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Keto Dressings: Which To Choose & Which To Avoid

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FACT CHECKED
  Published on September 9th, 2020
  Reading time: 4 minutes
  Last modified February 8th, 2023

How do you navigate the world of dressings and sauces when you’re keto? Where can you find the best keto-friendly dressings? What are the best recipes to make your own keto dressings? If you’re indulging in a colorful, fresh salad, you’ll need a keto-approved dressing.

Many of the available dressings at your local grocery stores or restaurants are typically loaded with added sugar and other unhealthy and processed ingredients. Thankfully, there are plenty of food manufacturers, companies, and farmer’s markets where you can probably find a healthy keto-approved dressing, sauce, or condiment. For example, you could try some of the Primal Kitchen options or go to your local farmer’s market and make sure you check the ingredients.

From Alfredo sauce to jams and jellies and cheese dips, you can also peruse our condiments recipes to make your own and find the perfect match for your meal.

Keto Dressings

On a hot summer’s day or a cool fall afternoon, try this keto summer Caprese salad or this fennel arugula salad recipe with a lemon vinaigrette dressing. If you’re planning on chowing down on a flavorful salad or another dish that’s calling out for a keto dressing, you have a range of tasty choices at ketogenic.com!

Low-Carb Ranch Dressing

1.   Ranch Dressing

This low-carb ranch omits the sugar and the unnecessary trans fats and processed additives you can’t pronounce! With 8 simple ingredients and a few simple kitchen tools, you can make your own ranch and stay healthy and in ketosis! The parsley, dill, garlic powder, and other ingredients yield a tasty home-made ranch dressing.
Ranch dressing pairs well with:

2.   Blue Cheese!

Many of the commercially available blue cheese dressings have added sugar and other unhealthy additives and artificial ingredients. If you can’t find a keto-approved, healthier blue cheese dressing, you can make your own with these ingredients:

  • 5 oz. Blue Cheese
  • ¾ Cup Greek Yogurt
  • ½ Cup Mayonnaise
  • ½ Cup Heavy whipping cream
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley
keto blue cheese dressings

In a small bowl, use a fork to separate the cheese into small chunks and mix in the yogurt, heavy whipping cream, and mayo. After letting it sit for a few minutes, add the parsley to the mixture and salt and pepper to taste.

You can usually refrigerate this dressing in an air-tight container and use it for up to four or five days. Make sure you’re using a keto-friendly mayonnaise. You might even like this spicy mayonnaise for an exciting flavor combination.

Blue Cheese dressing pairs well with a chopped salad, a steak salad, carrot or celery sticks as a snack, and cheeseburgers! Try a blue cheese dressing with one of these recipes:

keto italian dressings

3.   Italian Dressing

Italian dressing is popular in American and Canadian cuisine. It’s a vinaigrette-type salad dressing that can be made in many different ways. If you can’t find a suitable Italian dressing, get creative in the kitchen and, of course, omit the sugar! You can make an Italian dressing with:

  • ¾ Cup Olive oil
  • 1 Juiced Lemon
  • 2 Cloves Minced garlic
  • 1 Teaspoon Oregano
  • 1 Teaspoon Basil
  • 1 Teaspoon Rosemary
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt

After juicing the lemon, add the juice to a mason jar with the rest of the ingredients and tightly close the lid. Shake until well combined and serve immediately or store for later. If you’d like your dressing a little sweeter, add a teaspoon of keto-friendly sweetener.

Some recipes also add a dash of balsamic or white wine vinegar or chopped bell peppers! Put on your chef hat and experiment with your favorite way to make Italian dressing.

A mason jar is a great way to store your salad dressing. With air-tight storage, it usually lasts up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Italian dressing pairs well with salads and stir fry. It also makes a tangy marinade for meats or vegetables. Try an Italian dressing with:

 

4.   Basic Keto Salad Dressing

When you’re tired of looking at labels, and you’re not sure what dressing to work with, try this basic keto salad dressing that takes 10 minutes and 7 simple ingredients. The Dijon mustard, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and lemon zest make a powerful combo that compliments any keto salad. Use an electric blender to blend your dressing fully.

If you don’t have many ingredients, simply mix olive oil with a dash of fresh squeezed lemon or lemon juice, salt, pepper, and seasonings of your choice. Fresh or dried basil, oregano, and parsley bring a whole lot of flavor to a humble home-made salad dressing.

5.   Honey Mustard!

Honey mustard is an old-fashioned favorite sauce or dressing. Try this delicious keto honey mustard recipe:

keto honey mustard

In 10 minutes with 5 ingredients, you’ll have a keto-friendly honey mustard dressing.

Dressings To Avoid on Keto

Avoid any dressings that contain sweeteners like sucrose, fructose, dextrose, maltodextrin, and maltitol. Other harmful ingredients that can be found in dressings include inflammatory oils like canola oil, soybean oil, and vegetable oil. Try to opt for dressings without added sugar and ones that only contain healthy oils (like coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, etc.).

 

What are Your Favorite Keto Salad Dressings and Sauces?

Do you like a creamy ranch or a zesty Italian dressing to spruce up your keto salad? What are your favorite keto-friendly brands and food manufacturers? Share your recipes and preferred keto dishes.

Steph Green is a content writer specializing in and passionate about healthcare, wellness, and nutrition. Steph has worked with marketing agencies, written medical books for doctors like ‘Untangling the Web of Dysfunction,’ and her poetry book ‘Words that Might Mean Something.’ In 2016, after four years of struggling with her own health problems and painful autoimmune disease, Steph developed a life-changing and extensive knowledge of keto, nutrition, and natural medicine. She continues on her healing journey and enjoys helping others along the way.

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