Forget the vegan mayo and soy milk combo. This oil-free vegan cashew ranch dressing blends raw cashews, lemon juice, and dried herbs into a rich, tangy dressing that rivals any store-bought version.
Try it over crisp salads or as a cool dip for veggies, hand cut air fryer fries, or spicy cauliflower wings. If you love creamy cashew-based recipes, you might also enjoy my vegan green goddess dressing or cashew herb dip.

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Added extra dill and a bit more lemon juice. So delicious! My husband who always used Ranch love this instead!
- Susan
Ingredients
Raw cashews: Look for unroasted, unsalted cashews rather than roasted cashews. I like to buy bags of halves and pieces since they are usually less expensive than whole raw cashews.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
How to make cashew ranch
If you don't have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix, you can make this cashew ranch in a regular blender. But first you'll need to soften the raw cashews in a bowl of water for at least 30 minutes (or soak them overnight in an airtight container in the fridge). Drain them and proceed with the recipe.
Making this dressing is quick and easy:
- Place the cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, dried parsley, dried chives, and salt and pepper in the blender.
- Blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Transfer to a bottle or jar and refrigerate until chilled and ready to use.
Serving suggestions
This vegan ranch isn't just for salads. Try it with a variety of dishes:
- Drizzle over spicy favorites like soyrizo potato tacos or pumpkin bean chili
- Serve it with air fryer home fries in place of ketchup
- Use it as a substitute for sour cream on baked potatoes
Cashew ranch dressing is so versatile, you might find yourself making a batch to keep in the fridge every week.
Made this recipe? Have a question? Please leave a comment below. 💙 And for even more recipes, join my email list for community, inspiration & to chat directly with me!
Love and Veggies,
Amy
📋 Recipe
Oil-Free Vegan Cashew Ranch Dressing
Equipment
- high speed blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, (soak for at least 30 minutes in a bowl of water if you don't have a high-speed blender)
- ¾ cup water
- 2 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in the container of a high-speed blender.1 cup raw cashews, ¾ cup water, 2 Tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 2 teaspoons dried chives, 2 teaspoons dried dill, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, salt and pepper
- Process until the cashews are completely smooth.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed.
- Transfer the dressing to a jar with a lid and refrigerate until ready to use.
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Jean says
I followed your recipe exactly and it was absolutely delicious!!! On my second batch 😉 Thank you Amy!!!
Amy Katz says
That's wonderful to hear, thank you, Jean!
JoAnn Bush says
I love this dressing! I divided it up into little batches and tried a variety of seasonings and vinegars. Pomegranate vinegar gives it a bit of a kick. My favorite, though, is extra lemon juice and a smidgen of apple cider vinegar. Favorite herbs: parsley or dill.
Amy Katz says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, JoAnn! I love your variations!
Adelina Mbekomize says
5 stars and more! I'm trying to eat more salads this month and this was perfect 🙂 Tweaked it a little; No chives, used spring onion, fresh garlic instead of it's powder. Added in some grape seed oil just for the sake of it. And i'm in awe. A wholesome salad dressing without the additives and preservatives and its a hit!
Amy Katz says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Adelina! I have the same problem with Ranch. It just goes so well with everything!
Nicole says
Delish!
Amy Katz says
Thanks Nicole!
Lisa Burkey says
We wanted more of a "dip" rather than a dressing so.... I used a lot more chives (I love chives) and we added some smoked Chipotle powder. It turned out great! Perfect dip for chips, pretzels etc.
Amy Katz says
Fantastic! Thank you, Lisa!
Freddy says
This just made my day. It definitely hit that spot! Thank you so delicious!
Susan says
Added extra dill and a bit more lemon juice. So delicious! My husband who always used Ranch love this instead!
Claudia says
I added extra dill and a little bit of rice vinegar and then otherwise followed the recipe exactly. So delicious I was scraping (and eating) every last bit of what was left over in the blender. The thing is I made this for my husband who can’t have dairy. I didn’t think I would like it. But I loved it and wiped out half of it before he even got any. So, now I have to make more. 😉
Amy says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Claudia!
calgal says
This is in my favorites folder, it's the BEST dip for cauliflower buffalo wings, among other things. I make it as written except double all the spices/herbs... amazing!
Andrea says
Oh my !!! Added lemon zest as suggested in comments. Delicious dip for my daily lunchbox staple of raw broccoli. Appreciate you sharing this recipe. It's a keeper ~`
Amy says
That's wonderful to hear, Andrea! Thank you!