Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip
My Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip was a Denny family favorite long before anyone heard of Ranch Dressing! And this family favorite Ranch Dip is a delicious low-carb and keto dip recipe and in my family this makes an appearance at every holiday gathering!
PIN Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip to try it later!
My Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip is one of my favorite memories from childhood! As early as I can remember, my Grandma Denny made a fantastic Ranch dip that she served with carrots and celery as an appetizer at every family gathering. In those days we called Grandma’s homemade ranch dip just *Vegetable Dip* as if there was only one kind of dip that could possibly be served with veggies.
This was long before the introduction of Ranch Dressing to the American culinary scene, and obviously my Grandma Denny was ahead of her time, because now people all over the country are eating this type of dip with veggies. And in my own extended family, there would never be a holiday gathering without this delicious homemade Ranch Dip on the table.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- sour cream (preferably Daisy Sour Cream)
- mayo
- grated onion
- dried dill weed (affiliate link)
- Beau Monde Seasoning (affiliate link)
Why make Homemade Ranch Dip?
Of course there’s nothing wrong with making Ranch-Style Vegetable Dip using a package mix if that time-saver works for you. But my grandma’s Homemade Ranch Dip is a bit fresher tasting as well as being low in carbs, and if you usually use the mix but don’t have a package on hand I bet you’ll love my Grandma’s recipe.
How to make homemade ranch dip with onion powder:
I love the flavor the grated onion gives to my Grandma Denny’s homemade ranch dip. But if you prefer or want to save time, just use 1 tsp. onion powder.
Want homemade ranch dip with less fat?
Grandma Denny always used full-fat mayo and sour cream, but for anyone wanting lower fat you can obviously make this with reduced-fat dairy products if you prefer. Or if you don’t like mayo, you might prefer the variation below for Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip, made with Greek yogurt and blended cottage cheese for a higher protein, lower-fat dip.
Want homemade ranch dip with Greek Yogurt?
I sometimes make a variation of this that I call Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip that’s lower in fat and higher in protein. For that variation follow this recipe but replace the sour cream with one cup of cottage that’s blended in the food processor until it’s nearly smooth and replace the mayo with one cup fat-free Greek Yogurt. (This is the version I used to make when I was strictly following the original South Beach Diet.)
Want homemade ranch dip with more texture?
You can make a variation of this homemade ranch dip recipe with a little chopped red onion, finely diced cucumber, and finely diced red pepper if you’d like a chunkier dip. I would use about 2 T of each.
How to Make Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- My Grandma always used Bon Appetit Seasoning Salt as the secret seasoning in her vegetable dip, but it’s no longer being made (sob!) If you still have Bon Appetit, use it, but now I use Beau Monde Seasoning (affiliate link). If you’re in Europe you can also use Trocomare Seasoning. (affiliate link)
- Grate a small amount of raw onion into a bowl. (I use the large side of a box grater; don’t use a microplane grater which just turns the onion to liquid.)
- Add mayo and sour cream to bowl.
- Then add Beau Monde Seasoning and dried dill weed (affiliate link).
- Mix all ingredients together well with a whisk. You can use a food processor as well, but the whisk is quicker.
- Let the dip chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or two for best flavor.
- Serve with raw vegetables like celery, sugar snap peas, bell pepper strips, jicama, radishes, broccoli, or cauliflower.
- This is also good with carrots or as a dip for baked sweet potato fries for those who don’t mind more carbs.
- I tested this out on my friend Robin and she gave it two thumbs up!
More Tasty Vegetable Dips You Might Like:
- Sheila’s Low-Carb Shrimp Dip
- Greek Yogurt Dip (with Tahini)
- Roasted Red Pepper Dip with Feta
- Whipped Feta Dip with Sumac
- Southwestern Ranch Dip
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Grandma Denny's Homemade Ranch Dip
Grandma Denny's Homemade Ranch Dip is a recipe everyone in my family loves! And this tasty Ranch Dip makes an appearance at every holiday gathering in my huge extended family.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream (see notes)
- 1 cup mayo (see notes)
- 1 tsp. grated onion
- 2 tsp. dried dill weed
- 2 tsp. Beau Monde Seasoning (see notes)
Instructions
- Grate onion into a bowl, using the large side of a box grater or flat grater (not a microplane grater.)
- Add all other ingredients to the bowl and stir together with a whisk (or you can use a food processor, but it’s not necessary.)
- Chill an hour or so before serving.
Notes
I only use Daisy full-fat sour cream and full-fat mayo for this recipe but if you prefer to make a lower-fat version of the recipe you can definitely use reduced fat sour cream and mayo.
My Grandma always used Bon Appetit Seasoning for this. When that was discontinued I started making it with Beau Monde Seasoning (affiliate link), which is almost identical in flavor.
This will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. Nutritional information doesn't include vegetables and is calculated on 1/4 cup serving size.
Recipe from my Grandma Denny, who was a wonderful cook!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 245Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 564mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip is great for low-carb diets.Eat with low-carb vegetables like celery, sugar snap peas, jicama, bell pepper strips, radishes, broccoli, or cauliflower for low-carb diets. If you’re making this for the original South Beach Diet the Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip variation above is better for South Beach.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Appetizers to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Danica's Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
I was making this homemade Ranch dip recipe long before the existence of the internet, and it was first posted on this site in 2005 (probably without a single photo in those days.) The recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.
20 Comments on “Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip”
I just made this with low-fat cottage cheese and a little mayo. I tasted it before I put it in the refrigerator and wow! It’s delicious! Not sure if I’ll wait the whole hour. Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you like it. Everyone in my extended family loves it!
Hi Diana,
do you mind sharing what your measurements were? Thank you 🙂
I very much doubt she is going to see that message, just letting you know that people don’t usually come back and respond to things in the comments.
Sorry I don’t have measurements. I just used cottage cheese ( I didn’t have sour cream). I added a small amount of mayo bit by bit until it tasted good.
Thanks for the reply. I think people who want to use cottage cheese could use the same amount as the recipe calls for sour cream, and blend it in the food processor. It talks about that as an option (with Greek yogurt) in the post.
I love fresh Ranch dips.
When packing lunches or snacks for myself, one of my tricks for adjusting the dip to veggie ratio is to thin a small amount of the dip with milk to make it more like a salad dressing than a dip. That way I can eat more vegetables (with dip) in a less caloric, and moderately guilt free manner. Not so thin that it drips, but not so thick that it's dip. 😉
Lydia and Kath, those seasonings are great when you want a bit of onion/celery flavor in a dish.
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) took the words right out of my mouth! Your Grandma's dip does look great, but I'm excited to learn about the seasonings. Thank you! 🙂
Knitting Reader, this really helps with the goal of eating more veggies! That's one of the main reasons I make it.
Maris, I wondered about that too. Haven't tried it, but plan to.
The dip looks wonderful, of course, but what's even more interesting to me is that you're suggesting spice blends I've never tried before. Going off to my supermarket today to see what I can find!
Love the sound of this dip – also, love the Anonymous reader's tip on how to get onion smell off your hands. Wonder if it works with garlic, too?
I promise, anyone who's been making the package mix type of Ranch Dip, you will love this version from my Grandma!
Cannot wait to try. I've been looking for a simple Ranch recipe that is inexpensive to make like this one. Those Ranch packets can be pricey. Thanks!
Sounds great! Yummy!
Christine
Love homemade dips and this looks delish! Cheers!
Yummy 🙂 Love the updated version. My kids are crazy for dip so I think this would be awesome.
Anonymous, I did not know that! Great tip, thanks for sharing.
You mention in the recipe that grating the onion can get your hands pretty smelly. As it has been quite some time since you posted this….you might already know this. But when you go to wash your hands, rub stainless steel. It takes the smell away. Works great with seafood smells an hands as well. They actually make a stainless steel bar of “soap” now.
This looks like a yummy dip but what is Bon Apettit?