Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This creamy Parmesan peppercorn dressing is the perfect dressing if you love ranch but are looking for something new! It’s cheesy with a little spice, and buttermilk adds a tangy balance.
How long it takes: 10 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: bowl or jar, whisk
Servings: 8
Move Over, Ranch
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the secret to a truly great salad is the dressing. This creamy Parmesan peppercorn version has been living in my fridge lately — it’s tangy, cheesy, with just the right amount of pepper. It’s like ranch dressing’s cooler cousin, familiar but it feels a little fancier.
I pour it on everything: green salads, grilled chicken, steak… sometimes even as a dip for veggies when I’m pretending to snack “light.”
What makes it special:
- Familiar, but fresh. It’s ranch-adjacent, but with extra depth and a spicy punch of black pepper.
- Perfect on a green tossed salad. This dressing is best suited for a leafy green salad with lots of crunchy vegetables, served with grilled chicken thighs or sliced grilled flank steak to round it out into a full meal. Homemade croutons are a must!
- Great for people who are blue cheese adverse (me). If you don’t like blue cheese dressing, this dressing is a perfect alternative where blue cheese dressing is often used, like for Cobb salad, wedge salad, or for dipping wings.
Ingredient Notes
- Mayonnaise: I usually use mayonnaise to make this Parmesan peppercorn dressing but I’ve also made it with Greek yogurt to lighten things up. If you do that, the dressing will be more tangy, and the texture will be slightly thinner.
- Buttermilk: I recommend using store-bought buttermilk, rather than using the homemade buttermilk hack. The flavor is better and it’s thicker too.
- Grated Parmesan cheese: This is a recipe where you can get away with using the pre-grated “shaky cheese” or you can grate your own off a block.
- Red wine vinegar: I like red wine vinegar in this dressing because it adds a bright, tangy acidity to balance out the creaminess.
- Freshly cracked black pepper: I highly recommend that you grind your own pepper for this recipe! Freshly ground black pepper has a coarse texture and more vibrant flavor that you’ll really appreciate in this salad dressing. However, if you choose to use pre-ground pepper from the grocery store, you’ll want to use less.
- Garlic powder: This adds depth and savoriness without the bite of fresh garlic.
How to Make Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
Combine. Add all of the ingredients to a liquid measuring cup, bowl, or jar.
Mix. Whisk the dressing (or cover the jar and shake it). Use immediately or refrigerate for later.
Easy Recipe Variations
- Make it extra spicy. If you want your Parmesan peppercorn ranch to be spicy, you can add cayenne pepper—a pinch for just a bit of heat, or up to ¼ teaspoon for a bigger kick.
- Add smokiness. A generous pinch or two of smoked paprika brings a different kind of warmth to the dressing.
- Add herbs. I’ve made this recipe with dried dill and parsley too, and they make this taste more like a traditional ranch dressing. If you want to try it, use 1 teaspoon of dried parsley and ½ teaspoon of dried dill.
- Carrabba’s creamy Parmesan dressing: If you’re a fan of Carrabba’s salad dressing, you can use this recipe with a few minor changes. Reduce the black pepper to ¼ teaspoon, increase the Parmesan (maybe even double it!) and substitute a clove or two of fresh minced garlic for the garlic powder.
Favorite Ways to Use This Dressing
- Hearty salads. For an easy side, slice a head of iceberg lettuce into wedges, then drizzle it with this Parmesan peppercorn dressing and top with crumbled air fryer bacon. It would be great with this BBQ chicken salad too!
- Dipping. Use it for dipping raw veggies or air fryer BBQ chicken wings.
- Drizzling. Add a swirl of Parmesan peppercorn dressing to macaroni and cheese pizza or drizzle it on potato skins.
Store this Parmesan peppercorn dressing in an airtight container, jar, or bottle in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (Because it’s made with mayonnaise and that separates when frozen, this is not a recipe that can be stored in the freezer.)
More Dressing Recipes
Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup buttermilk (more as needed to thin to desired consistency)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (see note)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- In a large measuring cup, bowl, or jar, mix all ingredients together until blended.½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup buttermilk, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- Black pepper: If you use finely ground black pepper (the pre-ground kind that you buy in the spice section), you’ll want to use quite a bit less. Because black pepper that you grind in a peppermill is so coarse, less fits in a teaspoon than finely ground black pepper. If you’re unsure, start with ½ teaspoon and add more as desired. If you like it really spicy, add ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- Make it with yogurt: If you want to lighten up this dressing, substitute plain yogurt for some or all of the mayonnaise. You can use Greek yogurt or regular. It will affect flavor as well as consistency.
- Storage: Cover and refrigerate the dressing for up to 1 week. Stir or shake well before using.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Excellent salad dressing recipe! Perfect for wraps too!
Oh yum, putting it on wraps is a great idea!
I had almost given up on finding a really good Greek yogurt dressing. I’m glad I kept looking. I used regular milk with a splash of lemon juice (no buttermilk) as well as white wine vinegar instead of red. I only made 1/4 of the recipe (cooking for 1). Next time, which will be soon, I will make at least 1/2 of the recipe.
So glad you liked it! Thank you for leaving a review!
This dressing was awesome!! My new fave and so easy to whip up. I added a 1/4 more cup of buttermilk to thin it out and double some of the spices.
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
I love it. I subbed kefir for the buttermilk and added 1 TBS honey. I like a little more sweet than sour. This was delicious!
I’m so glad you liked this salad dressing! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
This sounds good. A lot of the Italian restaurants (non-chain) in the Greater Baltimore–including the Little Italy section of Baltimore–area make this as a house dressing. Love a good, fresh, homemade version rather than bottled.
Yes! Homemade dressing really can’t be beat, can it?