whole30 ranch dressing.
Why This Dressing is So Good
- It comes together in just about 5 minutes, thanks to an immersion blender.
- This Whole30 ranch dressing boasts just the right balance of fresh garlic, the perfect fresh herbs, and creaminess you’ll fall in love with.
- It’s super versatile to make, too, and it goes with just about everything!
And in my opinion, there’s no excuse to not make your own! It’s way, way easier than going to the store and shelling out six or seven bucks for a bottle of the compliant stuff: put all the ingredients (except the herbs!) in a container, blitz it up with an immersion blender, throw the herbs in, and poof… Done!
The “dump and go” concept is amazing, too. I use it for so many recipes that we make regularly, having originally been totally sold by the amazing J. Kenji López-Alt’s in-depth article about the dos and don’ts of the process. Since then I’ve made “dump” mayo, “dump” Caesar, and plenty other weird ones at home. Life changing!
We’ve spent the last year refining the ingredients and process to come up with our favorite Whole30 dump ranch dressing recipe, and I think you’ll absolutely fall in love with it, too. I’m as picky as it gets when it comes to ranch dressing, so ours has to be super garlicky with a ton of the right fresh herbs, a true buttermilk tang, and the perfect consistency. Try it out and let me know how much you love it!
Chef’s Tips
- Make sure your jar is just a bit wider than the head of your immersion blender. This is key to Whole30 ranch dressing success!
- Start blending with your immersion blender touching the bottom of the jar. Slowly work your way up, making sure each layer around the immersion blender emulsifies and turns a solid white before inching your way up. A glass or otherwise clear jar is awesome for this.
- This Whole30 ranch dressing recipe is pretty foolproof, but if you have any trouble, scroll down a bit for advice on fixing a “broken” dump ranch.
- Be sure to use a light tasting olive oil, if you choose to use olive oil. Using regular olive oil will result in a bitter Whole30 ranch dressing. We love avocado oil in this recipe, and you can use fractionated, tasteless coconut oil, too!
Recipe Variations
- If you have a nut allergy, you can substitute coconut milk for the almond milk. I prefer this Whole30 ranch dressing with almond milk, but it will definitely work if you don’t have any or can’t have any!
- Swap out different herbs for the dill and parsley to change things up! Try cilantro for a Southwestern twist.
- Try different spices to liven things up, too. Chipotle pepper powder is delicious in this Whole30 dump ranch dressing.
Breaking Down How to Make It
Dump (get it?) all ingredients, except the herbs, and only 1/4 cup almond milk into immersion blender jar or another jar that isn’t much wider than the immersion blender head. Push the head of the immersion blender into the jar all the way to the bottom then start to blend on medium speed first then increasing to high if necessary, until mixture at the bottom becomes thick and opaque.
Begin to raise the immersion blender a little at a time then press back down, to incorporate the remaining oil.
Once the mixture is entirely emulsified, thick, and white, remove blender and add the herbs.
Press immersion blender head down over herbs and blend, only enough to chop and incorporate herbs, moving around as needed. Add almond milk as desired to thin. Start with 1/4 cup and add more as you like, stirring with a spoon to incorporate.
Dump Ranch FAQs
Can I blend the herbs with everything else?
Eh… you can, but you’ll end up with a neon green dressing and over-blended herbs. Blend everything but the herbs to start, then you can add in a bit more almond milk to thin and blitz your herbs until just chopped.
Can I use regular extra virgin olive oil?
No! Please don’t. It doesn’t matter if you think you love EVOO, it will be way, way too much in your Whole30 dump ranch dressing. Promise! Using *light-tasting* olive oil is totally critical here, but you can use avocado oil or refined fractionated coconut oil, as well. Just no standard extra virgin olive oil! Trust me on this one.
My mixture is runny. Help!
Oh no! This usually happens because you moved your immersion blender too fast after starting to blend or you use too large of a jar. If this happens, you can salvage your ingredients, though! If you have the right sized jar for the job (The mouth of the jar being not much wider than the head of the immersion blender; the jar that often comes with the blender is usually perfect), you can do this in the immersion blender. Transfer half of the “broken” ranch mixture to the properly sized jar and add in another egg. Stick the immersion blender down to the bottom of the jar and start to blend at medium speed. Once, and not before, you see the mixture turning opaque, thick, and white, you can move the head of the immersion blender up a bit at a time to incorporate and emulsify the remaining liquid. Add half of the reserved broken mixture and blend together, then add the final reserved mixture and blend until thick and smooth.
If you don’t have the right sized jar, hit up the regular blender instead. Add an egg yolk to your blender and process until it’s smooth. Then, very slowly add in the broken ranch mixture, a tiny bit at a time, until the mixture is very thickened. Once the mixture is quite thickened (This will take some time), you can add in the remaining, broken ranch by the tablespoon.
I only have a really big jar. Will this work?
Eh… It might. I urge you to use a jar that’s not much wider than the head of your immersion blender to make sure the mixture emulsifies right away. You’re almost guaranteed success with a jar like that, but if you try this in a large bowl, you’re not likely to get the emulsion the way you want, and I’d recommend you try my other Whole30 ranch dressing recipe instead.
I don’t have an immersion blender. Can I make this in the regular blender or food processor?
No! It won’t work. However, I have a fab recipe for a Whole30 ranch dressing that is made in the blender or food processor. Check it out here (but don’t try the “dump ranch” process in your blender or food processor – it will simply fail!).
How long does this Whole30 dump ranch dressing last?
The life of ours always varies in the fridge, but you should get at least a week out of this Whole30 dump ranch dressing recipe.
Does my egg need to be room temperature?
Nope! Rad, huh? Using an immersion blender for Whole30 ranch dressing, the temperature of your egg doesn’t matter at all. That’s great news for people like me who tend to uh, not plan so well.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- One Minute Whole30 Mayo (Made with Immersion Blender)
- Buffalo Chicken Ranch Whole30 Meal Prep
- Whole30 Chicken Bacon Ranch Poppers
- Whole30 Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
- Whole30 Caesar Dressing
- Egg Roll in a Bowl Meal Prep (Whole30, Paleo, Keto)
Whole30 Ranch Dressing (“Dump Ranch,” Paleo, Dairy-Free)
A delicious, creamy Whole30 ranch dressing that’s made in the immersion blender in just a couple minutes. Affectionately known as “dump ranch,” it’s a fantastic Whole30 salad dressing. Makes about 2 cups.
servings
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups light-tasting olive oil avocado oil, or fractionated “tasteless” coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- lots of fresh ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vinegar white or apple cider, plus more to taste
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh dill
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼-¾ cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
Equipment
- Immersion blender and jar
Instructions
- Dump all ingredients but herbs and almond milk into immersion blender jar or another jar that isn’t much wider than the immersion blender head. Push immersion blender into the jar all the way to the bottom then start to blend, on medium speed first then increasing to high if necessary, until mixture at the bottom becomes thick and opaque. Begin to raise the immersion blender a little at a time then press back down, to incorporate the remaining oil.
- Once the mixture is entirely emulsified, remove blender and add herbs. Press immersion blender head down over herbs and blend, only enough to chop and incorporate herbs, moving around as needed. Add almond milk as desired to thin. Start with ¼ cup and add more as you like, stirring with a spoon to incorporate.
Notes
- Make sure you start blending with the head of the immersion blender all the way down at the bottom of the jar.
- Use a jar not much wider than the head of your immersion blender.
- Your eggs do not have to be room temperature.
- Blend the herbs after emulsifying the main ingredients, so your ranch stays white with green herb flecks, not all light green.
- Do not use regular olive oil, only “light tasting” olive oil or avocado oil.
- Recipe makes approximately 2 cups, or 16 2-tablespoon servings. Store dressing in an airtight container about 7-10 days.
Video
Nutrition Information
Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 192kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 164mg, Potassium: 22mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 154IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 1mg
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Could probably have been good, but I used avocado oil and it’s completely inedible.
We’re sorry you had that experience with using avocado oil, Hillary. It should have worked just as well as it would with the olive oil, but regardless we do hope you’ll give it another try and that it works out better the next time. Thanks for your feedback!
Another user said it well… this tastes, looks, and smells NOTHING like ranch. Super disappointing for a recipe that was not simple. Followed it to a t.
We’re sorry you had this experience. We strive to create delicious, high-quality recipes that are easy to make at home. They’re heavily tested by our team before being shared with our followers. Regardless, we hate you had this experience, and we appreciate your feedback.
I’m not sure what I did wrong but I couldn’t get this to thicken up. I made it in my vitamix because I can’t find my immersion blender but otherwise I followed the instructions. Any idea why this might have happened? Thanks!
Diana, we’re sorry this didn’t thicken up for you. we’re not sure why that happened, but the Vitamix could have been too powerful and been the culprit behind its thinness. Hope it works out better next time and that you can find your immersion blender!
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look, taste, or smell anything like ranch dressing…
We’re sorry you had this experience, Tine, but appreciate your honest review.
Quick question….I don’t own an immersion blender can I use a regular blender? Thank you!
Absolutely!
This is the absolute best dressing ever! I make it regularly and we eat it with everything! I do a version with no almond milk as a dipping sauce and with almond milk for a salad dressing! Definitely a staple in my house now!
We’re thrilled you love this recipe, Jayme!
Am I understanding correctly that the dressing does not have to be refrigerated? Thank you! Looks great!!
The eggs do not have to be at room temperature before preparing the ranch dressing, but once everything is blended you should refrigerate it in an airtight container, like a mason jar with a lid.