This Easy and Healthy Vegan Ranch Dressing Recipe is so creamy, has a nut-free option made with sunflower seeds (or made with cashews) and is dairy-free, oil-free, soy-free and gluten-free! Just 8 easy ingredients.
HEALTHY VEGAN RANCH DRESSING
I’ve had several people ask me to come up with a healthy nut-free vegan ranch dressing recipe that is as delicious and authentic tasting as this vegan Caesar dressing and this vegan thousand island dressing. Well, today is your lucky day….and guess what, it is oil-free, soy-free AND has a nut-free option! Many vegan ranch recipes call for mayo, which makes them a lot less healthy.
I think most vegan recipes contain soy and/or nuts and I know a lot of people avoid or can’t have those, so I wanted to come up with a version that didn’t use either. So you can follow either the cashews or sunflower seeds version.
Most dressing bases are ridiculously high in oil, which is not healthy, no matter what oil it is. The calorie content is sky high and oil is nothing more than straight liquid fat. 1 tablespoon is 14 g of fat and most recipes call for 1/2 cup or more. I like my dressing bases to contain fats/calories from whole foods like nuts or seeds, so my body is processing the whole food, and not just absorbing straight oil. Both my husband and I feel so much better by cutting out excessive oils. It works for us.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- Sunflower seeds: Or you can use cashews if not allergic, both are delicious! The nut-free vegan ranch is just as delicious with raw sunflower seeds.
- Non-dairy milk: A creamy milk is highly recommended. I use canned lite coconut milk because it is so creamy and leaves no coconut taste.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Celery seed
- Dill
- Dry mustard
HOW TO MAKE NUT-FREE HEALTHY VEGAN RANCH
Step 1: Add all of the ingredients to a high-powered blender (I use my Vitamix) and blend until completely smooth and creamy.
Step 2: Chill in the fridge.
USE AS A DIP FOR VEGGIES OR A POTATO SALAD
This ranch is SO easy to make. I’ve even shown how to make it as a dip or it is awesome as a potato salad.
I really hope you love this Easy Healthy Nut-free Vegan Ranch Dressing Recipe and Potato Salad!
MORE HEALTHY VEGAN SALAD DRESSINGS
- Best Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Oil-free Creamy Italian Dressing
- Almond Butter Dressing
- Best Vegan Caesar Dressing
- Oil-free Tahini Goddess Dressing
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Healthy Vegan Ranch Dressing (Oil-free, No Mayo!)
Ingredients
POTATO SALAD
- 5 heaping cups chopped red potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces (740g, which is about 6 medium potatoes)
RANCH DRESSING
- 1/2 cup (80g) raw, unsalted cashews (OR for NUT-FREE, use 70g raw unsalted sunflower kernels. Keep in mind the sunflower has a stronger taste!)
- 3/4-1 cup low fat canned coconut milk (if you are allergic to coconut as well, then you can sub with soy milk)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder (depending on how strong you like it)
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill (plus extra for garnish)
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard spice
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- I use this scale.
NOTE
- This dressing is delicious right away, but I recommend making it the day before you want to eat it, as It will thicken much more overnight in the fridge. It will taste so much like traditional this way. If making it with the sunflower seeds, remember they have a stronger taste than cashews do, so keep that in mind.
Instructions
- This recipe works well to prepare early in the day or the day before, so everything is chilled well and the dressing has thickened, upon serving. First, roast the potatoes. Preheat an oven to 415F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper, so they don’t stick. Chop the potatoes into about 1/2 inch pieces. Spread out evenly on the pan and salt generously and bake for 25-30 minutes until very golden brown.
- If you do not have a high-powered blender, then you must soak the cashews for 8 hours or overnight, then drain and proceed. Otherwise, your dressing will be gritty.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. Add all of the ingredients to a high powered blender, such as a Vitamix, starting out with JUST 3/4 cup milk process until very smooth and creamy on high. If using canned coconut milk, make sure you have shaken the can really well first. Scrape the sides a couple of times and blend again for a good couple of minutes so it gets really smooth and thickens. The dressing will be fairly thin, but will thicken well in the fridge. Add more milk if you want it thinner.
- Pour into a container and chill in the fridge for an hour or two to marinate, so it gets cold and thickens further. The flavor really is best after it chills and marinates (even better overnight!).
- If making the potato salad, toss the potatoes with as much dressing as you like and chill for several hours for the dressing to absorb into the potatoes. When ready to serve, taste and add any more salt/pepper if needed. I like to add extra dill and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
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This dressing is so delish and creamy! I just made my first batch and used cashews because I didn’t have sunflower seeds in the house. Mixed up with plain soy milk (Trader Joe’s Organic unflavored) it turned out SO creamy straight from the blender. I did add a pinch more salt, only because I’m a bit of salt fiend. This is going to be a regular in this household!! YUM! Thank you so much, Brandi! I love every recipe of yours I’ve tried so far. You’re helping make me a rock star in the kitchen! lol
Awww this made my day Victoria! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback! It really made me smile! So glad you liked it and it will be even more creamy tomorrow after it sits in the fridge overnight! Thanks again 🙂
This tastes so fantastic! I knew it was going to be flavorful by just smelling everything in the blender before I whizzed it up. My 2-year old and 5-year old tasted it with a spoon right out of the blender and wanted more.
I doubled the recipe so I can use some for potato salad and the leftovers as a dip for raw veggies for the kids lunch. I didn’t have ground celery seed, but the whole celery seed worked just fine! I went with the low-fat coconut milk, cut the salt in half and used the full amount of garlic powder…so tasty 🙂
Your recipes NEVER FAIL!!! I love your simplicity in ingredients yet everything is boosted in flavor.
Thank you so very much Desiree for such kind feedback, I really appreciate it! I’m so happy to hear you loved this and that your kids did too, that is wonderful to hear! I use the coconut milk too, my favorite!
We tried this and loved it. Thanks for the recipe! Next time I will make double. 🙂
So wonderful to hear that Dianna! Thank you so much for the feedback!
This recipe looks wonderful. I’m wondering if the vinegar can be substituted for something else? But not lemon juice. I know the vinegar or citrus is what makes the tang in ranch, but my best friend needs a soy-free, vinegar-free, citrus-free, ranch style salad dressing.
Hi Kimberly! Wow, no vinegar or citrus? Well, to be honest, it’s not going to taste right without one of those. You could have a creamy sauce, but it’s not going to taste much like ranch. There isn’t really a sub if she can’t have either. You could try maybe a little yogurt for tang, but that is a big guess as I don’t do yogurt and it’s not nearly as acidic as lemon or vinegar.
Yeah, she has to avoid all acids for now. No tomatoes, among other things, too.
So sorry, I would just eliminate it then. It will be a creamy sauce, but the taste will suffer some because of a lack of acidity, which will make the nut flavor stand out more, so I honestly not sure of how it would taste.
OMG. Simply AMAZING, Brandi! I used cashews and you’re right….so creamy! Definitely using this recipe for ranch dressing now. So flavorful!
And I love how the potatoes came out being cut a little smaller than what I normally do for potato salad. And the roasting of them gives them an awesome texture!
In addition to the dressing I threw in a bunch of fresh herbs (lovage, basil, thyme, parsley) from my garden. It was to die for! Going into my “All Stars” file!!
You’re a genius.
Wonderful Lauren! I’m so happy to hear you loved this ranch dressing so much! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback!
After reading all the comments, I am a bit confused. I want to sub out 1/2 of the lite coconut milk for something else to cut out some of the fat. Should I sub with 1/2….almond milk, water, soy milk or ???
Also, is the consensus for cashews or sunflower kernels. Would chia seeds soaked in water work too? Thanks for any help you can throw my way before I make this.
Sub it with almond or soy, whatever you prefer. Soy is creamier I believe, so that would be better. No, I would not suggest chia seeds. Either cashews or sunflower kernels work but cashews make it creamier and taste better, the sunflower option is for those who are allergic to nuts basically. Hope that helps!
Hi, I made this recipe and after putting it in the fridge it became to thick. I added almond milk to it and it was good for the time being but after being in the fridge it thickened up again. Should I just use less cashews net time? But for the record I love it!!
Hi Jessica! Yes, that is the nature of cashews, they will always thicken in the fridge, to where it becomes like a dip. You can leave it to sit out at room temp if you like and it will reduce it’s thickness some. Or, just add more milk or water to thin it a bit.
No need to soak the cashews beforehand? I would hug you if you were here. And if I knew you.
True story: 3 times now I’ve intended to make some sort of vegan creamy concoction using cashews that had to be soaked overnight. 3 times I have not gotten around to making the concoction, and ended up with a science experiment on my counter…
Hi Leslie! No need to soak them if you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix! I never, ever soak my cashews for any of my dressings or sauce recipes. If you have a standard blender, then soak overnight up to 12 hours, drain and rinse and then proceed with the recipe, blending and scraping until completely smooth. Let me know if you try it!
I’m new to eating dairy-free, so I am super excited to try this out! Quick question though, how long do you expect this dressing to keep in the fridge. Not really expecting leftovers, but I always like to label my food or my husband will end up eating it months after it should’ve been used up. Or do you think it would be freeze-able if I made a super huge batch?
Hi Amy! This should last a good week in the fridge! I’ve never tried freezing it. I think it would work, but just thaw it in the fridge for a day or two after freezing.
Great recipe but mine turned out kind of tan colored – not white like yours. I used cashews and blended the dill in with the rest of the ingredients in the Vitamix. Should I just stir in the dill?
Thanks for all you do!
So glad you liked it Deanna! Did you by chance use roasted cashews and not raw? Because that would make it a darker color. I make this weekly and it’s always white like in the photos and I’ve never heard of this happening with another reader. I always blend the dill and it is just fine and still white. The only reasoning would be the cashews.
Made this last night in a wide-mouth Mason jar using an immersion blender, not as smooth as a Vitamix would produce, but still excellent and less cleanup. First time making an oil-free dressing and it won’t be the last. We’ll be carrying the potato salad for a picnic today on our scooters. Yay!
So wonderful to hear you loved it Vicky, thank you!
Just made this. It’s so delicious. I didn’t feel like going to the store for onion powder, celery seed or dill, so I used Spike instead. So easy!!
Yay! So very glad to hear you loved it so much Alesia, thank you!!
I’m anxious to try this! Do you think it would work to substitute white beans for the cashews?
Hi Lori! I really don’t recommend white beans for this. It will greatly affect the quality of taste and texture. I know some people like to do subs with white beans for cashews, but in my opinion, especially in dressings, it doesn’t compare well to the cashews.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I haven’t been able to bring myself to eat raw veggies since going plant based because I missed dipping them in ranch. Not any more!
Made mine in a food processor and it was a bit gritty. Was I just impatient and should have given it more time or do I truly need a high powered blender like a Vitamix? Great flavor, but with the grit, little bit of a weird feel …
Hi Lauri, yes, that’s why I recommend a high-powered blender in step 1, or you must soak the cashews for 8 hours or overnight, then drain and proceed and use a blender then. Otherwise, your dressing will be gritty. A food processor unfortunately will not get it creamy, UNLESS, you soak them first for at least 12 hours to make them super soft. I make homemade cream cheese in my food processor and it gets super smooth, but the soaking a minimum of 12 hours is crucial. So, you could try that instead. You will also have to let it run several minutes, scrape the sides and run again and it should get totally smooth.
Also, I have a newer Ranch that is even better, so I’d actually suggest this one instead. Readers are absolutely loving it!
https://thevegan8.com/2018/01/04/best-vegan-ranch-dressing/
Made your ranch dressing with soaked cashews and it turned out fabulous! If I sub sunflower seeds, do I soak them too? I made mine with coconut milk but it’s ok to sub with soy or almond milk, right? Probably just turns out less creamy? Thank you for all your great recipes!
Hi Sherri! So wonderful to hear that! No, you don’t need to soak the sunflower seeds unless your blender isn’t powerful. Yes, soy should be ok, as well as almond milk but you are correct, it will be much thinner, less creamy!
I just KNEW this wld be a Pinterest fail, but I cldnt resist trying b/c potatoes and ranch are my favorite!. I WAS WRONG!! Nothing abt this is a fail! Great great recipie great share!! Thank you!!! ,😋😋😋😋
That is so awesome to hear Natina! So happy you loved it!!
So many of your wonderful recipes call for cashews, but I do not have a really good blender and my food processor does not seem to do the trick. Would it work to use raw cashew butter in this awesome looking vegan dressing recipe?
Hi Heather! Yes, absolutely! You can pretty much use raw cashew butter (one without added oil or sugar/salt) to any recipe calling for cashews for the same weight amount and it will work 🙂
I’m scared to oven roast the potatoes because I always steam or boil mine. Does it make the salad better?
I’m a little scared to try oven roasting the potatoes because I always steam or boil mine. Does it make the salad better?
Hi Demetria! Just follow the directions on how to roast them. Super easy! It works perfectly and gives more flavor that way. Many readers make and love the recipe.
Amazing! You did it again 😁I LOVE this ranch dressing. I need to order your book!
Awesome Penny, so glad you love it!
Hi Brandi,
I was wondering how long this will keep in the fridge 😊
Hi Penny, it’s good for a solid week!