Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing

When you’re craving a creamy parmesan dressing, this easy recipe is the answer. Parmesan peppercorn dressing with authentic grated parmigiano reggiano and buttermilk is easy to make and way better than any store-bought dressing. Ready in minutes.

This post is sponsored by Parmigiano Reggiano and I have been compensated for it.  All opinions are my own. #theonlyparmesan #ad

Ingredients for the homemade salad dressing.

Homemade dressing beats bottled ones every time.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before… I’ve never purchased bottled salad dressings.  Is that weird? Judging from the shrines to dressings I’ve seen in the door of OPFs (other people’s fridges), I’d say its more rare than a Hollywood producer who can keep his fly zipped or a politician more interested in his constituents well-being than his/her own.

Blame it on my Mom who could whip up a classic 3:1  vinaigrette spiked with garlic and dijon faster than you could shake a bottle of Wish-Bone and pour it on your lettuce.  Based on her example, I always make my own dressings and though an oil/vinegar base is my standard go-to, sometimes I like to mix it up!

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Ingredients for the creamy parmesan dressing:

  • Garlic – Freshly chopped.
  • Black Pepper – Fresh ground pepper is best.
  • White Wine Vinegar
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Buttermilk
  • Mayonnaise
  • Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese – real deal parmesan is what you want.
  • Lemon Zest
The rind of parmigiano reggiano cheese has dots which spell out "Parmigiano Reggiano". That's how you know it's authentic.

Creamy Parmesan dressing is one of my favorites and if you’re the type of person that always picks ranch over vinaigrette, you’re gonna love this — it starts with real Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.  

You know, that amazing creation from Parma, Italy?  The one with the pinpoint dots on the rind that spell out Parmigiano Reggiano on the wheel  of cheese?

That’s how you know you’ve got the real deal… check the rind.

Finely grated parmesan cheese.

 I always buy my cheese whole and grate it myself.  You can do it in a food processor or if you have one of those fancy cheese graters — but I find that a simple microplane gives me perfectly light wisps of parmesan that are ready for anything.

How to make parmesan dressing:

  1. Finely grate the parmesan cheese.
  2. Zest the lemon.
  3. Add the parmesan, lemon zest, buttermilk, garlic cloves, black pepper, worcestershire sauce, white wine vinegar and mayonnaise into the blender.
  4. Secure the lid and blend until the parmesan peppercorn dressing is smooth and creamy.
Mixing ingredients in a blender.

Pro-Tips

If you like a thicker, creamier parmesan dressing, transfer the dressing to a glass jar with a resealable lid and refrigerate for several hours. The dressing will thicken as it chills.

If you have a heavy-duty blender, like a VitaMix or Nutri-bullet, don’t overblend the parmesan peppercorn dressing, because the blades can break down ground pepper even further and make the dressing spicier. If you’re concerned, wait until the dressing is blended before stirring in the black pepper.

The creamy parmesan dressing after blending.

Variations:

  • Stir in fresh herbs like chives, parsley or thyme after you’ve blended the parmesan peppercorn dressing. (If you put the herbs into the blender, your dressing will turn green rather than having flecks of herbs.
  • For a healthier, lower-calorie dressing, swap the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt.
  • Add ¼ cup of minced sun-dried tomatoes in oil to the dressing for a sweeter, Italian vibe.
Store the parmesan peppercorn dressing in a resealable glass jar.

You’ll definitely want to try the parmesan peppercorn dressing on salads, but here are a few other ideas that would be awesome, too.

What goes with the parmesan dressing?

  • Any kind of salad or over sliced tomatoes.
  • Use as a crudité dip on a veggie platter
  • As a dip for rosemary garlic wings.
  • Drizzle this creamy parmesan dressing on a chicken hoagie or grilled chicken breasts.
  • As a dip for chicken nuggets or fish sticks.
I was spooning up the parmesan dressing.

More buttermilk salad dressing recipes:

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I was spooning up creamy parmesan dressing for a salad.
Print Pin
4.58 from 14 votes

Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing

This parmesan dressing is quick and easy to make with many kitchen staples.
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword salad dressing
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 10

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.  Transfer to a storage container and keep refrigerated for up to one week.

NOTES:

Makes a great dip for crudité, too!

NUTRITION:

Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 29mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Don’t Forget To “Pin It” For Later!

It's easier than you think to make homemade salad dressing. Parmesan Buttermilk Dressing has garlic, black pepper & a touch of lemon for a perfect balance. #ad #theonlyparmesan

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10 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love creamy salad dressings anyway, but this one sounds really interesting with the parmesan cheese and black pepper. I think I like it better than caesar dressing on my romaine salad.

  2. 5 stars
    As a HUGE Parmesan lover, I am dying to try this! Thanks for the recipe! I can’t wait to test it out!

  3. 5 stars
    Such a creamy dressing! I make my own every couple of weeks, but definitely need to do it more. My husband will always pick out a bottle of store-bought dressing, use a little, then the rest ends up expiring before we get a chance to finish it up.

  4. 5 stars
    Oh this sounds like it would be the most delicious dressing!! Must try soon!!

  5. 5 stars
    I make home-made dressing too. And I grew up with it as well, so maybe there is something to it. Though I did go through a phase in college where I bought bottled dressing and kept it in my dorm fridge so I could bring it to the cafeteria- I liked the Annie’s Shiitake and Mushroom and Goddess dressings much better than the ones they served in the cafeteria. Ha ha. Love this Parmesan spiked dressing! Sounds fantastic.

  6. 5 stars
    I totally need to start making more of my own dressings, thanks for inspiring me to do so! This recipe looks incredible!!

  7. 5 stars
    This is my kinda dressing!! So creamy and delicious; I love when dressings have buttermilk in; I could eat this by the spoon, it looks wonderful!

  8. 5 stars
    This is pretty much my perfect dressing. I could happily just drink that out of the jar too haha

  9. 5 stars
    I had never thought about making my own…it looks amazing.