When we made the ‘chicken wings’ for Tonchi’s birthday a few weeks ago,I wanted to have a dip for them since they were being breaded and not covered in a sweet and sour or barbeque sauce.  I didn’t want them to be too dry since they were also baked.  And as most kids prefer, a dipping sauce is a must!

The first option that came to mind was ranch dressing but the last time I looked at the label I was concerned with what was included in the ingredient list. The first few ingredients are normal, understandable ingredients that are to be expected, but then it includes sugar as the fourth ingredient, MSG and quite a few additives, preservatives and artificial flavors.

I figured that if I looked hard enough on the web that maybe I could find a good substitute.  I did spend quite some time looking through different options and recipes from a multitude of websites.  All the looking finally paid off!

Marks Daily Apple is a great primal blog and has lots of great recipes.  This recipe for ranch dressing is amazing!  It definitely isn’t as thick or creamy as the store bought varieties, but the flavor is far superior!

Here is the link for Mark’s Daily Apple Creamy Ranch Dressing.  I’d recommend reading his post about it, which I found informative, amusing and so true!  Also he advises following the recipe to a ‘t’ the first time around before altering it.  I did… sorta! 😉  And it was awesome and the whole family (except our dairy free Aisling) voted to have it again!  I have a feeling this will be a new favorite!

My changes:
I didn’t have greek yogurt or buttermilk, so I used organic yogurt (which I strained in a cheesecloth for about an hour or two) and our raw farm milk which is about like cream.  I also added the mayonnaise which he lists as optional.  I make mine with 50/50 olive oil/coconut oil which makes a thick mayo (like icing) and I figured it would help thicken the dressing.

It still turned out a little on the thin side, but the flavor definitely made up for it!  It isn’t a direct imitation, but it is a good substitution!  I haven’t had commercial ranch dressing in a few years either, so I may not remember the flavor 100% either!

Give it a try and I’d love to know what you think!

Update March 2014

We had this dip again with chicken wings and I wanted to make it completely diary free so that not only Aisling, but Koa as well could enjoy it.  I changed it a little bit more, but it’s definitely still the core recipe from Mark’s Daily Apple.  I can’t claim any of it, but here is the list of ingredients and the few changes I’ve made.  

Ranch Dressing

• 1/2 cup paleo mayonnaise 
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 heaping teaspoon chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon tamari
• 1/8 teaspoon granulated onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder

Just mix it all together and enjoy!