There’s simply no good reason to ever use store-bought! This homemade blue cheese dressing recipe is simple to make, has TONS of delicious uses, is WAY better than anything at the store, and is simply the BEST!!
What is Blue Cheese Dressing?
Blue cheese dressing is a staple condiment in the United States where it has been popular since its origins in the early 20th century. It’s a sauce commonly consisting of blue, cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt, buttermilk, either lemon juice or vinegar, garlic powder and/or onion powder, salt and pepper and sometimes a fresh herb like parsley or chives. It’s popular as a salad dressing, side sauce or dipping sauce.
Whether or not you’ve had it before, any blue cheese fan will find it hard to resist a good blue cheese dressing. And this blue cheese dressing recipe with it’s wonderfully creamy texture and exquisite balance of flavors is sure to win you over!
It’s funny how tastes can change so dramatically over the years. As a kid I hated blue cheese and gagged at the thought of eating anything containing it no matter how cleverly disguised. But at some point in my 20’s I had a complete change of heart – a total conversion – and today I absolutely adore it. Funnily my two kids, ages 7 and 9, also love it. So much so that my son especially begs to go to the specialty cheese counter to pick out a wedge of blue every time we go to the grocery store. And when my husband and I went on our anniversary trip to Italy a few months ago his one request was to bring him back some special Italian blue cheese. Which we did – special freezer bag, ice packs and all.
I made a batch of this blue cheese dressing the other night and whereas most kids fight over who can lick out the cookie dough or cake batter bowl (mine do that too) both of my kids were ready with spoon in hand to salvage the last remaining drop of blue cheese dressing!
How to Make the BEST Blue Cheese Dressing
Make sure to use a wedge of blue cheese versus the blue cheese that comes pre-crumbled. The pre-crumbled blue cheese you can buy at the store is dry and its flavor will not penetrate the dressing well. So use a wedge of it because it will be nice and moist inside and when you mash it up that blue cheese flavor will seep into your dressing for the ultimate flavorful blue cheese dressing.
Also add some fresh herbs. Parsley and chives are our favorite for this dressing. They add flavor, color and a nice fresh contrast to the bold flavor of the blue cheese.
Lastly, be sure to wait for at least 3-4 hours before serving. The longer you keep it chilled before serving, the more time the flavors will have time to develop. For the best results let it chill overnight.
Add some fresh herbs – we like parsley or chives – it adds both flavor and color.
How to Use Blue Cheese Dressing
There are so many possibilities! Here are just a few tasty ideas to get you started. Serve it on, in or with:
- Wedge salads or other leafy green salads
- Buffalo chicken wings
- Sandwiches
- Sandwich wraps
- Baked potatoes
- A dip for veggies and chips
- Served with roasted veggies
- Served with grilled chicken or beef
- Added to your potato salad and pasta salad
- Add it to your coleslaw
- Drizzled on your buffalo-style pizza
- Dip for French fries and potato wedges
- and more!
Blue Cheese Dressing vs. Blue Cheese Dip
Whether you’re using this as a dip or a dressing, you can easily control its thickness in how much or how little buttermilk you add and whether or not you add the heavy cream. If you’re using this as a dip and want to keep it on the thicker side, you can start by omitting the heavy cream and add a tablespoon or so less of the buttermilk. If it’s too thick, add some more liquid just a bit at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
If you’re using it as a dressing and want a pourable consistency, add the full amount of buttermilk and the heavy cream. If you prefer you can use more buttermilk in place of the heavy cream.
How Do I Make This Low Calorie?
If you want a low calorie blue cheese dressing use low fat mayonnaise and low fat sour cream.
Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe
Put the buttermilk and blue cheese in a medium-sized bowl.
Use a fork to mash the blue cheese to the desired degree of chunkiness.
Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, sugar, pepper and salt.  Stir to combine.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, preferably overnight for the best flavor results. Taste it and add more salt if desired.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge where it will keep for up to a week.
Enjoy!
For more phenomenal dressing recipes be sure to try our:
- Ranch Dressing
- Thousand Island Dressing
- Russian Dressing
- Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing
- Orange Poppy Seed Dressing
- French Dressing
- Italian Dressing
- Asian Salad Dressing
- Creamy Cilantro Dressing
- Lemon Dill Mustard Dressing
Blue Cheese Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 ounces blue cheese (use a wedge, not pre-crumbled *see blog post "Tips")
- 1/3 cup quality mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup buttermilk (use less if you want it thicker for a dip)
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream (omit if you want it thicker for a dip)
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or chives
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the blue cheese and buttermilk in a medium-sized bowl and mash the blue cheese with a fork until the desired degree of chunkiness is reached. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Cover and chill for at least 3-4 hours before serving to allow adequate time for the flavors to develop (for best results chill overnight). Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge where it will keep for up to a week.Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Notes
- For a low calorie blue cheese dressing use low fat mayonnaise and sour cream.
Nutrition
Sue Yates says
You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes. I’ve been doing this for years, as I made a lot of cakes from scratch as my son was growing up.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sue, you can, but it won’t have the same flavor. That method works for baking because the acid in buttermilk (or the vinegar substitute) is needed to activate other ingredients but there’s nothing that needs to be activated in this dressing, it’s purely used for flavor. If you’d rather save yourself a trip to the store (I can’t blame you!) then yes, you can use that method.
Kate says
I rarely have buttermilk on hand, but always yogurt. Can I use yougurt instead of buttermilk?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Kate, yes you can. If it’s too thick thin it out with a little bit of milk.
Laura Reese says
Homemade dressing is so much better. I love this blue cheese dressing it is perfect on a salad or even with chicken wings.
Carrie Robinson says
I have never tried making my own blue dressing before! This looks perfect. :)
Katie says
Love how easy and delicious this recipe is! Making it again and again!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Katie, thank you!
Patricia says
This recipe looks delicious and will try it! Might you also have suggestion for modifying it using thick Greek yogurt to replace or reduce high calorie mayo & sour cream? Continually looking for ways to cut calories and increase nutrition, but still get great taste bang! Thanks for any suggestions.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Patricia! Yes, you can use a low-fat mayonnaise or just swap the mayo out with the Greek yogurt. If the dressing is too thick just add a little extra buttermilk until you reach the desired consistency.
Patricia says
Thank you, Kimberly! I’ll play around with it; keep you posted:)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Also, if you’re omitting the mayo you may need to experiment with adding a little bit more sweetener to curb the tanginess and balance the flavors.
Patricia says
yes, good suggestion, thank you; figured I’d be adding a little mayo (and I love good mayo!), but just attempting to keep the dressing lighter, fewer cals, etc