Oil-free creamy vegan Cashew Ranch Dressing is quick and easy to make in a blender with raw cashews, lemon juice, and herbs and spices. Enjoy it on your favorite salads or as a cool dip for vegetables, fries, or spicy foods.
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Although it's easier to find vegan versions of popular dressings in supermarkets these days, it's incredibly simple to make ranch at home with healthful whole food ingredients.
And while many non-dairy ranch recipes call for a mixture of vegan mayo and soy milk, this version uses raw cashews instead.
Raw cashews are a wonderful ingredient to keep on hand for making everything from Instant Pot vegan potato corn chowder to dairy-free creamy pasta sauce to vegan spinach artichoke dip. And now you can use them to make a vegan version of arguably the most popular dressing in the United States.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- It's easy to make in 10 minutes.
- It's oil-free and made with whole-food plant-based ingredients.
- It's easy to customize to suit your tastes.
Ingredients
Raw cashews: Look for raw cashews rather than roasted cashews. If available, halves and pieces are usually less expensive than whole raw cashews.
Variations
Once you make this Cashew Ranch Dressing, you can add ingredients to change up the flavor and texture.
- For a spicy version, add some ground chipotle powder.
- Like your ranch more tangy? Add extra lemon juice, lemon zest, or a splash of apple cider vinegar.
- Double up on the herbs and spices, or use fresh herbs instead of dried.
- Make it thicker or thinner by adjusting the amount of water.
- Add avocado for an even creamier dressing.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in the container of a high-speed blender.
- Blend until the cashews are completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Transfer to a bottle or jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
Amy's tip
If you don't have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix, you can still make this Cashew Ranch Dressing recipe in a regular blender. But you'll first need to soak the raw cashews in a bowl of water for at least 30 minutes to soften them. Or prep them in advance by soaking them overnight in an airtight container in the fridge.
Serving suggestions
Cashew Ranch Dressing is not only delicious on green salads, raw veggies, and pasta salad. It's also wonderful for slathering on spicy dishes like soyrizo potato tacos, pumpkin vegan chili, and buffalo cauliflower.
Or try it with air fryer home fries or hand cut fries instead of ketchup. This oil-free sauce is also a great substitute for sour cream on baked potatoes.
Storing
Store the dressing in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to a week. It will thicken over time, so you may need to add a little water and shake well before using. For best results, do not freeze.
Recipe FAQs
You may think it's folklore that ranch dressing originated from "Hidden Valley Ranch," but it's actually true. According to Thrillist's 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ranch Dressing, "While working as a contract plumber in Alaska, Steve Henson started cooking for his coworkers and perfecting his buttermilk dressing recipe. Five years later he moved to California with his wife Gayle and bought a ranch. His famous buttermilk dressing soon became a staple at the dinner table of Hidden Valley Ranch and before long the Hensons started selling it to guests and local supermarkets. Over two decades later in 1972, the couple sold their name and recipe to Clorox for $8 million. Not bad for a little buttermilk, mayo, and herbs."
Cashews are sold in two forms: raw and roasted. Both forms are roasted once to remove the shell and the shell's harmful oils. Roasted cashews are then roasted a second time to give them more flavor. Raw cashews have a milder flavor making them better for using in recipes where they are blended.
Raw cashews will last up to 6 months in an unopened container stored in a cool dark place. To make them last longer, store them in a sealed container in the freezer for a year or more.
More vegan salad dressing recipes
Made this recipe? Have a question? Please leave a comment below. 💙 And for even more recipes, join the Plant Forward Vegan Recipes Facebook group for community, inspiration & fun!
Love and Veggies,
Amy
📋 Recipe
Vegan Cashew Ranch Dressing
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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.
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!