Rich and Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

This Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing Will Take Your Salads to the Next Level

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 24 servings

Blue cheese dressing is a rich and creamy accompaniment to a variety of dishes, from tossed salads to chicken wings. Store-bought dressing is convenient, but making your own blue cheese dressing is much cheaper, it's ready in minutes, and you can use any type of blue cheese you want, such as Gorgonzola or Roquefort.

The buttermilk in this recipe gives the dressing a little tang, and the sour cream and mayonnaise make it thick and creamy. Whether you're dressing a wedge salad, serving a plate of Buffalo wings, or topping a grilled steak, this blue cheese dressing is a winner.

Tip

For the creamiest blue cheese dressing with the best flavor, let it sit in the fridge for eight hours before serving.

What Are the Ingredients for Blue Cheese Dressing?

Blue cheese dressing is easy to make, though the ingredient list might look a little long at first glance. Here are the key ingredients, plus tips on choosing them.

  • Blue cheese: You can use any sort of blue cheese you like to make this dressing—just choose one with a flavor you love.
  • Mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk: Mayonnaise, sour cream and buttermilk provide creaminess, richness, and a tangy flavor in your dressing. Using full fat versions of all three will give your dressing the best flavor and consistency.
  • Sugar: Though it may seem like an odd ingredient in a savory dressing, a tiny amount of sugar balances the sharp flavors in the dressing.
  • Seasonings: A combination of dry mustard powder, garlic powder, freshly ground black pepper, salt, and Worcestershire sauce give this dressing complexity without overpowering the blue cheese.

Favorite Blue Cheeses for This Dressing

When it comes to selecting a blue cheese, there are actually a few different choices. Any of these work well in blue cheese dressing, so experiment to find your favorites.

  • American blue cheese, while not historically placed in the same category as the big European varieties, is coming into its own. A few fantastic ones to keep an eye out for include Point Reyes Blue (California), Hook's Blue Paradise (Wisconsin), Great Hill Blue (Massachusetts), Oregon Blue (Oregon), and Bayley Hazen Blue (Vermont), and Maytag (Iowa). All if these are made from cow's milk.
  • Gorgonzola comes from Northern Italy and is a favorite in the United States. It is made from cow's milk and has the mildest flavor of the three most prominent European blues. Gorgonzola is often used as a spread on crackers because of its creamy character. It's also good for melting in pasta dishes and risotto.
  • Roquefort hails from southwestern France. It's made from sheep's milk, unlike most other blue cheese, and is the strongest flavored. It is soft and crumbly.
  • Stilton comes from one of three British counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire. It's made from local cow's milk only and has to rise to the standard set by governing boards to be sold as Stilton. It is relatively firm for blue cheese and its intensity falls between Roquefort and Gorgonzola.

Serve Now...Or Later!

You can serve your blue cheese dressing right after mixing it, or if you have the time (and patience!), give it about 8 hours in the fridge before serving. The dressing gets creamier with time and the flavors blend together. The dressing can also be kept refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe

 The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

"Quick, simple, and easy to make. I was so excited to test it out on a steak that I didn’t wait the full 8 hours of resting time, but it didn’t matter. The dressing was wonderful! I tried it again after 8 hours and it was even creamier and more delectable." —Victoria Heydt

The Best Blue Cheese Dressing Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • 1 cup mayonnaise

  • 2/3 cup buttermilk

  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

  • 4 ounces blue cheese, finely crumbled

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for blue cheese dressing recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats

  2. Whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, mustard, garlic powder, pepper, and salt.

    Dressing ingredients stirred smooth in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats

  3. Once thoroughly mixed, stir in the crumbled blue cheese. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The dressing can be used right away, or for even better flavor, refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.

    Blue cheese crumbled over the dressing in the bowl

    The Spruce Eats

  4. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and ground black pepper if necessary.

    Smooth dressing seasoned with salt and pepper

    The Spruce Eats

  5. Serve with Buffalo wings, a salad, or steak. Enjoy.

    Blue cheese dressing drizzled over a wedge of lettuce on a plate

    The Spruce Eats

Storage

Blue cheese dressing can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
102 Calories
10g Fat
1g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 102
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 13mg 4%
Sodium 144mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 44mg 3%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 40mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)