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Vegan Ranch Dressing – Connoisseurus Veg

July 19, 2021

193 3 minutes read

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Creamy, delicious, and totally dairy-free! This vegan ranch dressing is made from cashews. Dip your veggies, drizzle it on a salad, spread it on a sandwich…or just put it on everything!

Spoon Scooping Vegan Ranch Dressing From a Jar

Ranch dressing was my favorite when I was growing up. I LOVED the stuff. I ate many meals at Perkins that consisted solely of a bread bowl (sans salad) and ranch dressing.

I get quite a few requests for a vegan ranch dressing recipe, so I guess I’m not the only one who’s a fan of the stuff. And while I do have an older, lighter version of silken tofu ranch on the site (which I love) tofu just doesn’t cut it when it comes to recreating the richness of dairy-based ranch dressing.

Know what does though? Cashews!

Jump to:

What You’ll Need

Wooden Cutting Board Set with Parsley, Lemon Wedges, Spoon and a Jar of Vegan Ranch Dressing

Raw cashews. They absolutely need to be raw. Roasted cashews will make your dressing taste like cashew butter. You’ll also need to soak them in water for 4 to 8 hours to soften them up. Tip: If you forget to soak your cashews, try boiling them in water for 20 minutes.
Water.
Lemon juice. Use fresh squeezed to give your dressing the best flavor!
Fresh parsley.
Fresh dill.
Spices. We’re using onion and garlic powder.
Salt & pepper.

How to Make Vegan Ranch Dressing

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dressing. Scroll all the way down if you’d prefer to skip right to the recipe!

Drain your soaked cashews and place them in a food processor or blender with a bit of water. Tip: Consider doubling the recipe if your blending device is very large. If it’s not full enough you’ll constantly be scraping the sides!
Blend the cashews and water to a smooth paste. This may take a few minutes, depending on how powerful your blending device is.
Add some more water and blend everything again until creamy.
Now add your flavorings: lemon juice, parsley, chives, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pulse your blending device until everything is finely chopped and well mixed.

Collage Showing Stages of Making Vegan Ranch Dressing: Blend Cashews, Add Water and Blend, Add Herbs and Seasonings, and Pulse to Mix

Tip: Taste-test your dressing and make adjustments before taking it out of your blending container. This might mean thinning it with additional water, adding more herbs or spices, or seasoning the dressing with extra lemon juice, salt and/or pepper.

Shelf-Life & Storage

Hand Dipping a Carrot Into a Jar o f Vegan Ranch Dressing

Vegan ranch dressing will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 5 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. It might separate a bit during storage. This is totally normal and nothing to worry about! Just stir it back together before using it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this dressing gluten-free?

It is!

How is vegan ranch dressing served?

You can drizzle it on a salad, use it as a dip, or as a topper for dishes like vegan chili, black bean burgers, or pizza.

Is there a substitute for cashews in this recipe?

You could try using raw macadamia nuts or sunflower seeds. Both often work in recipes that call for cashews as a dairy substitute, but I haven’t tested either with this one, so no promises!

More Vegan Dips & Dressings

Spoon Drizzling Vegan Ranch Dressing Over a Jar

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