Vegan Ranch Dressing

This vegan ranch dressing is just as good as the real thing! Made with simple ingredients like cashews and lemon juice, it's creamy and delicious.

vegan ranch dressing

Wow! I am OBSESSED with this vegan ranch dressing recipe! I’ve made lots of ranch-like vegan sauces in the past, but this one really hits the mark. It’s cool and creamy, tangy and garlicky, and completely irresistible. All that, and it’s made with simple, plant-based ingredients that you likely have in your pantry already. Once you try it, you’ll never reach for store bought ranch – vegan or otherwise – again!

Vegan ranch recipe ingredients

Vegan Ranch Recipe Ingredients

You only need 8 basic ingredients to make this easy vegan ranch recipe:

  • Raw cashews – Like in my basic cashew cream recipe, raw cashews make this vegan ranch dressing thick and creamy, yet totally dairy-free. And because cashews add plenty of richness on their own, it’s oil-free, too!
  • Fresh chopped cucumber – It puts the “cool” in “cool ranch.”
  • Lemon juice – It makes the dressing bright and tangy.
  • Garlic powder, onion powder, and nutritional yeast – They add the savory, umami flavor that makes this vegan ranch dressing so irresistible.
  • Dried dill – Even if you’re not a fan of fresh dill, don’t skip the dried dill here! It really amps up the ranch-y, savory flavor and adds appealing flecks of green.
  • And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Cashews, cucumber, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried dill in a blender

Add the cashews, cucumber, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, and salt to a high-speed blender. Then, pour in 1/2 cup water to get the blender moving, and process until smooth!

vegan ranch recipe

How to Use Vegan Ranch Dressing

I love to keep this vegan ranch dressing in the fridge at all times. Versatile and delicious, it’s a fun way to dress up veggies, salads, sandwiches, and more. Once you have it on hand, you’ll find all sorts of ways to use it. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

How do you like to use vegan ranch dressing? Let me know in the comments!

Vegan ranch dressing with fresh veggies

More Favorite Dressings and Sauces

If you love this vegan ranch dressing, try one of these dressings or sauces next:

vegan ranch

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Vegan Ranch Dressing

rate this recipe:
5 from 10 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves 6
This vegan ranch dressing is just as creamy and delicious as the real thing! Use it as a dip for veggies, toss it with your favorite salad, or find more serving suggestions in the post above.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • ½ cup water
  • cup peeled and diced cucumber
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon dried dill
  • Chives, for garnish

Instructions

  • In a high-speed blender, place the cashews, water, cucumber, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and dill and blend until completely smooth and creamy.
  • Season to taste with more salt, if desired. Sprinkle with fresh chives and serve.

20 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Carol
    02.02.2024

    How long will this last in refrigerator? Can it be frozen? I will make for Super Bowl next week. Thank you

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.02.2024

      Hi Carol, this dressing will keep in the fridge for about a week. I don’t recommend freezing it. I hope you enjoy!

  2. Tammy
    08.27.2023

    5 stars
    Delish! Luscious, creamy + tart! Simple to make and love the color! Chives balanced it out well too!

  3. Sue
    05.20.2023

    How long does this dressing last stored in the fridge?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      05.22.2023

      Hi Sue, up to about 5 days, if it separates in the fridge, give it a stir.

  4. Susan Odiseos
    02.10.2023

    Was there any response to a substitute for cashew? Fingers crossed since my granddaughter is also allergic to cashews. Thanks.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.10.2023

      Hi Susan, you could substitute blanched almonds or raw sunflower seeds for the cashews. If you use sunflower seeds, I’d start with 3/4 cup and add more as needed because they pack more tightly into a measuring cup than cashews do.

  5. Nicole
    12.13.2022

    5 stars
    I love this sauce! Super easy to make and very yummy!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      12.16.2022

      I’m so glad you love it!

  6. Lori Satter
    02.07.2022

    what can be subbed for the cashews? my hubby is allergic

    • Susan Odiseos
      02.10.2023

      Was there any response to a substitute for cashew? Fingers crossed since my granddaughter is also allergic to cashews. Thanks.

  7. Angela Riggs
    01.17.2022

    Hi! Is there a particular nutritional yeast brand you’d recommend?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.18.2022

      Hi Angela, not especially – Bob’s Red Mill, Frontier Coop, and Trader Joes are all of the brands I’ve tried and they’re all great.

  8. Madeline
    04.28.2021

    Looks so great – thank you! How long does this stay in the fridge?

  9. Kelley
    08.12.2020

    5 stars
    Love it! Thanks so much! I added a little more lemon juice, minced garlic and fresh dill. I also added a bit more water because it came out rather thick. Delish! Amateur question…can I freeze this?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.30.2020

      Hi Kelley, I’m so glad you loved it! Cashew sauces become a bit more gritty once frozen and thawed.

  10. Rohtak
    08.12.2020

    5 stars
    Sounds delicious!

  11. asha kapoor
    08.08.2020

    What’s nutritional yeast and how is it different from the yeast for baking?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.08.2020

      It’s a flaky sort of powder that has a kind of savory cheese-ish flavor that adds richness to creamy vegan sauces, like this one. It’s deactivated yeast, so it’s totally different than baker’s yeast and not interchangable.

  12. oh hell yeah, this is amazing! I love a good sauce but I feel like I’ve sort of exhausted my usual rotation so this comes at the perfect time 😋

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.