The 9 Best Substitutes For Blue Cheese Dressing

What can I use instead of blue cheese dressing? The best substitute for blue cheese dressing is a homemade version. Instead of blue cheese, try ranch or Caesar salad dressing or a dressing with feta cheese, whipped feta, goat’s cheese, or Mexican queso. Skordalia and vegan blue cheese dressing are plant-based alternatives.

Blue cheese dressing is a creamy, tangy condiment characterized by a pungent cultured cheese flavor. Traditionally served as a dip for buffalo chicken wings, blue cheese dressing is also delicious with a wedge salad and grilled steak. Here are the nine best substitutes for blue cheese dressing.

The Best Blue Cheese Dressing Substitutes

Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

The best substitute for store-bought blue cheese dressing is homemade blue cheese dressing.

Making your own blue cheese dressing means you choose the type of blue cheese you like, such as Roquefort or Gorgonzola. You can also increase or decrease the blue cheese you include to cater to your family’s tastes.

An easy homemade blue cheese dressing’s main ingredients are a cup of mayonnaise, half a cup of sour cream, and half a cup of blue cheese. Add fresh vinegar or lemon juice and herbs to taste.

Good herb choices include chopped fresh parsley and chives, while garlic, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce add spice. Other options are to use buttermilk, low-fat yogurt, or fat-free mayonnaise.

Replace store-bought dressing with equal quantities of homemade blue cheese dressing over salads, as a dip for chicken wings or a side sauce for steak.

Ranch Dressing

The most convenient substitute for blue cheese dressing is ranch dressing.

Created at the Hidden Valley Guest Ranch in Santa Barbara in the 1950s, ranch dressing is a popular buttermilk-flavored condiment.

While the original recipe is a secret, most ranch dressing contains garlic, salt, buttermilk, lime juice, herbs, and spices. Some recipes also include mayonnaise and sour cream.

Although ranch dressing doesn’t have the distinctive blue cheese flavor, it is pleasingly creamy and tangy.

The consistency and taste make it a handy alternative to blue cheese dressing, especially for guests who don’t like or are avoiding blue cheese (e.g., children and pregnant women).

Use ranch dressing to substitute blue cheese dressing to drizzle over wedge salads and burgers, adding bacon crumbles for indulgence. 

To use ranch dressing as a tasty dip for chicken wings or sliced vegetables, add sour cream for thickness. 

Substitute ranch dressing for blue cheese dressing 1:1.

Caesar Salad Dressing

Another famous dressing you can use as an alternative to blue cheese dressing is Caesar salad dressing.

The history of Caesar salad begins with Caesar Cardini at his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico.

The original salad was made with cos lettuce leaves, eaten with your fingers. However, it was the dressing that made the salad such a restaurant staple.

Caesar salad dressing is luscious, containing crushed garlic, salt, lemon juice, egg yolks, mustard, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and spices.

Most Caesar salad dressing now contains a controversial yet essential ingredient – anchovy fillets.

This gorgeous, zesty dressing is perfect over a simple green salad, as a dip for crudité, on a burger, over roast vegetables, and as a marinade for fish or chicken.

Replace blue cheese dressing with similar amounts of Caesar salad dressing. Making the dressing with raw eggs will be unsuitable for people with compromised immune systems.

Feta Cheese Dressing

Feta cheese dressing is an excellent replacement for blue cheese dressing.

Feta is a brined Greek cheese, usually made from sheep and goat’s milk. It can vary from mild to sharp in flavor and has a dense, grainy texture. Lower in fat than blue cheese, feta is a healthy option.

Making a feta dressing is simple: add crumbled feta to a vinaigrette of red wine vinegar and olive oil. Common flavorings are oregano, black pepper, and mustard.

A feta cheese dressing is a great alternative to blue cheese dressing because it has an intense, salty flavor without the sour funkiness that can put people off.

As a substitute for blue cheese dressing, feta cheese dressing makes an excellent dip for buffalo chicken wings and brightens green and wedge salads. It also makes a tasty marinade for chicken.

Use the same volume of feta cheese as blue cheese dressing.

Whipped Feta Cheese

Another feta cheese replacement for blue cheese dressing is whipped feta.

This Greek specialty originated in Macedonia and has become a popular appetizer or meze. Whipped feta is similar to feta cheese dressing but has a far creamier consistency and less piquant flavor.

This condiment includes feta blended until smooth, as well as olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper. You can add yogurt for extra texture and flavorings like roasted red pepper, chili peppers, herbs, nuts, and spices.

You can serve whipped feta instead of blue cheese dressing as a spread for crackers and sandwiches, a dip for pita chips, a topping for salad, or as a bed to serve roast veggies.

Replace blue cheese dressing with whipped feta in equal quantities.

Goat’s Cheese Dressing

If you enjoy cheese, try goat’s cheese dressing as an alternative to blue cheese dressing.

Fresh goat’s cheese or chèvre is a soft, white cheese with a characteristic earthy flavor. Although it’s milder than blue cheese, it has a similar sourness and fewer calories.

Goat’s cheese dressing contains soft goat’s cheese whisked with buttermilk, white vinegar, Dijon mustard, thyme, parsley, and lemon zest.

Use this delightful dressing on fresh spring salads, tossed through bitter leaves, on sandwiches, and with fish.

Goat’s cheese dressing can replace blue cheese dressing in a similar volume.

Mexican Queso Dip

Another gorgeous cheese dip that can replace blue cheese dressing is Mexican queso.

The primary ingredient of queso dip is queso fresco, a fresh, soft, creamy Mexican cheese with a sour, salty flavor.

The cheese is often sprinkled over enchiladas and black beans or stuffed into tacos. It also makes a delightful condiment for dipping and drizzling.

To make queso dip, mix queso fresca and sour cream until smooth. (Add milk and cream cheese for easier mixing.)

Flavor your mixture with chopped fresh cilantro, cumin, garlic, and onion powder. Add a dash of hot sauce, salsa, or tomatoes if desired.

This queso dip makes a great salad dressing and is a wonderful dip for chips, veggies, or chicken wings. Use it as a sauce over Mexican food or steak.

Use queso dip instead of blue cheese dressing in a similar ratio.

Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing

Vegans will enjoy this plant-based dressing instead of the usual blue cheese dressing.

Because the flavor of blue cheese is central to blue cheese dressing, it can be tricky to imitate its sharp brightness and creaminess.

However, white vinegar provides tang, while nutritional yeast has an intense cheesiness that combines with extra firm tofu for consistency.

Vegan blue cheese dressing combines vegan mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, crushed garlic, lemon juice, maple syrup, onion, garlic powder, salt, and dill. Add nutritional yeast and crumbled tofu.

Enjoy this dressing tossed through salads or as a dipping sauce for raw veggies.

Replace blue cheese dressing directly with vegan blue cheese dressing.

Skordalia

For a lactose-free, plant-based alternative to blue cheese dressing, try skordalia.

Skordalia is a traditional Greek sauce containing garlic, olive oil, and mashed potato (or bread). It sometimes contains walnuts, almonds, and herbs but never includes cream or onions.

As a condiment, skordalia is surprisingly light, smooth, and creamy, with a gorgeous garlic undertone. It is served at room temperature rather than cold.

This Greek staple complements grilled fish and meat or salads with beetroot and greens. It is best served as a side sauce or dip for bread and vegetables.

Because skordalia has a very different flavor and consistency than blue cheese dressing, you may want to use less.

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