Name: Vegan Ranch Dressing Made with Raw Cashews
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup raw cashews; Hot water to soak cashews; 3/4 cup water, plus more as needed; 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh herbs or 2 tablespoons dried – we love any combination of parsley, dill, and chives

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This homemade vegan ranch dressing is thick, creamy, and irresistibly tangy! Made with plant based ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry like cashews, a simple seasoning blend, and fresh herbs. A perfect dip for fries, veggies, pizza, burgers, or as a delicious salad dressing!

Vegan ranch dressing in a small glass jar with a hand dipping a cucumber slice surrounded by fresh cut veggies.

The best vegan ranch dressing

Making the creamiest vegan friendly ranch dressing from scratch is so much easier than you might think! And in my opinion, homemade salad dressing is so much tastier than store bought.

I’ve shared a dairy free ranch dressing on NK before, but it relies on mayo instead of cashews for the creamy base. It’s still an awesome vegan option if you use vegan mayo, but if you’re looking for a recipe made without mayo than this ranch is where it’s at.

Super wholesome and delicious for everything from fresh salads to dipping veggies, plus it’s so simple to make!

Why you’ll love this vegan ranch

It is:

Thick and creamy
Easy to make
Garlicky and full of herbs
Versatile
Eggless + plant based
Whole30 compatible
Savory
The perfect vegan alternative to classic ranch dressing
Absolutely irresistible!

Vegan ranch in a small glass jar with a spoon lifting some of the dressing out to show the creamy texture.

Ingredients and substitutions

What is this vegan ranch made of? All you need to make it is a handful of pantry friendly ingredients. There are a few easy swaps you may want to make that I’ll share below!

Here’s what you need

Raw cashews – They make up the super creamy base for the ranch dressing.
Water – Hot water is used to soak and soften the cashews and a little more is used to blend with all the ranch ingredients.
Vinegar – White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar are my top picks. Lemon juice can also be used in a pinch.
Spices – Dried garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper add the best savory, ranch-y seasoning to the dressing.
Herbs – Fresh or dried herbs both work. I love a mix of dill, parsley, and chives, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand! I provide measurements for both options in the recipe card below.

Can you make this recipe without cashews?

Yes! I have a super similar recipe for dairy free ranch dressing that can be made with vegan mayo – which makes it nut and cashew free.

Do you need to use fresh herbs?

Fresh herbs offer a welcome flavor but they’re not necessary to make a delicious vegan ranch dressing! I’ve made this recipe many times using dried herbs instead, and have included measurements for both in the recipe card below.

How to make vegan ranch dressing: Pouring hot water over raw cashews in a glass bowl.

How to make

Making this dairy free ranch is as easy as soaking raw cashews and blending them until smooth and creamy with herbs and aromatics!

Here’s the step-by-step

Soak cashews. Add cashews to a heat proof bowl and cover with hot water to soak. Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. If you’re short on time you can simmer them on the stove top for 10-15 minutes instead of soaking.
Blend. Add everything but black pepper and herbs to a blender container and blend on high until smooth and no pieces of cashew remain.
Season and serve. Add black pepper and herbs and pulse to combine. Taste and season to taste with more salt if desired, and thin with a little extra water if needed. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator to thicken slightly. Should last for up to 1 week.

Storage

This dressing should last in the refrigerator for up to 1 week in an airtight sealed container. If it separates whisk or blend again to re-combine.

It can be frozen for up to 2 months. If it separates after thawing blend to emulsify.

Serving suggestions

This vegan ranch is the perfect condiment to keep stored in the refrigerator to liven up all sorts of meals! Not only an excellent dressing for salad, it’s also delicious as a dip or plant based spread.

Here’s some ideas to get you started

Use it as salad dressing for a simple green salad or your favorite chopped salad.
As a dipping sauce for cut fresh veggies, sweet potato fries, pizza, buffalo roasted cauliflower, or roasted sweet potatoes.
Drizzled over grain bowls or roasted vegetables.
Spread onto sandwiches or veggie burgers.

Love this salad dressing recipe? Check out these other yummy sauce recipes!

Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
Dairy Free Ranch Dressing (Made with mayo)
Dairy Free Caesar Salad Dressing
Homemade Basil Pesto
Everything Bagel Spiced Ranch
Fast and Easy Romesco Sauce
5 Minute Green Onion Cilantro Sauce

If you enjoyed this recipe we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review the recipe below. It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any changes you made!

Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK! We’re so grateful you’re here.