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    Home » Condiments, Dips, and Sauces » Creamy Vegan BBQ Ranch Dressing

    Creamy Vegan BBQ Ranch Dressing

    Published: May 21, 2022 by Marlena Luna · This post may contain affiliate links. · 40 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Pin SaveSaved!
    A jar of BBQ ranch dressing with a spoon being lifted out and a salad in the background.
    Collage of vegan BBQ ranch in a glass jar and a salad topped with the dressing.

    This vegan BBQ Ranch Dressing is creamy with a smoky BBQ flavor, and it's better than traditional ranch dressing. Enjoy it beyond salads. It's delicious with chips, on burritos, Buddha bowls, wraps, and more.

    A glass jar of BBQ ranch dressing topped with chives.

    I've been making this vegan dressing for years and have yet to find one that compares. The flavors are spot on, making it a great addition to almost any dish that could use a touch of creaminess.

    It's become my favorite dressing because it's simple to whip up. It only takes about 15 minutes to prepare, and just like my vegan ranch dip, it uses cashews instead of mayo, so it's oil-free.

    A spoon being pulled out of BBQ ranch dressing in a glass mason jar.

    Ingredients You'll Need

    With only nine simple ingredients, you'll make the best vegan dressing you've had.

    • Cashews – Use raw, unsalted cashews for the best taste. The cashews should be soaked to soften them for a smooth and creamy dressing. See my "How to Soak Cashews" post for three easy methods.
    • Plant milk – I like almond milk, but any kind (oat, rice, cashew, etc.) will work.
    • BBQ sauce – Brands differ, so it is best to use your favorite BBQ sauce for this recipe.
    • Lemon juice – Use freshly squeezed for the best taste.
    • Fresh chives – They give the dressing an extra pop of flavor and should be added after blending. To substitute, use fresh or dried green onions.
    • Seasonings – Salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, and pepper season this vegan BBQ dressing.

    How To Make Vegan BBQ Ranch Dressing

    1. Add all the ingredients, leaving out the parsley and chives, to a NutriBullet or a powerful blender. Blend it up until it’s smooth and creamy.
    2. Stir in the parsley and chives. Transfer the dressing to a sealed container.
    3. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour before serving. If needed, add more non-dairy milk to achieve your desired consistency.
    A salad with red onion, red beans, and chickpeas drizzled in dressing on a white square plate.

    What else can I use this creamy dressing on?

    The only way to find out how irresistible this dressing is to give it a taste!  After mixing in the parsley and chives, I dare you not to give the spoon a lick.  

    It's that good!

    And it's practically impossible to avoid slathering this stuff on more than just salads!  Liven up tacos, burritos, and tostadas with this healthier dressing.

    It's an amazing sauce!

    A fork with salad.

    How do I make this dressing allergy-friendly? 

    I know, I know......

    You're probably thinking... "This dressing looks irresistible and I want to try it, but I'm allergic to nuts!"

    No problem!

    Just replace the cashews with an equal amount of sunflower seeds or hemp seeds to create an allergy-friendly Creamy Vegan BBQ Ranch Dressing!

    Now it's time to slather it on everything!

    We'd love to hear from you!

    If you enjoyed this vegan recipe, please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card and share your thoughts in the comments below.

    Also, if you snap a photo, share it with us! We love to see your creations!! You can find us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

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    See ya there!

    Recipe

    A jar of vegan bbq ranch dressing.

    Vegan BBQ Ranch Dressing

    prep time: 10 minutes minutes
    total time: 10 minutes minutes
    servings: 3 small salads
    This vegan BBQ Ranch Dressing is creamy with a smoky BBQ flavor. Enjoy it beyond salads. It's delicious on burritos, tacos, Buddha bowls, wraps, and more.
    4.86 stars (42 reviews)
    Print Pin SaveSaved!

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup raw cashews, soaked
    • ½ cup non-dairy milk, or more as needed to thin
    • 2 Tablespoons BBQ sauce of choice
    • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1 Tablespoons fresh chives
    • ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
    • Pepper to taste
    • Optional: cayenne pepper or chipotle powder for some added heat
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    Instructions

    • Soak the cashews using one of the three soaking cashew methods.
    • Then, place all the ingredients, leaving out the parsley and chives, into a NurtiBullet or high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
    • Stir in the parsley and chives once the dressing is fully blended. Transfer it to a jar or lidded container.
    • Chill the dressing in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Give it a good stir before serving and, if needed, mix in more non-dairy milk to achieve your desired thickness.

    Notes

    • Allergy-Friendly Dressing: To create an allergy-friendly Creamy BBQ Ranch Dressing, replace the cashews with an equal amount of sunflower seeds or hemp seeds. If using sunflower seeds, soak and process them per the cashew instructions.
    • When doubling the recipe, start with just ¾ teaspoon of salt and add more if needed after blending. You can also use a bit less plant milk for a thicker dressing.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1small salad | Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 23mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g

    **Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**

    course: Condiments, Salad, Side Dish
    cuisine: American
    author: Marlena Luna
    Did you make this recipe?Please consider Leaving a Review!

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    Comments

      4.86 from 42 votes (41 ratings without comment)

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    1. Dana Wentling

      March 08, 2025 at 9:26 am

      So good! I added a couple shakes of Frontier Co-op Chipotle Smoked Red Jalapeño spice.

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        March 08, 2025 at 4:56 pm

        YUM! I love that you added a little spice to the dressing! Thanks so much for sharing!!

        Reply
    2. Lia

      May 19, 2023 at 1:06 pm

      Absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to use it on my Buddha bowls and wraps.

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        May 21, 2023 at 10:45 am

        Yum, that sounds amazing! Thank you for your wonderful feedback, Lia!

        Reply
    3. Margo Meave

      May 26, 2021 at 8:41 pm

      Thank you for this phenomenal recipe, but instead of daring us to give the spoon a lick, dare us not to....
      The 2nd time I prepared it, I didn’t have chives, nor onion powder. I used some dried onion I had in stock & it came out great, too.

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        May 27, 2021 at 5:46 pm

        Whoops! I just fixed the typo. You're very welcome, Margo!

        Reply
    4. Jennifer Steinbock

      September 14, 2020 at 8:09 pm

      This is amazing stuff! I could put it on anything!

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        September 17, 2020 at 6:16 pm

        Yay!! So glad you love it as much as we do!

        Reply
    5. whitlynmiller

      February 10, 2020 at 10:42 am

      How long will this store in the refridgerator? I would love to make this.

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        February 10, 2020 at 3:03 pm

        It should keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy! :)

        Reply
    6. Nathan

      April 07, 2019 at 3:50 pm

      Going to give this a try here in a bit! I'm used to making vegan ranch with vegan mayo, but like you stated, it's just not that great for you (all that dang canola...) And not to mention using vegan mayo just for ranch gets pricey quick. Excited to give this a try.
      Stumbled here through your tostada recipe. Can't believe I haven't found your site yet! My mind is still being blown by the carrot hot dog recipe. Gonna have to try that soon. I love your ideas for turning the processed store-bought vegan alternatives into purely plant based meals. Can't way to try some soon!

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        April 08, 2019 at 10:02 am

        That's awesome! I'm so glad to have you here Nathan! Enjoy the dressing, it's my absolute favorite! I'm also working on a vegan mayo recipe, no canola of course. So keep an eye out for it! :)

        Reply
        • Nathan

          April 11, 2019 at 4:30 pm

          Perfect! I'm looking forward to it! I have a recipe or two, just haven't had time to try and make it yet. Yours seem relatively simple and straightforward so that's a plus.

          I'll need to make the dressing again. I was a bit impatient and didn't speed soak the cashews long enough (I'll blame our 3 month old for consuming all our time!) Too gritty. Although I will say that this is one of the first times I feel I should've added MORE lemon juice. I usually play it cautious with it, but this time I felt I should've added more. I'm curious to experiment with the recipe too, possibly try and make a "plain" ranch. Thanks again for the recipes!

          Reply
          • Marlena Luna

            April 17, 2019 at 8:55 am

            Yes, i definitely suggest soaking the cashews until they are soft. Also a high speed blender or nutri bullet works best for a creamy, smooth consistency. I hope you give it another try! Enjoy, Nathan! :)

    7. Cynthia

      August 10, 2018 at 3:57 pm

      This stuff is the bomb!

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        August 10, 2018 at 4:53 pm

        Isn't it!? I always have to make a double batch!

        Reply
    8. Karen

      July 10, 2018 at 5:08 pm

      Do you think ground flaxseed would work instead of cashews?

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        July 17, 2018 at 7:50 pm

        I don't think flaxseed would be a good replacement. If you are looking for a nut free option I'd suggest sunflower seeds.

        Reply
    9. Tonya

      June 07, 2018 at 4:02 pm

      This tastes delicious! Thanks so much!!

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        June 09, 2018 at 10:58 am

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it Tonya! :)

        Reply
    10. Mary

      March 05, 2018 at 12:52 pm

      Delicious!

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        March 06, 2018 at 5:33 pm

        Thank you Mary!

        Reply
    11. Emily

      March 01, 2018 at 9:42 am

      Delicious!!!!!’ I’m new to being vegan and this recipe tastes better than ‘normal ranch’ no joke!!! Thank you for sharing !

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        March 01, 2018 at 10:49 pm

        You're so welcome Emily!! I'm glad you loved the dressing! I must agree with you, it IS better than 'normal ranch'! It's honestly my favorite dressing!!

        Reply
    12. Paramdayal

      January 27, 2018 at 5:12 am

      Hello! Thank you for all the wonderful info about this recipe. It look amazing! Can you please be more specific of what bbq sauce you used and the nut milk? Thank you! :-)

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        January 27, 2018 at 12:24 pm

        Hi! I use original Organicville BBQ sauce in this recipe. As for the non-dairy milk I use organic original unsweetened almond milk I purchase from either Aldi's or Sprouts. But, feel free to use your preferred brand of BBQ sauce and non-dairy milk. :)

        Reply
    13. Mariell

      January 24, 2018 at 2:09 pm

      Hi! Where did you get the glass jar? Beautiful!

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        January 24, 2018 at 3:05 pm

        Thank you! I purchased it at Whole Foods a few years ago. They are called quilted jelly jars. They're also availible on amazon. - http://amzn.to/2Du1bjJ (affilate link) :)

        Reply
    14. Salina M

      January 20, 2018 at 5:03 pm

      Hi, I was wondering if the cashews and non dairy milk could be replaced with cashew milk? Thanks

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        January 21, 2018 at 11:40 am

        Hi Salina! Cashew milk can be used in place of the non-dairy milk. However, the cashews can not be replaced, they help thicken the dressing. Without the cashews it would be too thin and runny.

        Reply
      • Tami

        February 17, 2018 at 9:47 am

        I made this can’t even begin to tell you how great this is!!!

        Reply
        • Marlena Luna

          February 17, 2018 at 5:06 pm

          I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the dressing Tami!! :)

          Reply
    15. Tracey

      December 22, 2017 at 7:51 am

      I made this recipe but instead of bbq sauce i used no salt mustard. It was AWESOME!! The rest of the recipe is a good base.

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        December 26, 2017 at 9:12 pm

        Thank you Tracey! The mustard sounds interesting. I think I might have to try it some time! :)

        Reply
    16. Erin

      April 27, 2017 at 6:18 am

      I tweaked the recipe to fit what I had at home and it turned out great! Thank you for a great base recipe for a creamy BBQ ranch!!! It's a keeper! :)

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        April 27, 2017 at 11:23 am

        So happy you enjoyed the dressing, Erin! :)

        Reply
    17. Kay Dee

      March 30, 2017 at 3:50 pm

      I don't salt! Is is good without salt?

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        March 30, 2017 at 4:10 pm

        I haven't tried it without salt, but I'd say give it a try Kay. To replace the salt and create more flavor, I suggest adding a little extra chives and parsley (maybe fresh?) before blending. Then taste the dressing and if needed add a bit more BBQ sauce. :)

        Reply
    18. Jessica

      September 29, 2016 at 4:41 pm

      Looks delicious! How long will it keep in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        September 29, 2016 at 6:30 pm

        The dressing keeps for about 4-5 days in the fridge. :)

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m Marlena the recipe creator behind Where You Get Your Protein! I love spending time in the kitchen cookin’ up delicious vegan comfort foods! Most of the ingredients I use are easy-to-find or pantry staples. Stick around and enjoy some amazing vegan food!

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