One taste of this deliciously tangy and oh-so-creamy vegan ranch and you’ll be hooked! Cashews and a handful of ingredients blend together in seconds, giving you the perfect pizza dip, burger spread, or salad dressing.
The best cashew ranch dressing
In my family, there’s no arguing that vegan ranch is the best. dressing. EVER! Both the kids and adults love it.
One batch of the Best Homemade Vegan Ranch doesn’t last long in my house because the creamy and tangy flavors are completely irresistible. It’s always being spread onto veggie burgers, used for dipping on pizza night, and drizzled over salads. It’s also perfect with buffalo cauliflower!
You’d think a dressing that tastes this good would involve many different steps. Nope! All you have to do is blend the cashews, vinegar, and savory seasonings together, then enjoy. Indulge in the cashew ranch dressing all week long, whether it’s drizzled on a cobb salad, used for dipping veggies, or added as a finishing touch on a Hawaiian BBQ pizza!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Raw cashews – Soaked and blended cashews transform into a thick and creamy cashew cream. I use it as the base in many recipes, like this ranch dressing, vegan sour cream, and heavy cream substitute because the rich texture is so close to real dairy. While cashews are the very best option here, raw slivered almonds might work as a substitute.
- Water
- Rice vinegar – This is a tangy ranch dressing, so vinegar is a must! Feel free to use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or more lemon juice instead.
- Lemon juice – Or replace it with more vinegar.
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Dill – Fresh or dried. If you don’t love dill, replace it with parsley.
How to make vegan ranch
Place the cashew pieces in a heat-proof bowl and pour very hot or boiling water over top. Leave them to soak for a few minutes.
Drain the water, then add the soaked cashews to your blender along with the rest of the ingredients (except the dill). Blend until smooth.
Add the dill and pulse a few times to just combine. Serve the vegan ranch right away or store it for later.
Serving suggestions
There isn’t a wrong way to enjoy vegan ranch dressing! It’s good as a:
- Dip: With carrots, celery, and cucumber, buffalo cauliflower wings, vegan mozzarella sticks, potato wedges, or tempeh sausage pizza.
- Spread: On veggie burgers, wraps, and sandwiches.
- Dressing: For loaded green salads, grain bowls, and pasta salad.
- Finishing touch: Drizzle the ranch over a cooked pizza, vegan sloppy joes, or roasted vegetables for extra flavor.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you make it without nuts? Yes! You can substitute 1 cup of vegan mayo for the cashews and water, if desired. Just mix everything in a bowl and you’re good to go!
- How long does it last? The dressing will last for about 1 week when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Can you freeze ranch dressing? It freezes okay, but the texture might not be as creamy and smooth when it thaws. Quickly blend the thawed dressing to bring it back to normal.
Want more vegan sauces and dressings?
- Vegan Caesar Dressing
- Green Goddess Dressing
- Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce
- Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing
- Vegan Tartar Sauce
Vegan Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashew pieces
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- juice from 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/4 cup fresh dill OR 2-3 teaspoons dried dill*
Instructions
- Soak the raw cashew pieces in hot water for 5-10 minutes. I heat up water in my electric kettle and pour it over the cashews to soak.
- Drain the cashews and add to your blender. Add the remaining ingredients except the dill, and blend until very smooth.
- Now add the dill, and pulse a few times to combine. You don’t want to blend the dill or it will end up very green.
- Serve on salad or with fresh vegetables for dipping. This will keep for up to a week in the fridge. It will thicken in the fridge, just thin out with water until it reaches the consistency you prefer.
Notes
- If you don’t care for dill, you may substitute with parsley (1/3 cup fresh chopped small, or 2-3 teaspoons dried).
- For Sriracha Ranch, add 2-3 teaspoons Sriracha, or to taste when blending.
- Without nuts – Substitute 1 cup of vegan mayo for the cashews and water. Simply whisk everything in a bowl and that’s it!
I’ve substituted the cashews for homemade vegan yogurt. It gives the taste of a buttermilk ranch. If I don’t have that on hand I’ll add 1/2 of a capsule of probiotics and a dash of malic acid. Yum yum. I also add dried parsley & 2 minced green onions to mine. Thank you for all the great recipes!! ❤️
Hi Latisha. You are welcome! I’m glad you are enjoying my recipes! I appreciate you sharing your great feedback and review!
I haven’t tried this yet, but hoping to make it lower fat. How much would I use if I were substituting white beans for the cashews?
I haven’t tried making this with white beans instead, so I don’t know for sure. Start with 1 cup of beans and increase to 1 1/2 cups (or more) if it still isn’t thick enough. Hope this helps!
Thank you for the great recipe! I only had 1/2 cups of raw cashews on hand so I used 1 cup of oven roasted salted (and adjusted the salt). I’m assuming this accounted for the stronger taste of cashews and the tan colouring? I also had to use a food process and had a hard time getting it as smooth as the picture – could only a blender get it this smooth? Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Tabatha. I’m glad you loved the recipe! Do you have a high powered blender, such as a Vitamix? If you use a regular blender, it will be grainy, unfortunately. A high powered blender will render a super creamy and smooth dressing!
Thanks Nora for the explanation! Unfortunately I don’t have a high powered blender but it’s good to know that ia what caused the hummus like consistency?
Great recipe! People have no clue they are eating vegan. It’s fantastic on pizza, sweet potato fries, or chips/ranch/salsa.
Hi Tiffany. Thanks for sharing your awesome feedback! I’m glad you love the ranch dressing!
Thanks! It was so good.
Is 1 serving one or 2tbsp?
It sounds yummy.
I just made this. Soooo good. Thank you so much ?
You’re welcome, Amanda! Thank you for your wonderful review!
This is INSANELY good! It is so much better than dairy ranch because there isn’t what weird aftertaste. I did add a bit more lemon juice but OH. MY. GOSH. So yummy. You are a wonder of vegan recipes and I am so thankful I found you.
Thank you so much for your amazing review and feedback, Stacey! I’m so glad you loved the dressing 🙂
Oh my heck. I’ve made so many vegan ranch dressings and this is THE ONE. I’m making a big ol’ barbecue ranch salad with fresh cabbage, bell pepper, roasted corn, vegan crispy chikn, toasted pepitas, romaine, chopped pickle, a drizzle of bbq sauce, and a fat glob of this dressing.
You salad sounds really delicious! I’m thrilled you love my dressing! Sounds like it will be great with your salad! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback, and wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Thank you for this recipe! I have tried several different vegan ranch recipes and none of them even come close to being as awesome as this! Been searching for a while, and am so happy I found this one! Thanks, Nora! Your recipes never fail me.
Hi Nicole. You are welcome! I’m so glad you love the dressing! Thank you for sharing your positive feedback, and for using my recipes! Happy cooking!
I’ve been getting salads from a local restaurant and wanted to duplicate their vegan ranch dressing. This recipe came out perfectly. I pureed mine to save time and it came out green. I’m fine with the color and it tastes delicious.
Hi Sherry. I appreciate your feedback and great review on the ranch dressing! I’m so glad you love it!
Is the water in the recipe to go in the blender for the dip or is it only for soaking the cashews?
The 3/4 cup of water in the recipe will go into the blender. Happy cooking!
The recipe says drain the cashews but here you are saying not to.
Do we drain or not drain?
The water you use to soak the cashews is drained. More water (the 3/4 cup listed in the ingredients) is added to the blender separately.
Dill seed or dill weed? Amazing recipe wow!!! Perfect even without the dill, tbh! Thank you SOY much! ?
LOL! Love it! You are welcome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Excited to try this! How much/many tablespoons is a serving?
One serving is about 2 tablespoons, but I don’t know exactly. If you need a more exact serving size, you will have to divide the dressing into 8 servings. I hope you love it!
So easy and very tasty! Love this ranch recipe!
Woah. This recipe is spot on, sooo good! I added a splash of apple cider vinegar because I like my ranch quite tangy and it totally hit the spot. Made this many many times already and will keep making it x well done! 🙂
I’m thrilled you’re loving the ranch! Thanks so much for sharing your great review and comments! Happy cooking!
Oh is this one a keeper. I had made it once but didn’t save it and I had to dig it back up again. The one I made from a different page just tasted of the almond milk. I prefer this one by a mile. Instead of onion powder I used “Justice” from Penzys and added a tsp of Bourbon smoked chef blend made here in Ky. Thanks so much!
Hi Nora Boyle! I love your name! I so appreciate you sharing your wonderful review, comments, and ideas! I’m glad you love the ranch! Thank you!
Was wondering if another nut would also work?
It might, but I haven’t tried it. Perhaps raw slivered almonds, or sunflower seeds, maybe even hemp seeds.
Can this be frozen for later use?
It freezes okay, but the texture might not be as creamy and smooth when it thaws. You could always blend it again and it should be okay.
Do you think you could substitute the rice vinegar for another kind? I used the last of mine and want to make it for a friend. It is so yummy btw!!
Hi April! You could add more lemon juice, or white vinegar works as a substitute. Thanks for sharing your review! I’m glad you love the ranch!
Wow, Nora, you outdid yourself with this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing this delicious ranch dressing! I am so thankful I came across your website! Excited to try out more of your recipes!
I’m also glad you found my website! Welcome Suzanne! I’m glad you love the dressing. Enjoy your journey through my recipes and let me know if you have any questions! Let me know how the recipes go for you! Happy cooking!
I was looking to road test a new recipe in my brand new vitamix.
Nora , you nailed it! After reading reviews and suggested substitutions I decided the original recipe would most closely resemble the Ranch dressing I remembered prior to becoming a vegan. This recipe will not disappoint!!!
Hi Shahla! I’m so glad you liked the vegan ranch dressing! I appreciate you taking your time to share your wonderful review!