Prepare Today Homemade- Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

A great way to save money and to eat healthier is to make your own mixes at home.  Many premade mixes and boxed food at the grocery store are filled with chemicals. Making the same mixes at  home is healthier but it also helps to use some of those food storage ingredients.  

My kids love ranch flavored wheat thin crackers, but they are pricey and seem to disappear so fast.  I decided to try and recreate ranch wheat thins and it worked.  I had the cracker recipe, but now I needed a ranch dressing mix that tasted good. I have tried to make ranch dressing mixes before but they seemed to be missing something.  I searched online and the recipe that I found uses dried mushrooms, of all things, as added flavor, in place of the MSG found in the commercially packaged ranch dressing mixes.  I thought I would try it out, and I'm glad I did.  It tastes great!  But the true test was going to be if the crackers tasted like ranch flavored wheat thins, and I am pretty sure they passed the test!  They were by far my kids favorite cracker that I have made. 

 {click HERE to view my wheat thin cracker recipe} I added 2 T of the ranch dressing mix to my cracker dough and continued baking according to the recipe. 

For the ranch mix, I used Honeyville's freeze-dried mushrooms.  You'll only need a tiny amount for the recipe,  but I find them useful in so many other recipes. Soups, quiches, and casseroles are easy to throw together with freeze-dried mushrooms on hand. They look just like mushrooms and reconstitute so easily.  I highly recommend them!

The other main ingredient that you'll need for this recipe is buttermilk powder.  I bought mine at Honeyville, but it is also sold in most grocery stores in the baking aisle.  I have used the grocery store brand and it is also a great product.  Stored in the fridge, the buttermilk powder lasts a long time.

Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

adapted from HERE

1/2 C buttermilk powder

1 T dried parsley

1/2 t dry dill weed

1 t onion powder

1t dehydrated onion

1 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 t garlic powder & 1 t garlic salt

2 T finely chopped freeze-dried mushrooms 

(dehydrated will also work)

 1/2 t sugar

Pulse the mushrooms in a blender once or twice, just to break the bigger pieces up.  Add in the remaining ingredients and pulse until smooth and blended. It should only take a few seconds. Pour the mix into a mason jar and stir in 1 t parsley and 1/2 t dill.  This will add a little color to your final product. Cover and store in mason jar in the pantry for 2-3 months, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. 2 T of mix = 1 envelope of store bought ranch dressing mix.

This mix can be used for dips, salad dressings, and any other recipe that a dry ranch dressing mix is called for.  This would be delicious in mashed potatoes.  

To make ranch dip:

2 T of ranch mix + 1 C sour cream (mix and chill)

To make ranch salad dressing:

3 T mix + 1 C mayo + 2/3 C buttermilk (mix all and shake well)

Pin It