This Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing is made with cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and herbs (no ranch packet!) for a healthy, high-protein salad dressing or dip that you will want to put on everything.
Jump to:
- What I Love about this Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing
- Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions
- How to Make Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing
- Storage
- Commonly Asked Questions
- Serving Suggestions
- Dietitian Notes
- Recipe Tips
- Try These Other Great Dressings and Sauces
- Did you try this Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing?
- 📖 Recipe
An herby ranch is hard to beat, but the bottled versions can loaded with seed oils, preservatives, and other unhealthy ingredients. This cottage cheese ranch is simple to whip up and is made with real food ingredients for an easy, high-protein dressing and dip that you will want to put on salads, use to dip veggies in, or serve with your favorite chicken dish or pizza.
If you need other great healthy dressing or dip ideas, try this Creamy Avocado Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing, this Creamy Balsamic Dressing, this Thai Peanut Dressing, or this Spicy Tahini Sauce.
What I Love about this Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing
This dressing and dip is the perfect thing to drizzle and dunk all your favorite foods in. Here is why I love it:
- Creamy & Herby - The flavor of this cottage cheese ranch is spot on. The cottage cheese makes it creamy, the Greek yogurt gives it a hint of tanginess that you would usually get from buttermilk, and all the herbs give it the classic ranch flavor that we all love so much.
- Protein Packed - The bulk of this recipe is cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, giving this dressing 3 grams of protein in just 2 tablespoons.
- Low Calorie - You can use this cottage cheese ranch on everything with zero guilt because each serving only contains 48 calories with no unhealthy ingredients.
Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions
Cottage Cheese
For best results, use full fat or 2% cottage cheese. This will give you a creamier dressing. Blending fat free cottage cheese tends to turn out watery.
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is used to give some tanginess to the dressing in place of buttermilk. I used full fat Greek plain yogurt, but you can you use any type. Higher fat dairy products will result in a creamier dressing or dip, but low fat yogurt can be used. You could also use regular plain whole milk yogurt, but the dressing will have slightly less protein.
Olive Oil
I used extra virgin olive oil, but avocado oil can also be used.
Worcestershire Sauce
Be sure to select gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if needed. You could substitute coconut aminos in a pinch to give the dressing that savory, umami element.
Honey
This ingredient is optional and does not make the recipe sweet but balances the tanginess a little. It can be omitted or you can substitute granulated sugar.
Water
When making a veggie dip, I only add about 2 tablespoons of water. For a dressing, I like to add 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup. You can add more or less depending on how thick you want the ranch to be. Use unsweetened almond milk or dairy milk if you want the dressing to be a little bit creamier.
Herbs
Fresh or dried herbs can be used for this recipe. I love using fresh herbs in the summer when they are cheaper and readily available. It adds a lot of brightness to the recipe, but the convenience of dried herbs is hard to beat. You can adjust the herbs to your preferences (specifically the dill, which some people may enjoy slightly less of).
How to Make Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing
Blend Wet Ingredients
- Add cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and honey (if using) to a high-powered blender. Blend until the curds of the cottage cheese are completely smooth, scraping the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Blend in water, milk, or an unsweetened dairy-free milk alternative 1 tablespoon at a time until you achieve the desired consistency. I use 2 tablespoons of liquid for a dip, and 4 tablespoons for a dressing.
Mix in the Herbs and Spices
- Transfer the cottage cheese mixture into a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir together until well incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Storage
Store leftover dressing in a jar or airtight container in the fridge and consume within 1 week. Some light separation may occur, just stir before serving.
Commonly Asked Questions
Usually ranch dressing can be a very high-fat, high-calorie dipping sauce or dressing. It is made with a lot of less-than-healthy ingredients and can sabotage an otherwise nutritious salad. This cottage cheese ranch is a great alternative because it is low calorie, high-protein, and made with healthier ingredients that you can feel good about adding to your foods.
Yes, this cottage cheese ranch dressing is gluten-free, just be sure to select a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce as it can sometimes contain barley malt vinegar.
Serving Suggestions
This ranch dressing is versatile and can be served with a variety of foods. Here are some ideas:
- Use this dressing on salads, like this Cobb Salad.
- Dip these Crispy Gluten-Free Chicken Wings in it.
- Serve it with these Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs or these Wagyu Beef Meatballs for an easy appetizer.
- Drizzle it on this Almond Crusted Chicken Breast for some extra flavor.
- If you are a ranch on pizza person, this makes the perfect tasty way to add some extra protein.
- Pair it with these Healthy Chicken Nuggets.
Dietitian Notes
- This cottage cheese dressing and dip is higher in protein and lower in calories than traditional ranch dressing, with under 50 calories per serving and 3 grams of protein.
- Made with wholesome ingredients, real herbs, and no seed oils, the flavor and nutrition of this dressing is far superior to the bottled varieties.
Recipe Tips
- Using dairy products with fat will help achieve a creamy dressing. If you want a lower fat option, use 2% cottage cheese and low fat Greek yogurt.
- Add water or milk to achieve your desired consistency adding 1 tablespoon at a time. I will add ¼ cup of liquid for dressing and 2 tablespoons for a dip.
Try These Other Great Dressings and Sauces
Looking for other tasty recipes? Here are a few you might like:
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📖 Recipe
Cottage Cheese Dressing and Dip
Equipment
- High-powered blender
- Rubber Spatula
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cottage cheese full fat or 2%
- ½ cup Plain Greek yogurt I used whole milk
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Honey optional
- 2-6 tablespoon Water, milk, or unsweetened milk alternative to thin I use 2 tablespoon for a dip and 4 tablespoon for a dressing
- 1 teaspoon Dried dill or 1 tablespoon fresh minced dill (for less dill flavor, you can reduce to ¾ teaspoon of dried dill)
- ½ teaspoon Dried chives or ½ tablespoon fresh minced chives
- ½ teaspoon Dried parsley or ½ tablespoon fresh minced parsley
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Sea salt
Instructions
- Add cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and honey (if using) to a high-powered blender. Blend until the curds of the cottage cheese are completely smooth, scraping the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Blend in water, milk, or an unsweetened dairy-free milk alternative 1 tablespoon at a time until you achieve the desired consistency. I use 2 tablespoons of liquid for a dip, and 4 tablespoons for a dressing.
- Transfer the cottage cheese mixture into a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir together until well incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
foodbornewellness.com says
Perfect high protein dip!