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!
Thank you for this fabulous recipe, Nora ! I always look for the “best” recipe and if yours doesn’t show up in the search , I keep scrolling or go straight to your site- I think every recipe you create is elite ! The rice wine vinegar is just perfect for vegan ranch !! Genius ! Everyone who sees this review please rate it and let’s make it the *best vegan ranch* recipe !
Hi Rani! Your comments are very inspiring to me! Thank you for sharing the fabulous review and your feedback! I am thrilled you loved the dressing!
Hi Nora, big fan of your recipes. This one wasn’t a hit however.
2 tbsp of vinegar was way too much, it’s literally all I could taste. I had to balance it out with maple syrup.
Also it would not blend with the amount of water, I had to nearly double the water.
The flavour is better after sitting overnight in the fridge, but not the best.
Thank you
Thanks for sharing your feedback, RJ.
This recipe is insanely good. Thank you!!
Hi Nora!
If I am short on time and need to make something quick, I know I can count on you. Today I made a vegan salad and wanted vegan ranch. It didn’t disappoint. I subbed parsley for dill, but still want to try it with dill too.
I have also done Vegan pancakes and waffles several times too!
THANK YOU!!!
You are welcome, Jennifer! Thank YOU for your wonderful review and feedback! Happy cooking!
I didn’t soak the cashews. The dressing was extremely thick so I increased the water to 1 1/1 cup. From a flavor perspective I added a teaspoon of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar which kept the flavor of the cashews from being too strong.
Overall a great recipe.
Simple and delicious!
Cashews are actually of the poison ivy family and I am highly allergic, can I use pistachios instead?
Hi Nicolas. I have not tried this with anything other than cashews, however, I think slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, or even hemp may work. If you can have sunflower seeds, they will work quite well if you soak them first and have a high powered blender. You could also sub silken tofu for the cashews and water. It works pretty well. Hope that helps!
This is a game changer for me. It’s my second day doing WFPB-NO. The thought of salads without ranch…no way. As soon as I tasted it I grab some celery. So easy to make and so delicious. Thank you!!!
Thank you for your wonderful feedback and review!
Can you substitute almonds for cashews. Thank you.
I haven’t tried it, but raw slivered almonds might work as a substitute.