Published: by Becky Striepe · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon and ShareASale associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Cashew ranch dressing is rich, creamy, and flavorful. This vegan ranch is so easy to make, right in your blender, no oil needed!
Oh boy, do I love ranch dressing, and this is by far the best vegan ranch I've ever had! It's perfect for dipping everything from veggies to tofu bites to tots.
Jump to:
- Recipe notes
- Serving suggestions
- How to store
- 📖 Recipe
- Frequently asked questions
Recipe notes
The base for this dressing is a simple cashew cream. If you're not familiar with cashew cream, it isn't some kind of fancy, expensive specialty food. In fact, I've never seen it for sale in a store.
Cashew cream is just raw cashews blended up in water or some other combination of liquids. The key to making good cashew cream is to soak your cashews in water. This softens them up so you it's easy to get them super creamey, even in the crappiest blender.
A lot of recipes for cashew-based sauces call for raw cashews, but in my experience, that's not really necessary. Soaking will soften up roasted cashews just fine, so feel free to use either to make your cashew ranch dressing.
One you soak your cashews, drain off the soaking water. Then, toss them into the blender with water, lemon juice, and a few dried spices, and boom! Cashew ranch.
One thing to note: This dressing does thicken up as it cools, so don't panic if it feels a bit thin when it comes out of the blender. Just stick it into the fridge to chill, and it will thicken up to creamy perfection.
Serving suggestions
This vegan ranch works well as either a dip or a salad dressing. Slather it onto your next salad or try one of these delicious ways to use it:
- as a party dip with veggies or sriracha tofu for dipping
- for dipping fries or tater tots
- stirred into soups or stews to add creaminess and a flavor boost
- on your next baked potato instead of sour cream
- as a dip for vegan wings
Anything you'd do with dairy ranch you can do with cashew ranch dressing instead.
How to store
I like to store this dressing in a mason jar. It will keep in an airtight container like this for five to seven days in the refrigerator.
Occasionally, this dressing will separate in the fridge. This is no problem! Just stir it up, and you're good to go.
📖 Recipe
Cashew ranch dressing recipe
by Becky Striepe
Cashew ranch dressing is rich, creamy, and flavorful. This vegan ranch is so easy to make, right in your blender, no oil needed!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews raw or roasted is fine
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 large clove or 2 small cloves of garlic
- ¼ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper or more, to taste
Instructions
Soak the cashews with enough hot water to cover them completely for 10 minutes.
Drain the cashews and pour them into the blender along with the remaining ingredients, except the salt and pepper. Blend until completely smooth. This will take about a minute in a high speed blender, and it will take longer in a regular blender. Just keep blending, stopping every minute to give the motor breaks, until your mixture is totally smooth.
Taste, and add more salt and pepper, if needed, to suit your tastes. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
Video
📝 Notes
You can use raw or roasted cashews to make this cashew ranch. Soaking will soften either one enough to blend up creamy.
I can't stress enough how important it is to blend thoroughly. You don't want a grainy result, and you can get a creamy sauce, even in a regular blender. Just make sure that you give your blender's motor a break between blasts, so you don't burn it out.
Leftover dressing will keep in an airtight containerfor five to seven days in the refrigerator. This dressing does thicken up as it cools, so don't panic if it feels a bit thin when it comes out of the blender. Just stick it into the fridge to chill, and it will thicken up to creamy perfection.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Cashew ranch dressing recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
64
% Daily Value*
Fat
8
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
5
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
3
g
Sodium
2
mg
%
Potassium
91
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
4
g
1
%
2
%
Sugar
1
g
1
%
Protein
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
59
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
3
mg
4
%
Calcium
7
mg
1
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does cashew ranch last in the refrigerator?
It will keep for 5-7 days.
Can you freeze cashew ranch?
I don't recommend freezing this dressing. The texture just changes in a way that isn't super pleasant.
Can you make this nut-free?
You sure can! Head on over and make my tahini ranch dressing instead.
What is vegan ranch made of?
There are so many ways to make vegan ranch! This recipe uses cashews and water as the base. You can also use tahini, if you don't do cashews.
Store-bought vegan ranch tends to use an oil emulsion as the base, but I'm sure there are bottled ranch dressings that use other bases, too.
What ranch dressing is vegan?
There are lots of plant based ranch dressings on the market. Daiya, Simple Truth, and lots of other brands make them, and you can even find bottled vegan ranch at the regular grocery store.
About Becky Striepe
Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.
Learn more about me >>>
Reader Interactions
Comments
Joyce
This was great ranch dressing! I made the recipe exactly as written and it was fantastic. In the summer when I have fresh dill and other herbs, I may try using them with this recipe, but for now, I will continue to follow the recipe just as written. Thanks, Becky!Reply
Becky Striepe
I’m so glad to hear it, and you’ll love this with fresh dill! When you do it with fresh herbs, just don’t put them in the blender. They’ll turn it green! Just mince them separately and stir them in.
Reply
Belinda Bernard
Thank you !Reply
Nora Gainey
Could you just soak cashews in 1/2 cup hot soy milk? Then you won't have to drain.
Reply
