The 7 Best Ranch Dressings You Can Buy at the Store

Best Overall

Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

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There’s a reason Hidden Valley is the face of ranch dressing since its beginnings nearly 70 years ago when the company created the condiment—it’s all about what’s inside each bottle. The thick, creamy, slightly tangy taste is what many associate with the taste of ranch. It was my first ranch dressing experience, and I am sure there are others like me out there, too. 

Things like buttermilk, egg yolk, garlic, onion, other herbs, and vinegar make up the ingredients, and while we don’t love that there are other items on the list we can’t pronounce, a little goes a long way and it is gluten-free.

The iconic and versatile flavor pairs wonderfully with chicken nuggets, or, dare we say it, pizza, but also things like a Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese, a Turkey Bacon Ranch Sandwich, a Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole, Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, and more. Hidden Valley knows its flavor is a household favorite, so much so that it also offers ranch seasoning and ranch dip mix packets.

Price at time of publish: $4

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons | Allergens: Contains egg, milk, and soy

Best Buttermilk

Kraft Deluxe Ultimate Ranch Salad Dressing

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Although Kraft’s take on ranch dressing is made with dried buttermilk, it is still the exact consistency that makes it perfect to mix into any salad. But just a little goes a very long way.

What we love most is the added dill in the recipe. Combined with the sweet buttermilk, this gives the ranch the perfect amount of tang. The extra pepper is a plus, too, to mellow out the zest. However, it may not be the ranch for everyone—especially kids or those with sensitive taste buds—as the flavor is elevated in almost every way.

This is a sauce that truly lives up to its "deluxe" name. Kraft's other sauces in this line, like Caesar, Italian, and Garlic & Parmesan, are also bold in flavor. In the end, you would think that a lot of taste means it will cost you more, but luckily that isn't the case here.

Price at time of publish: $4 

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons | Allergens: Contains soy, egg, and milk

Best for Dipping

Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dressing & Dip

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Compared to ranch dressings in bottles made for pouring right over salads, this one comes in a jar or tub. This makes scooping some out or dipping into it super easy—the wide mouths mean long, tall veggies like carrots and celery, or even wider things like broccoli, cauliflower, or chicken wings, dip without a mess. It also makes measuring simple. Small measuring spoons fit with lots of extra room if you are using the ranch for a savory sauce or another recipe. (It is available in a bottle if that is your preferred container, though.)

Lighthouse’s ranch dressing also is thinner than others, meaning you get the right amount of ranch each time instead of a glob. Despite this, it is still smooth and flavorful thanks to buttermilk, egg yolk, sour cream, vinegar, garlic, onion, and a pinch of sugar. It may taste a bit saltier than others, so keep that in mind when building a veggie or dip tray.

Price at time of publish: $3 

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons | Allergens: Contains milk and egg

Best Vegan

Organicville Non-Dairy Ranch Dressing

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Like most non-dairy alternatives to dairy-filled favorites, vegan ranch isn’t a 100 percent copycat for the thick, buttermilk dressing other brands offer. However, innovations in the plant-based world mean there are decent non-dairy options out there.

We love the Organicville Non-Dairy Ranch Dressing for the kick it has and its unique fillings. The ingredients include several found in traditional ranch dressing, like vinegar, oil, onion, garlic, and pepper, but swaps like coconut cream, apple juice, and lemon juice keep it vegan and tangy. It is definitely not as thick as dairy ranch. Because of this, we highly recommend you use it for salads or in wraps or sandwiches, as it coats foods well and won't be as runny mixed in with other things. For anyone who is vegan, dairy-free, or watching their milk intake, it still gets the job done for dipping or dripping.

Price at time of publish: $4 

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons | Allergens: Contains coconut

Best Bacon

Stonewall Kitchen Bacon Ranch Dressing

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Ranch and bacon go together like peanut butter and jelly, and Stonewall Kitchen combines them perfectly into one bottle. The bacon bits in this ranch are very small—which is a good or bad thing depending on your preference. We like the tiny pieces because the dressing doesn’t change the texture or add any crunch to whatever you put it on or dip into it. However, if you prefer larger bacon bits, feel free to add some!

Since it is very flavorful, you don’t need as much of this bacon ranch as you may think. It contains a blend of onion, white vinegar, garlic, buttermilk, cayenne pepper, carrots, and celery and is super flavorful. It is thick—thanks to the use of the whole egg and not just egg yolks—but still coats well. It is slightly more expensive than other bottled options out there but doesn't require any of the added steps of making homemade ranch plus bacon.

Price at time of publish: $9 

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons | Allergens: Contains egg, milk, and soy

Best Chipotle

Briannas Chipotle Ranch Dressing

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Ranch is already an all-purpose dressing, and that is only confirmed by how many flavors are added to the classic recipe. Briannas Chipotle Ranch Dressing combines the buttermilk tanginess of regular ranch with tart apple cider vinegar and spicy chipotle and paprika. Yet, it also has some cane sugar to cut some of the heat. Other ingredients that make up this blend of flavors include apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, onion, and garlic. 

We do miss the egg yolk in this ranch dressing, which usually adds to the thickness. But it clings to whatever food it is used with—wings, veggies, potatoes, roasted corn, mac and cheese, and more—to give it a creamy kick. In addition, Briannas Chipotle Ranch Dressing is still gluten-free and vegetarian, so it can be added to many different plates depending on specific diets. 

Price at time of publish: $5 

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons | Allergens: Contains milk