Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe (Keto and Low-FODMAP)

I’m a lover of pretty much all things creamy – and cheesy.  This gourmet keto and low-FODMAP blue cheese dressing recipe is my favorite salad dressing and dip!  It’s super easy and incredibly inexpensive to make compared to purchasing it off the shelf, at the store.  If you love blue cheese dressing, this is your recipe!!

Dip, dunk, slather it on a sandwich or drizzle over your salad! It’s an all-time favorite because it’s good on just about everything! And, when you make it yourself, you know that it’s made with ingredients you feel good about.

Blue cheese dressing is the number one salad dressing we use in our house. While I’m wild about Crème Fraiche Dressing with Preserved Lemon Paste and the tangy dressing for Fattoush Salad, this dressing is what we tend to use the most. For years, we’d buy it in the refrigerated section, a pint at a time, for close to five bucks a bottle (yikes!).  Other dressings that are shelf stable are full of preservatives and other ingredients that I just don’t want to put in my body.  After always spending way too much cashola buying it off-the-shelf, I figured that it couldn’t be too difficult to make at home – I was right!

If you like a more asian style salad, try this Sesame Ginger Dressing. And, cilantro fans will love a creamy Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing that is also low carb and FODMAP-friendly.

What I love about this dressing is that it’s pretty versatile.  Because I eat low-FODMAP (find more Low-FODMAP recipes here), I eliminate the onion and garlic powder that’s typically added to most blue cheese dressings and dips.  If you do okay with a little bit of garlic or onion powder, try adding a half-teaspoon.  Not like this recipe needs extra flavor!  It’s perfectly delicious without it.

Ingredients

This better-than-store-bought low-FODMAP dressing is so simple to make with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen:

• Mayonnaise – If you’re following a low-FODMAP diet, double-check the ingredients to make sure the mayo you’re using is garlic and onion-free.
• Sour cream – Using a combination of sour cream and mayo makes this dressing extra creamy and lighter than only using mayonnaise. Use a lactose-free sour cream for low-FODMAP or double the mayonnaise.
• Blue cheese – Use your favorite brand, crumbled into small pieces. I mostly use gorgonzola (an Italian blue cheese) in mine.
• Buttermilk, half and half or lactose-free milk – All of these options are fine for a keto or low-FODMAP diet in small quantities. For a thick veggie dip, you can eliminate the liquid altogether.
• Mustard – I like to use Dijon, but any mustard is fine. Dried mustard powder works well, too.
• Fresh lemon juice or preserved lemon paste – Adding lemon to your dressing gives it an extra brightness. And, preserved lemon paste (or lemon puree) takes it to a whole new level of magical.
• Herbs (fresh or dried): Chives, dill and black pepper. These three make this dressing come alive!

Is buttermilk low-FODMAP and keto?

Buttermilk is considered to be low-FODMAP in servings of 1 tablespoon, due to its high concentration of lactose.

As for carbs in buttermilk, there are 12g in 1 cup, making it okay for a keto diet if used in cooking, because you’re consuming small quantities over an entire recipe. However, drinking a glass of buttermilk will consume about 1/2-1/3 of your total net carb intake if you’re following a keto lifestyle, which could potentially toss you out of ketosis. Read more about ketosis in my Guide to a Keto Diet article.

Substitutions for buttermilk

I can tolerate lactose and I adore the sweetness of buttermilk in this recipe. But, there are substitutions that work well if this addition doesn’t work for you:

• Use lactose-free milk – While the carb count is the same as buttermilk (12g per cup), it’s a great choice for a low-FODMAP diet as well as a keto diet. Depending on how much you consume, it will provide only about 2g net carbs per serving.
• Try half and half – there are fewer carbs, but this will increase the fat and caloric content quite a bit. However, it makes it extra smooth and creamy.
• Make your own lactose-free buttermilk.

Lactose-free buttermilk

While regular buttermilk is always in my fridge for this dressing, I know most folks don’t keep it around. If you want lactose-free buttermilk, you can try making your own by combining lactose-free milk with an acid, such as vinegar.

Personally, I haven’t tried this method, but I understand it works pretty well. I like this recipe from FODMAP Everyday.

If you try making your own lactose-free buttermilk, please let me know how it turned out!!

How to make

Whipping up this homemade dressing is a cinch. Simply combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk them together. Most of the time, I combine everything in a quart sized mason jar (I always make a double batch) and stir it all together right there in the container, then just pop it into the fridge.

Variations

Try customizing your dressing:

• To make a keto low fodmap dip, leave out the buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute)
• Add a touch of your favorite sweetener
• Play with herbs and spices – substitute the dill with tarragon, add some red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. Try adding some aleppo pepper (read about it in my Aleppo Pepper Ingredient Spotlight)
• Try using feta or another crumbly cheese for a tangier dressing
• Add some extra zing by substituting sour cream for Greek yogurt (which is moderate in FODMAPs at servings of 100g, or about 3/4 cup). Or try your favorite lactose-free yogurt.

To lemon or not to lemon?

I’m not a huge fan of lemon, but I enjoy just a little tang to my dressings. I always keep a jar of preserved lemon paste in my fridge.  It lasts almost forever and has a more rounded, fruity, slightly salty flavor than lemon juice.  Fresh lemon juice can be used or eliminated altogether if you don’t happen to have a lemon handy.  It’s not an essential ingredient, but it adds a little extra brightness that I’m very fond of. You can learn more about Preserved Lemons and Preserved Lemon Paste in my Ingredient Spotlights. That post has my Quick Lemon Puree Recipe if you don’t have preserved lemon paste handy.

How to store

On the rare occasion this dressing isn’t consumed within a couple of days, it will keep in the fridge easily for about a week.

I love mason jars.  They’re a must-have for storing sauces, dressings and a great many other things. I like making a double batch to add this to dinner salads, use as a veggie dipping sauce or spoon some on grilled burgers.

Stir some up and let me know how you like it!

FAQ

Other recipes you might like

• Keto BLT Salad with Shredded Kale and Lemon Dressing
• Pineapple Habanero Salsa
• Keto Seasoning for Barbeque
• Crème Fraiche Dressing with Preserved Lemon Paste
• Basil Truffle Pesto
• Low-FODMAP Guacamole (Keto and AIP Friendly!)

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