Blue Cheese Dressing

If you have never made your own salad dressing before, this is a good one to start with. Homemade blue cheese dressing is rich, creamy, and thick, full of salty blue cheese, tangy buttermilk, and creamy Greek yogurt. The garlic and onion powders spice things up, and the white sugar evens things out a bit. Use it on your favorite salad, as a dip, or as a spread—you can make it in just five minutes!

There are a lot of people who have never even tried blue cheese or blue cheese dressing. Many people think it sounds gross. I am going to tell you right now that you have to try this at least once before deciding you do not like it. Even if you have tried the store-bought stuff or at a restaurant. This is a totally different recipe that you may like. You just have to try it.

The white wine vinegar, yogurt, and sugar make all the difference. And the garlic and onion powders make this recipe better as well. That is why making it yourself is so important. You can change things. Add more sugar, use a different vinegar, or add some hot sauce or other herbs and spices to give it more flavor. Using this recipe means you can customize it. Try it with extra cheese, more pepper, no sugar, or a dash of red pepper flakes.

Blue cheese is highly favored now, and it has been for the past hundreds of years. It is said that Roquefort, a popular variant made from sheep milk, was discovered in a milk cheese sandwich that was left in a cave. Months later, mold grew in it, giving it blue veins. This is because the temperature condition in the cave was conducive to the growth of those molds. Today, temperature control is still needed in its production.

One of the best things about making this dressing at home is that you know what is in it. No preservatives or additives, and the ingredients are fresh. You can make it sugar-free even. You can make extra and freeze it for several months if you want. It is not just for salads either. I love it on sandwiches, as a dip, and for drizzling on my vegetables. Try it on these juicy air fryer steak bites.

Why you will love this recipe

• Fast and easy: Only takes 10 minutes from start to finish.
• All fresh: When you make it yourself, you know it is fresh.
• Make it your own: Add or remove what you like or don’t like.
• No fancy tools: All you need is bowls and utensils.

What you’ll need to make blue cheese dressing

Special items

• Bowls
• Utensils

Ingredients:

• Buttermilk – Do not use regular milk. Your dressing will not turn out the same.
• Blue cheese – Get a high-quality blue cheese. It is the main ingredient. Buy it in a big chunk and crumble it yourself instead of buying it crumbled already.
• Greek yogurt – Plain Greek yogurt will give you a tangy and creamy taste without all the fat and calories.
• Mayonnaise – Full-fat mayo is best for the richness, but you can use low-fat if you must.
• White wine vinegar – It is mellower and softer than distilled white vinegar with a fruity flavor.
• Granulated white sugar – To add some sweetness to all the tangy ingredients.
• Garlic powder – Adds a slight bite and a kick of robust, rich, garlicky flavor.
• Onion powder – The taste is between raw and cooked onions.
• Salt
• Pepper
• Green onions: Chopped roughly and added on top before serving for a pop of color and flavor.

How to make blue cheese dressing:

For a quick step by step tutorial, please watch the recipe video attached before the recipe card. The general steps are as follows:

• Mash: In a bowl, mix the buttermilk and the cheese then, mash everything together with a fork.
• Combine: Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix with the fork.
• Refrigerate: Transfer the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate for 4 hours.
• Serve: After 4 hours, take it out of the fridge, stir, then, serve.

Expert tip

What are the different types of blue cheese?

There are actually quite a few different varieties of blue cheese. You can find several types of blue cheese dressing too, if you look hard enough online and maybe in specialty stores. But most often you will only see blue cheese and Roquefort. The main ones are blue cheese, Roquefort, cabrales, gorgonzola, and stilton. Blue cheese is the traditional one we see in grocery stores. Roquefort is made from sheep milk and can be found in specialty shops and some grocery stores. It is creamy, moist, and sweeter than blue cheese. It was discovered by a boy who left his cheese in a cave for several months.

Cabrales cheese is Spanish and made from pure goat, sheep, and cow’s milk. But it all has to come from herds raised in Asturias in the mountains of Picos de Europa. It has a strong, complex flavor from the mixed milk, tasting very sour or acidic. Gorgonzola is an Italian cheese made from unskimmed cow’s milk. It is salty, crumbly, buttery, and soft with a bite from the blue veins.

Stilton cheese is English, from Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, and Derbyshire. Its texture is semi-soft and crumbly and gets creamier with age. Made from cow’s milk, it has a mellow flavor but a bit of a pungent scent. The taste is nutty, with a definite saltiness. 

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Make it hot: Chop up some jalapenos or add red pepper flakes for extra spicy blue cheese dressing.
• Extra tangy: I added Worcestershire sauce to it once, and it was extra tangy. The kids loved it.
• Other cheese: Who says you cannot add other cheese to blue cheese? Freshly grated parmesan adds a rich, salty boost that I really like.
• Refreshing boost: Talk about a boost, I tried it with some fresh lime juice, and it was outstanding.
• No sugar: Instead of sugar, use honey or maple syrup for sweetness without the excess sugar.

Serving suggestions:

You can use blue cheese dressing for many things, from salads to sandwiches. Try some of these ideas.

• Of course, the obvious choice is to put it on a salad. Try it on my avocado corn salad instead of the garlic lime dressing it calls for. This would be incredible with cucumbers, avocados, red onions, sweet corn, and cherry tomatoes.
• You are missing out if you have never tried it as a sandwich spread! Spread it on a ham and cheese sandwich, and you will be addicted.
• Another way to enjoy this dressing is on grilled steak instead of steak sauce. The flavor is something you would have never imagined would go well together.
• Or try it on grilled pork chop with some fluffy oven baked potatoes.
• Use as a dip for chicken tenders or buffalo wings on game night.
• This makes a perfect creamy dip for roasted veggies like my roasted cauliflower, which you can make in 20 minutes.
• Instead of dipping vegetables, you can dip your chicken wings, drizzle it on baked potatoes, or add it to burgers.

Frequently asked questions

What is blue cheese?

Blue cheese is a variety of cheeses made of cow, sheep, or goat milk and then ripened with cultures of edible molds, including penicillium. This mold created blue-green spots and lines throughout the cheese, giving it such a distinctive name. The taste and smell can be mild to strong and range from salty to sweet to sharp. The color may be pale, dark, soft, hard, or something in between. This mysterious cheese is something you either love or hate. Or you learn to love it.

What is the difference between blue cheese and Roquefort dressing?

Traditional blue cheese dressing is made with Danish blue cheese, which is crumbly and a little bit dry. Roquefort is tangy and moist, holding together better. Roquefort is sheep’s milk and was aged in caves, while blue cheese typically comes from cow’s milk. Also, Roquefort has a sweet taste almost like burnt caramel, while blue cheese is earthy, sharp, pungent, and spicy. Finally, blue cheese is crumbly, while Roquefort is creamy.

What can I substitute for buttermilk?

The best substitute for buttermilk is milk and vinegar. First, pour one-half tablespoon of vinegar into a liquid measuring cup and then fill it to the halfway line with milk. Stir, and you have buttermilk. This can also work with lemon juice in the same way with the same measurements. If you do not use buttermilk enough to keep it in your refrigerator, you can buy buttermilk powder and add water to make it liquid again.

Is blue cheese dressing good for you?

Eaten in moderation; blue cheese dressing can be good for you. It has many nutrients and other health benefits. For example, it has 150 milligrams of calcium per one-ounce serving, which is above average. This is good for healthy teeth and bones. As an anti-inflammatory, it also may help reduce cholesterol and prevent blood clotting in arteries and veins. Finally, the bacteria in blue cheese can support gut health, help with weight management, boost immunity and prevent digestive issues. 

How to store leftovers:

• Refrigerate: Leftover blue cheese dressing can be kept in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.   
• Freezing: To freeze, make sure the jar is freezer-safe. It will stay fresh for several months. Just make sure there is enough room for expansion so the jar does not explode. 
• Defrost: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator so the jar does not crack.

More homemade dressings:

Recipe tips:

• Make sure you get high-quality blue cheese. After all, it is the star of the show.
• Also, instead of getting the crumbled blue cheese, get a brick of blue cheese and crumble it yourself. You will be surprised how much better it tastes.
• Instead of white wine vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or lemon juice.
• If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute it with milk and vinegar, lemon juice, or buttermilk powder. Just see this post on how to make your buttermilk substitute!
• Make sure you leave enough room in the jar if you freeze your dressing so it does not explode in the freezer.