Pesto Ranch Dressing

This Pesto Ranch Dressing recipe is a rich and creamy dressing that you’ll want to make on repeat. It’s a tasty blend of sour cream, mayo, buttermilk, basil pesto and seasonings. If you love the flavor of basil pesto, you’ll want to make this creamy pesto ranch salad dressing!

Most of the time we make one of our olive oil base vinaigrette recipes to have for salads during the week, but then there are times that we want to indulge with a rich and creamy salad dressing like this pesto ranch salad dressing. It has an amazing combination of flavors with the garlic, basil, parmesan cheese, sour cream and buttermilk. With those ingredients, what’s not to love!?

Why We Love This Recipe

• Rich and Creamy. This pesto ranch salad dressing is rich and creamy and has an amazing combination of flavors. If you love basil pesto, you’re going to love the flavors in this dressing! 
• Quick and Easy. Making homemade salad dressings from scratch takes just 5 minutes. Buy yourself some new mason jars so you can store your new favorite homemade dressings in them (in the refrigerator of course). 

Creamy Pesto Ranch Dressing Recipe Ingredients

• Sour Cream. Sour cream adds a richness to this dressing. We use full fat.
• Mayonnaise. Use a good real mayonnaise like Best Foods (Hellman’s or Duke’s).
• Buttermilk. This thins the dressing a bit. You can use regular plain whole fat milk if you like.
• Pesto. We use our homemade Basil Pesto, but you can use store-bought pesto if you like.
• Seasoning. We use a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dried chives, salt and black pepper.

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

Variations

• Add more pesto for a more vibrant pesto flavor.
• Taste test and add more garlic or parmesan cheese if you like.

How To Make Pesto Ranch Dressing

1. Make Pesto. Blend basil, garlic, parmesan cheese and extra-virgin olive oil in a food processor or blender. Turning the machine off to scrape down as needed. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
2. Blend Mayo and Seasoning.  Blend the mayonnaise, sour cream and seasoning in a blender until smooth. 
3. Add Buttermilk. Pour in the buttermilk and blend until well incorporated and the consistency is smooth.
4. Add Pesto. Add the pesto and blend. Adjust the taste and add more pesto if you want a more robust pesto flavor.
5. Refrigerate. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to an hour before serving to allow the flavors to blend together. 
6. Store Leftovers. Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, the dressing should last up to 5 days.

How To Make Pesto With Fresh Basil  

1. Mince Garlic. Peel and mince 2 cloves garlic.  
2. Grate Cheese. Finely grate the Parmesan cheese using a fine grater typically used for Parmesan cheese, rather than a box grater.
3. Prep Basil. Remove the thick ends of the stems and discard using only the leaves and finer stems.  Add the basil, garlic and parmesan cheese  to a food processor (or blender if you don’t have a processor) and process until finely chopped.
4. Add Olive Oil. While processor or blender is still running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube. 

Serving Suggestions

Swap out the dressings and use this Pesto Ranch Dressing for any of these salads.

• Fried Chicken Salad 
• Romaine Salad
• Chef Salad
• Everyday Tossed Salad

More Salad Dressing Recipes

• Everyday Creamy Vinaigrette
• Mediterranean Salad Dressing
• Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing
• Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Greek Salad Dressing
• Parmesan Vinaigrette
• Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing
• Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 6 Servings

Pesto Ranch Dressing

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

This Pesto Ranch Dressing recipe is a rich and creamy dressing that you'll want to make on repeat. It's a tasty blend of sour cream, mayo, buttermilk, basil pesto and seasonings. If you love the flavor of basil pesto, you'll want to make this creamy pesto ranch salad dressing!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3-4 tablespoons basil pesto
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

For the Pesto

Toggle ingredient group

• 3/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. For the pesto, Peel and mince 2 cloves garlic.  Finely grate the Parmesan cheese using a fine grater typically used for Parmesan cheese, rather than a box grater. Remove the thick ends of the stems and discard using only the leaves and finer stems.  Add the basil, garlic and parmesan cheese  to a food processor (or blender if you don’t have a processor) and process. While processor or blender is still running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube. Transfer the pesto to an airtight container and set aside.
2. For the dressing, add the mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. You can also whisk the ingredients together in a bowl using a wire whisk, wooden spoon or a fork if you don't want to use a blender. Add in the pesto and blend well. Refrigerate up to 1 hour before serving so the dressing is nice and chilled and the flavors have a chance to blend together. Add more pesto if you want a more robust pesto flavor.
3. Store the dressing in a mason jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, the dressing should last up to 5 days.

Notes

Variations

• Add more pesto for a more vibrant pesto flavor.
• Taste test and add more garlic or parmesan cheese if you like.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 460Total Fat: 45gSaturated Fat: 10gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 602mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 9g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.