Creamy Avocado Ranch (Paleo + Vegan + Whole30)

Creamy Avocado Ranch – This avocado ranch dressing recipe is everything I love about ranch dressing and avocados combined! It’s an awesome dip for veggies, addition to tacos, or topping for salads. We love it! (Paleo, Vegan + Whole30 Friendly!) 

If you’re a medium-to-longtime reader, you probably already know that I LOVE avocados. L-O-V-E. They are my love language and one of the fastest ways to my heart. I’ll put them in or on just about anything I can!

Today, I’m giving one of my favorite avocado-centric recipes a much-needed facelift so you can fall in love with it as much as I have. I’m talking about AVOCADO RANCH!

Avocado ranch dressing is a kitchen POWERHOUSE, and it’s probably my desert island condiment. If I could only choose one dip to have forever it would probably be this one. Why?

• It’s versatile! You can serve this on SO MANY yummy things.
• It’s easy! (We’re talking 5 minutes or less + a blender or food processor does the work for you!)
• It’s kid-friendly! My kids, my friends’ kids, and several nieces and nephews have all flipped for this recipe. (Who doesn’t love ranch!?)
• It’s delicious. It tastes like everything you’d dream it would–bright, fresh, tangy, creamy, savory, delicious!

It only takes a few ingredients to get started, and then I’ll walk you through a TON of delicious ways to enjoy it.

Let’s get started on our avocado ranch recipe!

HERE’S WHAT GOES INTO OUR AVOCADO RANCH RECIPE:

A RIPE AVOCADO. A ripe avocado is the base for avocado ranch. I love starting my recipe with nutrient-dense avocados! Loaded with healthy fats and a wide array of vitamins and minerals, avocados are a staple for me. Don’t worry if your avocado has a few bumps and bruises, since it’ll get blended into other ingredients. (PS – Here are a few tips for picking a ripe avocado)

MAYONNAISE OR VEGENAISE (OR PLAIN YOGURT). Next, I add more creaminess to the recipe by adding a little mayonnaise or vegenaise (egg-free vegan mayonnaise). It’ll help keep the avocado ranch from browning too quickly and adds a bit of the traditional flavor you’re looking for from the ranch component. If you’re not into mayo or vegenaise, you can use a bit of plain yogurt instead. It’ll be a bit more tangy, but will get the job done!

A LITTLE (DAIRY-FREE) MILK TO THIN THINGS OUT. To thin the ranch out a bit, you’ll need a bit of whatever milk you drink, whether that’s dairy or non-dairy. We most often use unsweetened almond or cashew milk, but we’ve also used water plenty of times!

FRESH LIME JUICE. Lime juice does double-duty in our avocado ranch. For one thing, the natural acidity helps prevent the avocado from browning in the ranch. In addition, that bright, fresh lime flavor acts as our brightness, giving the dressing a bit of tang so it doesn’t fall flat.

CILANTRO + DILL. It wouldn’t be ranch without a few herbs, I love a combination of fresh cilantro and dill for my avocado ranch dressing. It’s what really ties in the avocado + ranch dressing flavors. You’ll get the best flavor from fresh herbs, but dried dill also works in a pinch (see the FAQ below for more details!).

A FEW SIMPLE SEASONINGS. To finish things off and really tie our flavors together, you’ll add a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Don’t be shy about adding enough salt to the recipe. If your ranch is tasting a bit flat, it most likely needs a bit more salt!

WHAT TO SERVE WITH AVOCADO RANCH:

Honestly, this avocado ranch goes with so many things I could spend the rest of the afternoon listing them, but here’s a short list of our faves:

1. FRESH VEGGIES. Ranch and veggies is a classic pairing, and always gets us eating more veggies than we would otherwise. SO good!
2. CHIPS. Yep, I said it. Salty potato chips or crispy tortilla chips LOVE this avocado ranch.
3. SALADS. Cobb salads, big dinner salads, or simple side salads go great with this dressing!
4. CHICKEN ZUCCHINI POPPERS. I’ve used this as a dip for my Chicken Zucchini Poppers recipe countless times. It’s delicious!
5. TACO SALADS. Thin the dressing out a bit and drizzle over your favorite taco salad. Try it with carnitas, salsa verde chicken, beef barbacoa, or veggie-style!
6. BURRITO BOWLS. Dollop or drizzle a little of this ranch on a fully-loaded burrito bowl. Try one of the meat or veggie options above or dig into these chipotle sweet potato burrito bowls!
7. SWEET POTATO FRIES. Speaking of sweet potatoes…crispy, salty, caramelized roasted sweet potato wedges or sweet potato fries are INCREDIBLE with our avocado ranch!
8. CHICKEN TAQUITOS. We love dipping our Baked Chicken Taquitos into this creamy avocado ranch. It’s such a tasty combo!
9. BURGERS. We’ve dolloped this ranch on chicken burgers many times. It’s LOVELY!
10. WRAP SANDWICHES. Or add a layer of avocado ranch to a big wrap sandwich. It’s great with veggies, turkey, lettuce, etc.!

FAQ + TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE BEST AVOCADO RANCH DRESSING:

VEGAN + PALEO + WHOLE30 NOTES. This avocado ranch recipe can be vegan, paleo, whole30 or anywhere in between, depending on what mayonnaise you use. For Paleo or Whole30, you’ll want to be sure to use paleo-friendly mayo (made without things like canola or soy), such as Primal Kitchen brand. If you’re vegan or egg-free, you’ll want to opt for vegenaise, such as Sir Kensington’s.

CAN I USE SOMETHING BESIDES MAYO? Sure! If mayonnaise or vegenaise isn’t your jam, feel free to use plain yogurt instead. It’ll be a bit thicker and tangier, but will totally work.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE. You can make this in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender. You’ll just want something that can blend to a nice, creamy texture.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO STORE AVOCADO RANCH? As with other avocado dips and sauces (like guacamole or avocado salsa), you want to minimize air exposure so the ranch doesn’t turn brown (oxidize). I suggest storing avocado ranch in an airtight container with a small piece of plastic wrap or beeswax wrap pressed down onto the surface, and then putting a lid on the container.

HOW LONG DOES AVOCADO RANCH STAY FRESH? If you’ve stored it as I suggest above, your avocado ranch will last at least 3-4 days in the refrigerator!

MORE DIPS, DRESSINGS & SAUCES TO LOVE:

• The BEST Paleo Mayo + Ranch
• Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
• Fresh Pico de Gallo
• Paleo + Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Fresh Mango Salsa
• Gluten-Free + Paleo Teriyaki Sauce
• My Ultimate Guide to Guacamole

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