Mayo Saver Creamy Ranch Dressing
Unquestionably, the recipe that gets the most traffic on this site would be my Foolproof Paleo Mayo. Kind of ironic isn’t it, seeing as how it’s not even a recipe per se… Does that say anything about my cooking skills? Should I perhaps take a hint?
Seriously, if you’ve never made that mayonnaise, trust me, you have to give it a try. It’s the easiest, coolest mayonnaise recipe formula ever! In fact, it’s so easy to make, even a child could do it, blindfolded.
Every now and then, though, someone will leave a comment on the post, telling me that the technique didn’t work for them. It always pains me to hear that and really wish I could come up with a quick fix, but I could never really figure out what would cause it to fail.
Try as I might, I’ve never once had this recipe let me down. Truth is, I don’t even measure my ingredients anymore. I just throw my egg in the jar, followed by a bit of Dijon, some lime juice or vinegar, one or two cloves of garlic, a dash of salt and pepper, whatever seasonings I want to add, pour about a cup of oil over all that, stick that blender right in, press the button and BOOM, instant mayo!
Other than using the wrong equipment or ratios of liquid to oil that would be way out of whack, I can’t possibly think of anything that would make this recipe not work.
HOWEVER! I recently failed at making Hollandaise sauce which I’d made in a very similar fashion, using a stick blender. Not wanting to throw it out, I decided to turn it into a dressing. That’s when it hit me. I had to come up with a recipe to prevent all those failed mayos from ending up in the trash.
Enter: Creamy Ranch Dressing!
So, say you attempted to make mayonnaise but despite your best efforts, it simply refused to cooperate with you. You’re now stuck with a jar full of something that looks like thick, opaque, slightly flavored but not necessarily appealing oil.
Do not despair my friend, all is not lost. While you may not end up with the unctuous mayonnaise that you were dreaming about, at least, you’ll get to console yourself with a deliciously creamy Ranch Dressing that’s a million times better than anything you could ever get at the store. All you need to do is add a bunch of carefully selected aromatics to your failed mayo, stick that blender in that jar one more time, give it a good spin until everything is broken down and well combined and you’re all done!
Now you can try your hand at making mayo again…
Oh, and hey, you don’t need to have failed at making mayo to whip up a batch of Creamy Ranch Dressing you know. You can very well make it from scratch, too.
I’ve got you all covered!
Mayo Saver Creamy Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup extra light tasting olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
OR
- 1 paleo mayo recipe gone wrong
ADD
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons sliced green olives
- 1 tablespoon olive brine
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated onions
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated chives
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chili flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a tall and narrow glass jar that's barely wide enough to accomodate the head of your immersion blender. A 500ml (1 pint) wide mouth Mason type jar works wonders for this.
- Stick your immersion blender all the way down that jar, then press the power button and slowly lift the blender, move it around and up and down until your dressing is fully emulsified and turns a beautiful shade of creamy white.
- Drizzle liberally over your favorite salad.
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
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80 Comments on “Mayo Saver Creamy Ranch Dressing”
Lol… I’ve never had my mayonnaise fail on me either but I would make it fail now, just so I can make this dressing…:)
Great idea anyway; we’re doing our third whole30 at the moment (and a lot better than our second one I might a add) and I always like to come here for some fab recipe inspiration!!
Ah, but no need to fail at making mayonnaise, Simone, just make the recipe from scratch without even trying to make mayo. I couldn’t even fail at making it if I wanted to and it looks like it’s the same for you…
Congrats on taking the Whole30 challenge one more time. Glad to be an inspiration, and good luck to you. You can do this. Remember… it’s only food! 🙂
I am an octogenarian and have just made your stick mayo fantastic and after years of failure and buying can now give grandchildren proper food where can I get your cookbook from
YAY! So happy to hear, Steph! My cookbook is not available in stores yet, but will be as of September 29. However, you can pre-order your copy to make sure you get it as soon as it comes out. You can get all the details here: http://bit.ly/1zK2oji and pre-order on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/1zT2S78. Thanks for your interest in my work! 😀
How much mayo do you use to make the ranch dressing if you haven’t failed on making the mayo. I love the thought of avocado ranch as one of your followers suggested.
If you haven’t failed the mayo, just use the 1 cup of oil and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, as per the recipe.
I have never had the mayo recipe fail for me at home, but when I went to my mother’s house and tried to make it for her it did fail and it astounded me – I have made it at least 50 times without a single fail. We ended up throwing it out, I would have loved this recipe then!
This looks great, I will definitely be making it soon. How long will it last in the fridge?
LOL, that is too funny Suzanne! Did you ever figure out why it failed? What did you do differently that one time?
And I would say you can keep this dressing for a fairly long time if no raw egg was added to it… if there’s raw egg in it, then my general rule is no longer than 2 weeks.
Is olive brine the juice in the jar from the green olives? Can’t wait to try this recipe.
That is correct, Lesley! Hope the dressing is to your liking. 😀
This sounds great! I often make creamy sauces/dips/dressing with a almond-cream base, love that this is nut free. Definitely taking mental note!
Brilliant and delicious recipe. I’m dipping a carrot in it right now! And brilliant to link to it from your mayo recipe because I did have a fail : ( But that’s a worry for another day…chomp, chomp!
Nothing better than turning fail into success! 🙂 Glad it worked out for you. Hopefully, your next attempt at making mayo will succeed! It’s just so flippin’ fun! 🙂
I found that my immersion blender creates a really strong suction bond to the bottom of the container. It really takes a lot of strength and finesse to get it off the bottom without having it fly up. Is that a ‘thing’ with immersion blenders or just my particular model?
Just tilt it to the side a little bit, this should break the suction and make it a lot easier to lift without making a mess!
Hey, Sonia! Had my first mayo fail today and found this awesome way to turn my frown upside down…so happy I tried your recipe! I had a large, very ripe avocado that I needed to use – stuck it in the mixture before using the blender and added about a tablespoon more fresh lemon juice and blended as instructed. Voila! Creamy avocado ranch salad dressing. My sister and our neighbor RAVED over this delish dressing! Now, I will never buy another jar of mayo OR another bottle of salad dressing again…all because of you. Thank you, thank you! 🙂
Awww, thank you, thank you, thank YOU, Dawn! This makes me so happy. And I love the sound of that creamy avocado ranch dressing. Sounds like something I’d want to eat by the spoonful. Forget the salad, just give me the dressing! 😉
Am I understanding this right? I can make the ranch dressing without the egg? I don’t like mayo so would rather not attempt to make that first
You are understanding this perfectly right, Tiffany. You can make the ranch dressing without adding an egg, and without failing at making mayo first! 🙂
I have found that the immersion blender trick can fail for three reasons 1) moving the blender up and down too fast and too soon breaks those lovely little emulsion globules you just made, so moving slowly and your 20 second rule is pretty crucial, 2) Blend it too long and you’re toast for the same reason…stop while you’re ahead and quit when it looks like mayo, and 3) Room temperature ingredients, including that egg. I don’t get the science behind that part, I just know that if I don’t do it, big fail.
Just my experience….we make a lot of mayo in our house!
Funny, I always use eggs that come straight out of the fridge and never had this recipe fail on me yet… and I make at least one batch per week. I’ve also blended it for a fairly long time and even re-blended it after it was completely emulsified because I wanted to add more goodies to it (like capers or salted herbs or garlic). Again, no failures. Maybe I’m just lucky! 🙂
I totally agree with having to leave the stick blender at the bottom of the jar until the emulsion is really fully happening, though. That part I would never mess with! Plus, it’s just so much fun to watch…
This looks great! I’ve been looking for both a homemade mayo and a ranch recipe. Can’t wait to try it. What emulsifies the ranch if not egg?
Oil and water, Mary! Hope the mayo and dressing are to your liking if you end up giving them a try (which really, you should!!) 🙂
What do you mean “failed mayonnaise”?? I haven’t failed a single batch since I make it your way with the stick blender!!! ♥
HAHA! I’m the same. I’m almost TRYING to fail sometimes, but I haven’t succeeded at failing yet… not a single time!
I need someone who can make mayonnaise with a 8 month shelf life
I had a mayo fail- I couldn’t believe it! It took 2 seconds for me to realize what I did. If you want to fail just use 1/4 c of oil instead of 1c of oil (I think I just misread the 1/4 t of salt and BAM!, it was a soupy mayo fail that worked beautifully for this ranch.
HA! Glad to hear you managed to save your mayo by turning it into ranch dressing, Chelsea. However, I’m pretty sure that adding the missing oil to your soupy mess would’ve done the trick. I never measure my ingredients anymore when making mayo and sometimes, when I find it to be a tad too runny for my taste, I add a little bit more oil and it thickens it right up. I’m telling you, the stick blender technique is extremely forgiving! 🙂
II used 100% Avocado Oil and blended it in a Magic Bullet….. which one do you think caused the fail? It is VERY watery……..
The magic bullet. You MUST use a stick blender for this to work.
I failed the mayo recipe a couple times and subsequently realized that it was because I did not follow your directions and I was impatient! do not move the blender for a full 20 seconds. If I keep the blender at the bottom for a full 20 seconds, it works. If failed when I started to lift the blender as soon as the magic started to happen and i think the failure is in leaving the yolk behind at the bottom.
Love this mayo and the fact that it’s all natural!
Thank you!
Thanks for that, Scamp! Great point! 🙂
This is so amazing! I didn’t even have the dried chives and onion, and left out the olives and it is still addictive! I love the idea of blending in some avocado. We are new to Paleo, and my first mayo failed so this was a great save. I am going to use it as is with some chicken my husband smoked yesterday and make chicken salad. I’m not sure if the Dijon is true Paleo, but it’s Day 1 and we are retraining our taste buds so I’m not stressing it. I will probably use ground mustard in the future, but for now, I am thrilled to get our new eating style off to a yummy start. Thank you!
Ah, but there’s nothing wrong with Dijon mustard, Anara. What makes you think that it wouldn’t be Paleo friendly? Just make sure you read your labels carefully, as some brands contain unwanted ingredients, but most are perfectly okay. That said, I’m really happy to hear that you enjoyed this salad dressing and hope that you have tons of fun discovering the Paleo lifestyle. Be sure to come back for more inspiration! 🙂
my dressing did not turn out creamy. what did I do wrong? I forgot to add the vinegar until I blended it for 10 seconds-was that the problem?
Well, the vinegar is a key ingredient in the emulsification process, Janice, so that could very well be…
ok thanks I will make sure I don’t forget the vinegar next time!
-I love your mayo recipe & I don’t think I will ever buy mayo in the store again. I love the idea of making it in its own pint size mason jar! Thank you for sharing this great recipe !!
I don’t usually eat things with mayo, because I don’t like mayo. But I made this recipe for my daughter and I am now a LOVER of Mayo….it is delish. We are making the ranch drsg tomorrow, can’t wait to try it. Thanks for you wonderful recipes.
Good to hear, Theresa. Glad to have made you a believer! Good mayo really is awesome. Hope you like the ranch dressing just as much! 🙂
Hi, I just made your fool proof Mayonnaise. Success 🙂 The only thing and it’s my fault. Instead of using light tasting olive oil I used EVOO. It’s a tad strong. I will be making it again for sure. I want to get a few things in order because I want to take the Whole30 Challenge 🙂
Thank you for the recipe.
Mindy
Definitely use light tasting olive oil next time, you’ll like it much better! And the pleasure is all mind, Mindy. 🙂
I had a mayo fail 🙁 and I want to try again but don’t want to waste ingredients. I made the mayo exactly the same way a week ago but with an egg from a different batch and all olive oil. It was absolutely beautiful. I was super excited and giddy and brought my mom over to watch me do it again…..she thinks it didn’t work out because she was there lol. I subbed in half avocado oil this time but it shouldn’t have mattered. Could it be the difference in eggs? By the way Thankyou so much for this recipe, as making my own own mayo rocked my world haha.
The oil didn’t make any difference, that’s for sure. Perhaps the size of the egg? Did you use the exact same jar? And are you sure you didn’t forget to add the lime juice or vinegar to your mayo? You should definitely try again. Seriously, I’ve been making this mayo for well over a year now and never had a single batch fail on me. I think you just got unlucky… Next time will work like a charm! 🙂
I tried again with an egg from a different batch and it worked just fine! I also shared this link with a friend who is also on Whole30. She made it today and was thrilled. Thx:)
*Fist bump* 😀
I made it for the first time today 🙂 It was working beautifully (alomost 3/4 emulsified & then my stick mixer died! Will try for the ranch dressing but now don’t have a stick mixer – do you think it will be OK in the blender?
Yes, absolutely!
And real sorry to hear about your stick blender. I had mine die on me too last year and I was not a happy camper. Can’t be without my stick blender for too long!!! Hopefully, you’ll get a replacement soon! 🙂
Can I substitute coconut oil (liquid form) for the olive oil?
I really wouldn’t recommend it. Coconut and ranch aren’t flavors that I think would mix very well…
Good point, thanks!
Hi! I found your mayo recipe last year during my first whole30 and it rocked my world. I would literally make my friends watch me make it gleefully, and I have shared the link more than once. I did have a number of fails, don’t know why. After a fail a few mos ago during my second whole30, I didn’t want to waste the ingredients so I finally made this recipe. I had reservations because I am not a ranch fan, but this was so shockingly addictive I ate it up in less than a week. My 8 year old daughter is obsessed with it also. I remade it without the egg, still delicious but not quite as amazingly creamy. Didn’t have all ingredients so I skipped a few and only had horseradish dijon, which was an excellent addition. I’m starting a whole 60 today as I have fallen off the wagon ferociously and feel awful. My question to you is, is the 1/4 cup of water necessary for emulsification or can I leave it out for a potentially thicker dressing? Thankyou so much for your time and for sharing this deliciousness with us!!
The water does play a role in the emulsification process, Caroline, but if you want a really thick and creamy dressing, you can leave it out and add an egg instead. That’s what I do for my Caesar dressing and it works like a charm!
Good luck with your Whole 60. I did that once… took a lot of willpower, but I did it! I’m sure you will too! 🙂
Thankyou for your reply 🙂 I ended up omitting the water but added approx two tbsp extra olive brine as I didn’t have quite enough olives. The dressing turned out beautifully and my daughter ate three plates of lettuce the first night alone just so she could eat the dressing. She has used it as a dip for her veggies at school and on all of her salads. Thanks again!
Hahaha! Glad to hear it turned out that good, Caroline. And if you’re ever in the mood for a little decadence, you should try my evil twin’s creamy Caesar dressing… that would make for a pretty wicked veggie dip also! 🙂
I noticed that, in the ingredients list, if you’re not using a failed mayo recipe, there are no eggs in the dressing. Would it still come out all right? Looks like it would be a shade of gray/green without any eggs.
The batch in the pictures was made without any eggs…
I don’t like olives. Can you suggest a substitute for the olives & olive brine?
Dill pickles, perhaps?
Don’t like those either. I guess I could use vinegar for the brine? And just omit the olives?
Haha! Great to know I’m not the only one to fail in my mayonnaise making! 🙂 It was great reading through your blog and all the comments! I tried to make mayonnaise last night and it just didn’t happen …may have been the cold eggs just from the shop, or perhaps using my immensely fast electric whisk broke down the molecules too small as someone suggested? …anyway, I couldn’t make the potato salad, but I mixed a glug of double cream into it and added it to a pan of onions, leeks and minced beef that I’d just finished cooking, stirred it around a bit, and …well…. it tasted pretty good …a bit cheesy like a cheese sauce …yum! My husband didn’t complain! 😀 I’m going to try the ranch dressing recipe you’ve posted above with the failed mayonnaise remnant today.
Did you try my immersion blender mayo, Lil? Works for me every single time (or well, save for that one time…)
where do you get olive brine? Do you have to use it
Just use the vinegar from a jar of olives, Bobbie. You don’t absolutely have to use it, but it does add a lot of flavor!
Can we substitute the olive oil for avocado oil?
Absolutely!
I just had the mayo fail but I probably didn’t use enough oil. I have also heard that the relationship between the size of the container and your stick blender is important. If there is a small gap then the emulsion happens to the oil around the egg properly before mixing with the rest of the oil. Like the more laborious way to make mayo using a food processor and adding oil slowly… Thanks for the ranch idea for using my failed mayo!
Indeed the size of the jar is crucial: it must be barely wide enough for the stick blender to fit in. Wide mouth Mason type jars are the best for that! The size of the egg also is important… in fact, making mayo is exact science. Every little detail counts; can’t leave anything out! 😉 Glad you were able to save your failed mayo with this ranch. Hope it was to your liking!
Please stop calling this a no-fail recipe! It is NOT. The first time I made it it worked, and I was so thrilled. Can’t tell you how much olive oil I’ve used in failed attempts in the past. Anyway, tried it again today and big fail. Ok, I’ll save it and try your ranch dressing, and tried again. This time with a room temp egg and 2 t of apple cider vinegar instead of 1 T lemon juice. Left the immersion blender at the bottom longer and still a fail. Now I have A LOT of ranch dressing. Made it in the same jar, same blender. I’m going back to store bought mayo. So discouraging. I must have had beginner’s luck.
Well my first attempt at mayo, it wasn’t a fail per say BUT I didn’t have light olive oil so I used half extra virgin olive and half avocado. The taste is too strong,
from the olive oil, so I decided to make the ranch. I didn’t have olives but decied to try it anyway! It’s so good!! Always nice to have a dairy free option!
Yeah… you can’t really use regular olive oil in making mayo. Glad you were able to save it by making the ranch dressing, though! Next time, be sure to add the olives. They do make a world of difference! 🙂
Hi, I don’t like olives, so added some JALAPENO peppers instead along with the brine, bloody delicious. Even hubby liked it and he hates anything creamy. So, I’m kinda glad my mayo didn’t work or I would never have tried this, gonna skip the Mao and just keep making this in future, beautiful creamy dressing with z real kick! Love it ❤
Haha! Thank you Lesley! And I love your idea of adding jalapeno peppers to this. I’ll definitely have to give it a try myself!
Can’t seem to print…. all I get is a blank page…any suggestions?
Have you tried with a different browser, maybe?
I can’t have mustard or peppers because of food allergies. Can I leave them out or substitute with something else?
Your mayo technique has failed me a few times, due to my own impatience. I figured out why yesterday, after some extensive troubleshooting. If the blender doesn’t stay ALL the way down for the whole 20 seconds, too much oil mixes with not enough egg. Sometimes I’d only put the blender halfway down, or I’d lift it up too quickly, or I’d move it around too much. All resulted in failed batches. Wish I had seen this sooner, I’ve been composting them.
Thanks much for sharing your experience, Sarah! This is extremely useful, and hopefully will benefit many people (and save many a batch of mayo, too!) 🙂
Is there anyway to do this without an immersion blender? I don’t have one, and tried to make mayo with an electric mixer and whisk and that’s probably why it failed. I really don’t want to waste the oil in what was failed, any ideas?
If your goal is to save a failed batch of mayo then you can definitely do it without the immersion blender. Just a whisk will do the trick, although the dressing might not be quite as thick.
I added the garlic and mustard and some dill this time and it was delish!