Ranch Dressing

Michael Eisenwasser

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A creamy, herby ranch dressing made with lactose-free buttermilk and mayo, with fresh chives and dill instead of the usual onion and garlic powder packet.

Prep 10 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 8

Gluten-freeVegetarian

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (120 g) mayonnaise (check label — standard mayo is fine; avoid any with added garlic, onion powder, or HFCS)
• 1/3 cup (80 g) lactose-free sour cream (or plain lactose-free Greek yogurt)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) lactose-free buttermilk, plus more to thin
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives (or green tops of scallions only, no white bulb)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil (optional, for a stronger garlic note)

Instructions

Whisk the base

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, lactose-free sour cream, and lactose-free buttermilk together until smooth.
2. Add the lemon juice, mustard powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic-infused oil if using. Whisk again until no streaks remain.

Fold in the herbs

1. Stir in the chives, dill, and parsley until evenly distributed.
2. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice.
3. For a thinner, pourable dressing, whisk in more lactose-free buttermilk a tablespoon at a time. For a dip, leave it thick.

Rest

1. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving — the herbs need a little time to bloom into the base.
2. Whisk again before serving in case it separates slightly.

Tips & Substitutions

• No lactose-free buttermilk on hand? Make your own by stirring 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar into 1/4 cup of lactose-free milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it looks curdled, then use as directed.
• Skip the ranch packet. Most supermarket ranch seasoning mixes rely on onion powder and garlic powder, both concentrated fructans that are easy to exceed the low-FODMAP threshold on. Fresh chives plus mustard powder and paprika carry the same savory flavor.
• Green tops of scallions in place of chives. If you can't find chives, the green tops of spring onions are low-FODMAP in generous amounts. Chop finely and use the same quantity — just avoid the white bulb, which is high in fructans.
• Use Greek yogurt for a tangier dip. Swap the lactose-free sour cream for plain lactose-free Greek yogurt if you want a thicker, more tangy dressing — especially good as a dip for vegetables or wings.
• Dried herbs in a pinch. Use 1 teaspoon dried dill and 1 teaspoon dried parsley if you don't have fresh. Dried chives are weaker — double the amount and let the dressing rest for at least an hour.
• Add a pinch of asafoetida bloomed in the garlic-infused oil for a sharper, more allium-forward bite. Check the label for wheat if you're gluten-free.

Why This Works

The ranch packet is the trap. Hidden Valley and most supermarket ranch seasoning mixes are built on onion powder and garlic powder, which are concentrated fructans. The amounts in a typical packet are easy to exceed and are a common trigger during elimination. Fresh chives, dill, parsley, mustard powder, and paprika rebuild the same flavor profile without the packet.

Chives and scallion greens over onion powder. Chives are low-FODMAP in generous amounts, and the green tops of spring onions (scallions) are tested as low in large servings too. Only the white bulb of scallions is high in fructans. Swapping onion powder for a tablespoon or two of chopped chives gives you the same oniony top note without the concentrated fructan load.

Lactose-free dairy across the board. Standard buttermilk and sour cream are both high in lactose per typical serve. Lactose-free buttermilk, sour cream, and Greek yogurt use the same starter cultures but have the lactose enzymatically broken down, so they're low-FODMAP at normal serving sizes. Brands like Green Valley Creamery (US) and Liddells (AU) cover all three.

Mayonnaise is fine. Standard mayonnaise is eggs, oil, vinegar, and usually a little sugar or mustard — all low-FODMAP. The two things to check on the label: avoid anything with added garlic, onion, or onion powder (common in "garlic aioli" mayos and some European brands), and avoid mayos that use high-fructose corn syrup as the primary sweetener. Hellmann's/Best Foods regular, Duke's, and Kewpie are all safe picks.

Storage

Refrigerate in a sealed jar for up to 5 days. The flavor actually improves after the first few hours as the herbs infuse the base. It will thicken in the fridge — whisk in a tablespoon of lactose-free buttermilk or milk to loosen before serving. Don't freeze; the mayo and dairy base will break on thaw.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.