Stop Buying Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning (Make This Recipe Instead!)

I recently shared my recipe for homemade taco seasoning – and since then you’ve been asking for a Ranch Seasoning recipe to replace those packets of Hidden Valley Ranch (which is full of MSG and other nasties). Without further ado, I went to work in the kitchen and figured out how to make an easy ranch seasoning mix with real food ingredients that you can use to make delicious ranch dressing, ranch dip, or in other recipes.

MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (MSG): A flavor-enhancer and excitotoxin that excites brain cells to death, increases food cravings, and makes you eat more than you should.

ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS: Chemical mixtures produced by fractional distillation and chemical manipulation of various chemicals like crude oil or coal tar. Artificial flavors are much cheaper than using real food and make fake food taste irresistible.

NATURAL FLAVORS: Proprietary mixtures that make food taste irresistible so that you keep coming back for more.

CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE: This thickener usually made from wood because it’s cheap. Research links consumption of this additive (not naturally occurring when found in whole food) to weight gain, inflammation and digestive problems.

It’s always best to buy organic herbs and spices, because virtually all conventional brands sold in the U.S. are fumigated and irradiated. These practices leave a finished product with decreased levels of vitamins and natural enzymes – and all that processing changes the chemical composition of a spice, potentially creating toxic, carcinogenic by-products. Organic spices are not irradiated and cannot have genetically engineered ingredients (GMOs), artificial colors, preservatives, and other synthetic anti-caking agents. Some of my favorite spice companies include –  Simply Organic, Frontier, and various store-brands that are organic.

I also choose an organic buttermilk powder instead of conventional brands. That’s because organic regulations prohibit the use of synthetic hormones, antibiotics, and GMO feed – and I don’t want residues of any of that in my food. You can find organic buttermilk powder in most natural food grocery stores and online. 

To make ranch dressing with this seasoning, mix 3 tablespoons of the mix with 1 cup mayo and 1 cup milk. I like to use organic grass-fed milk or nut milk, and mayo that is made with olive oil or avocado oil, such as Chosen Foods brand.  Beware that almost every brand of mayo (even organic!) are made with unhealthy soybean oil or canola oil. You’ll find that the majority that say they are “Made with Olive Oil” are actually mostly sunflower oil or other inferior oils. This is why it pays to be careful and read the ingredient list to see what you are really buying. Don’t get swindled into buying Olive Oil Mayo made with mostly soybean oil! 

To make ranch dip with this seasoning, mix 3 tablespoons of the mix with 2 cups sour cream. You can use an organic pasture-raised sour cream (such as Organic Valley brand) or a vegan sour “cream” (like Forager Project brand). Feel free to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice too, if desired.

Please share this ranch seasoning recipe with your ranch-loving friends. There’s no reason to keep buying those expensive packets of Hidden Valley Ranch full of questionable ingredients!