As you may have guessed by now, Jeff and I don’t have overly sophisticated tastes. When we went plant based, we pretty much had the DTs as we cut out Standard American Diet (SAD) favorites like Velveeta Shells n’ Cheese, Papa John’s pizza, and Breyer’s ice cream.
So lately, I’ve been working on healthier versions of all of the above, which I’ll be posting in the not-too-distant future. (Along with the carrot cake oatmeal I’ve been promising for months now, whoops.)
However, with crisp, summer-fresh veggie season starting right now, Jeff and I have been downright pining for good old-fashioned Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing.
Om nom nom…
What finally nudged me into making a healthy copycat recipe, though, was making these cute and fun veggie dip jars. While any dressing complements these party-ready snacks, what I really wanted was straight-up, snowy white, smooth-and-creamy Hidden Valley Ranch dressing…
What I didn’t want? The soybean oil, egg yolk, and disodium guanylate that you find in “real” Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. I mean, what is disodium guanylate, anyway?
Nor did I want MSG. And as it turns out, MSG is how the folks at Hidden Valley make soybean oil, egg yolk, and disodium guanylate taste surprisingly good.
So I set out to create an oil-free vegan copycat Hidden Valley Ranch dressing made with actual food (!) that tastes every bit as good as the original.
Or better, even.
Copycat Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (vegan and oil free!)
Now I don’t want to dislocate a shoulder patting myself on the back or anything, but with inspiration from The Vegan 8 and Top Secret Recipes, I came up with a vegan copycat of Hidden Valley Ranch that’s a dead ringer for the original—no MSG required.
In fact, all you need is a blender, some pantry staples, and 5 minutes.
Then knock yourself out: This dressing is amazing on crisp salads, pizza crusts, buffalo cauliflower wings, and of course, fresh cut veggies!
Enjoy!
- ¾ c cashews
- ¾ cup Whole Foods brand unsweetened plain almond milk OR water plus a few extra cashews (see note); more milk/water if needed to thin
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp white (distilled) vinegar
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 small clove garlic
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp parsley flakes
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- Blend all ingredients except parsley and pepper in a high-powered blender until smooth.
- Add parsley and pepper and whiz briefly--just enough to stir them in.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight, as the dressing will thicken dramatically. (Although I'm not good at waiting, so I often use it straightaway!)
-Do NOT substitute soy milk or any other brand of almond milk. For whatever reason, the only thing that makes this dressing taste like Hidden Valley Ranch is Whole Foods' unflavored, unsweetened almond milk (best) or plain water with a few extra cashews for thickening.
Shared on the Healthy Living Link Party, Plant-Based Potluck Party, Allergy Free Thursday, Healthy Vegan Fridays and Real Food Fridays.
Note: I’m constantly tweaking this recipe, so if you come back and it’s a little different, you know why. I’m on a quest for perfection! Okay, and I really love ranch dressing. 😉 Last update: August 27, 2016.
You might also like:
I'm Lee, an RD thriving on a healthy plant based diet.
There’s nothing wrong with simple! It makes good things for busy people =)
I was hoping you were going to post the recipe from the veggie cup post! This sounds great. I’ll be honest – I never liked the Hidden Valley Ranch dressing, but I LOVE the sound of this!
Hi Kimmy, I’ll definitely be posting the dressing! I’ll add it to this week’s roundup so people can get the full effect. 😀
I was just playing around with a ranch dressing myself this weekend too! I used to use ranch on everything! Yours looks great so I’ll give that one a try!
I’m seriously looking for a replacement for those shells and cheese. Can’t wait to see your version. I did a cheesy sauce that I use as a replacement but I love trying every one. It’s so fun finding new substitutes to old favorites especially when they are much healthier for us. 🙂
Hi Mary Ellen, I just hopped over to your blog–is this the right recipe: Vegan Cheddary Cheese Sauce? It looks really good; I can’t wait to try it! I’ve been using carrots in my test batch to get color and a touch of sweetness. While the sauce I’ve got is really good (my husband is crazy for it), it doesn’t taste like Velveeta. I could definitely use some help!
Yes! That’s the one. 🙂 Not sure if you checked back but I replied to you comment about miso (I usually find it in the refrigerated sections of Whole foods – by the tofu and things like that).
Mine is not exactly like Velveeta either but I love testing new “cheesy” sauces – it’s so much fun. That’s a great idea to use carrots for color and sweetness. I use turmeric for the color which seems to work out nicely. Although ours won’t be exactly like Velveeta, at least we know we’re eating something healthy (unlike the processed cheese which are barely cheese anyway – though they are tasty!)
Turmeric–smart (and anti-inflammatory, too). 🙂 Just saw your reply on VNutrition—I’ll check the fridge section for miso next time I’m at Whole Foods!
I wanted to know what almond mike you use? It seems the ones I find that say they are unsweetened are all “vanilla” or is there something sold that has no flavor listed on the label? Looking forward to trying your recipe, I am a ranch fanatic and make my own version of HVR from the buttermilk package that my family has loved for years. I am trying to go Vegan and this proves to be a problem area…..giving up the ranch. Thank you 🙂
Hi Barbara, I feel your pain! I once made vegan mac n’ cheese with unsweetened vanilla almond milk because that’s all I had on hand, and it did NOT go well. (*shudder*) Anyhow, for the ranch I used Whole Foods 365 brand unsweetened organic almondmilk, but Pacific Unsweetened Almond (Original) is decent if you don’t have a nearby Whole Foods. I’ve had better luck finding unsweetened “original” in the shelf-stable section, if that helps.
And ~95% vegan is fantastic; good for you! 😀 Hope you like this recipe (pressure’s on!), but since you all are ranch aficionados, if you find any tweaks to make it even more spot-on Hidden Valley, I’d be delighted to hear what you come up with!
Thank you so much for your reply. I will be buying the proper milk if not making my own after viewing youtube videos. In the next couple of days, once I give it a try, I will be happy to let you know how I like it! I am so glad I found your website, and will be checking out what recipes you offer and sharing them with others.
Of course, it was a great question! Also, just to let you know, I updated the recipe after making it yet again tonight, but with a monster clove of very very fresh garlic. It was a little overpowering, so I adjusted the recipe to half a clove of fresh garlic OR 1/8 tsp of granulated garlic. Wanted you to be the first to know!
Just made it after soaking the nuts overnight. I must say I was surprised at the flavor. I know it is not my ranch so of course my tongue is ready to deny it taste like it……….But, I was happy to discover this is a wonderful flavor that I enjoyed and I am sure will grow to love it the more I eat it with different foods. I will be checking out that “cheesy” recipe talked about above and look forward to replacing my dairy needs with your recipes. Thanks SO much!
Glad you liked it, even if it wasn’t quite like your ranch. Any suggestions to make it more HVF-like?
Also, for lunch I poured some over a smashed, oven-baked sweet potato, and it was pretty darned tasty. (If you like sweet potatoes, of course!)
Don’t know if you found something, but we use silk almond milk. It’s unsweetened original.
WHoa baby! Loving how inventive this recipe is!!! It’s amazing! 😀
Thanks Gigi!
Hi Lee–I was never a big ranch dressing fan, but I sure can identify with how satisfying it is to come up with a healthy version of an old favorite that tastes great too! Kudos! (And go ahead and pat yourself on the back, too 🙂 ) xo
You don’t like ranch dressing?! I guess we can still be friends… 😉 It really is rewarding–and fun–to come up with a healthy version of a “classic,” no? It makes me feel like a mad scientist in the kitchen!
Yes! Here’s to mad scientists in the kitchen!! And SO relieved we are still friends. . .:)
HI Lee,
This homemade ranch dressing sound divine and so healthy. I love making my own salad dressing especially I read the ingredients on the stuff you buy in the stores.Yuk! Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted!
Thanks Marla! I know, the ingredients on store-bought dressing are unpronounceable-y scary. I think I just made up a word, but you get my point. 🙂 Thanks for hosting a great blog hop!
I can’t think of a better way to indulge myself than with this Copycat Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing on my favorite salad greens. Thank you for sharing this healthy and delicious recipe with us at the Plant-Based Potluck Party. I’m pinning and sharing.
Thanks for the pin and the share! 🙂
Oh my gosh, I have all the ingredients on hand! I’ve been playing around with cashew based sauces to I stocked up. I am a ranch dressing lover and I just broke my bottle of Follow Your Heart dressing (it fell out of the fridge 🙁 )so I need my fix. Found you via the Plant Based Potluck Party. Congrats on being featured.
Hi Debbie, glad this post came at the right time! Although I’m sorry to hear your dressing fell out of the fridge–that is the WORST. And such a pain to clean up, yeesh. Hope the rest of your day went a little better!
Hi! I’m on the elimination diet and this looks awesome. However I can’t have vinegar either. Will it taste fine without vinegar? Thank you
Hi InnA, can you have lemon juice? It’s not quite as good, but I’ve done it with lemon juice before. Also, you could try citric acid powder. I’ve never used it, but according to this website you can use it to replace lemon juice or vinegar. (You can find it on Amazon here.) It looks like you’d want to start with 1/4 tsp and add more if needed. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
Lee,can you use almonds instead of cashews by any chance? I have almonds in the house, but not cashews…used them all up for cashew cheese!
Hi Joan, I’ve never tried using almonds, so I honestly have no idea! You’d probably have to use less liquid, because almonds don’t thicken up liquids nearly as well as cashews. As for the flavor, well, ??? 😉 But cashew cheese…mmm…what recipe do you use?
Lee, I do love cashew cheese, just thought I’d ask. My daughter-in-law is nursing her infant who has a severe intolerance for all dairy and all soy. She LOVES Ranch dressing, and I hadn’t seen one yet except yours…so I thought I’d ask.
Baby is doing well with momma not having any dairy/soy.There is SOY in everything unless it’s fresh fruit/veggies or fresh meat, etc. so, I’m always out there trying to find things for her to eat. She’s always been a dairy “gobbler”, and this has been difficult..so far, she’s only using her own homemade balsamic vinaigrette..thought I’d try it to see if almonds work..I’ll prepare it the same way as I do cashew cheese..(soaking it and draining it and puree-ing it). I”ll let you know!
Thanks for the feedback.
Hi Joan, glad to hear momma and baby are doing well! Giving up dairy and soy were hard for me at first too, but I’ve found some good alternatives. I especially like Daiya Greek yogurt as a treat: It’s dairy-free, soy-free, and contains good bacteria just like regular yogurt. Kite Hill almond milk yogurts are also dairy and soy free. Both brands are a little pricey, and I’ve only found them at Whole Foods. But for a new mom who’s missing dairy, they might be just the thing!
Hi, I was just reading this comment thread. I live in Billings Mt, and our Albertsons carries the Daiya yogurt, it’s delish! Joan, you might be able to see if your local grocer can order it for you.
Lee, thank you for sharing your talents and recipes! I’ll be frequenting your blog a lot more often. I went vegan a year ago July!
~Claudia
Hi Claudia, congrats on going vegan! It’s a big transition, but well worth it. And thanks for your kind words—they made my day! 🙂
Hi Joan, also just found this from Daiya: dairy free, soy-free ranch dressing. I’ve never had it, buy it’s worth trying if you’re tight on time! Possibly at Whole Foods; definitely on Amazon. 🙂
That one is super yucky😩 just stick with this recipe!! Its the best💜
You’re too sweet, thanks Mariah! 🙂
I’ve made this a handful of times now – we’ve had it as a dressing, as a dip, and even combined with buffalo chickpeas to make a warm dip (yum!). Our favorite, though, is to use it as a dipping sauce for roasted buffalo Brussels sprouts!
This time around, I had some firm cashew cheese in the fridge, and I crumbled it and added it with the parsley to give it a blue-cheese feel – so good!!!!
Hi Abigail, I love your blue-cheese idea! And the buffalo chickpeas! (Can you come cook at my house??) 😉 Thanks for stopping by and the yummy inspiration! Your comment made my day. 🙂
Do you use raw unsalted cashews or regular roasted salted?
I use raw unsalted cashews, but if you try it with roasted/salted ones please let me know how it goes! Because that actually sounds really tasty. 🙂
How long do you think this would keep in the fridge? I want to make this but I don’t want it to go to waste if I don’t eat it all right away.
Hi Janel, I’ve kept it in the fridge for up to 5 days with no issues. Just make sure you start with fresh raw cashews. If the cashews are even a little rancid, the dressing will have an off flavor. (No fun!)
Can I tell you how excited I am to find a homemade dairy free ranch recipe that does NOT contain coconut milk!? I’m allergic to coconut and dairy and have come up with my own mayo/almond milk recipe, but it’s just ok. Really looking for to making this! Thank you!!
Hi Candace, thanks for your comment! This recipe is a copycat of bottled Hidden Valley Ranch dressing, not the kind in the packet, so if you want dill flavor be sure to add either dried or fresh.
Being allergic to dairy and coconut is tough, jeesh. I bet you have some great tricks up your sleeve for dairy-free cooking and baking, though! 🙂
Needs lemon juice, apple cider vinager and dill.
Hi Dan, thanks for the feedback! I do like it with the dill; I may start making it with fresh dill in the summer, yum!
Does this taste like the hidden Valley prepackaged bottled ranch or the packet of ranch you make yourself?
Prepackaged bottled ranch. I haven’t been able to nail the flavor of the packet kind yet!
anyone tried this with white beans instead of cashews? My husband is allergic to nuts.
Hi Melanie, if you try it with white beans please let me know how it goes! It would be great to have a fat-free version for people who need it. You could also try swapping the cashews for hemp seeds, but it might end up tasting grassy. I’ll see what I can come up with, too. 🙂
What kind of cashews do u use? Raw unsalted or does it matter?
I use raw unsalted, but roasted would probably taste good too!
I made this today, and I am completely in love with it!
Thanks Cindy, so glad you like it!
This seriously blew my mind! I am new to the plant based world and wanted to give this a try. I’m a bit skeptical when something says, “It taste just like…”, because I don’t like to trick my mind and then in turn be disappointed. As I was making this, I was thinking, “It will taste close but don’t be disappointed”. I was very surprised and not disappointed in the least bit! This is very good! I am a ranch lover and use it on everything! I’m excited I have this very tasty replacement.
Also, for reference, I used Simple Truth Unsweetened Almond Milk from King Soopers/City Market, and had no issues.
Hi Chris, so sorry for the delayed response, but I wanted you to know that your comment made my day!!! I spent a lot of time trying to get this dressing to taste like “real” ranch, and I’m delighted that you like it.
Raw cashews currently soaking overnight in unsweetened, unflavored Silk Almond milk! I’m so anxious to taste it and give my full report in regard to silk vs. Whole foods brand. I am impatient and wanted to start soaking the cashews, so I just used what I have on hand. 😊 Fingers crossed!! Much love! (IG:@aphatvegan)
Ooh, I hope it turns out with the Silk brand, but I can’t make any promises, lol! Report back? (Also, just followed you on Insta!)
It’s definitely a little sweeter than HVR, but so tasty!!! My hubby even said he would rather use it than his standard mayo in macaroni salad!! #winning!! I’m going to get the whole foods milk to try next time though to taste the real deal 🙂 thanks for the awesome recipe!!
Hi Laura, thanks for reporting back! I’m so glad it worked out, even if it wasn’t a dead ringer for HVR. And double yay that hubby likes it! I use it to make a Southern sweet potato salad in the summer, which is yum. But on a macaroni salad sounds even better. If I do a macaroni salad with it for the blog this summer, you’re definitely getting a shout-out! 🙂
I was a huge skeptic when I read this, but I have to say, while it doesn’t taste *exactly* like HVR, it’s so so close and I don’t feel awful eating it. Thank you for doing the legwork on this. I’ll definitely be making this again. It’s fantastic.
Hi John, I’m so glad you like it! Your feedback really makes my day. 🙂 Keep up the tasty, healthy eating, and I hope to see you back on Veggie Quest soon!
This is the best vegan ranch dressing recipe I have tried. I have tried some that have been disgusting failures. 🤢 I was scared to try another one, and was blown away by how unexpectedly good your recipe tasted! It is a keeper for sure. (Note: I used water and 1/8 of tsp of granulated garlic.) Thanks so much.
Hi Amy, thanks so much for sharing your positive feedback–your comment just made my day! 🙂
I am dairy and soy free for my little one who is still nursing, and I just can’t find a ranch dressing that tastes decent. Tried this recipe this weekend and the husband and I devoured it with carrot sticks!
I really can’t believe just how much it tastes like HVR, with such a short list of ingredients!
Have already let some co workers “try” it out with a carrot stick at work today and all have requested the recipe.
Thanks!
Hi Brittany, this warms my dietitian heart to hear! 🙂
Hi Lee! This recipe looks so good, I can’t wait to try it! I tried a vegan brand’s Ranch and it was terrible, but this one has such great reviews that I expect it will be much better, and also much better for me! Just wondering though, how long will this keep in the fridge? I’m the only one in the family who will be eating it so I want to make sure I don’t keep it longer than I should. 😉 Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hi Natalie, up to 5 days. Next time I make it, I’m going to try doubling the batch and freezing half, since others have had the same question. 🙂
We don’t have Whole Foods in Anchorage, AK. Any other brand suggestions for the Almond Milk?
Blue Diamond unsweetened plain works too. Although half the time we just use water and add 6-8 extra cashews. Works like a charm!
This is incredibly good! Everyone in my house loved it!
How long does it keep in the fridge?
Earlier in the comment thread, she mentioned she’s used it up to 5 days with no problem.
Hope that helps 😊
Yup, I wouldn’t go past 5 days.
Can’t I batch and freeze it?
Hi Felicia, it never lasts that long in my house, but I bet you could make a double recipe and freeze it! I double bean dip recipes all the time and freeze half–they just need a good stir after thawing. Let me know if you try it!
This is delicious! Ranch is the thing I’ve just gone back to on special occasions to indulge…but this recipe is going to be a game changer. Won’t be tempted when I can make my own WFPB option that really is just as good! No need for the bottled stuff anymore…finally. Thank you!
This is hands down the closest thing I’ve had to veganized hidden valley. In fact, I may prefer it! I used homemade almond milk (made via my juicer) and it came out great. I initially used it for dipping buffalo cauliflower wings in & it really helped bring them over the top. I added some Chipotle Tabasco sauce to make a Chipotle Ranch dressing and it was SO amazing. Thank you so much for this recipe!
I want to try cashews and water. Can you give exact measurements for cashew and water? Thanks.
It’s 3/4 C water and a few more cashews or 3/4 C of the milk. 🙂 I usually just toss in a few extra nuts. It’s an excellent dressing.
Wow this os the best ranch I have ever tasted!! Thank you so much for creating and posting his recipe. I make it twice a week for my vegan boyfriend. I just double the pepper and parsley. Yummy!
Ranch was the last barrier to transition my children to plant based. They are obsessed with Hidden Valley Ranch and I cringe every time I give it to them. I tried so many different vegan ranch recipes for YEARS and they never liked them. Until NOW! Thank you for this A+ recipe!!! I’m happy to serve it to them and love it myself!!!! Have to keep doubling the recipe because we run out so fast!
Thanks Kristen, that makes my day! 🙂