Homemade Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing takes a few minutes to make, is loaded with great flavor, and is so much better than anything you’ll find in a bottle at the grocery store!
We try to finish each meal with some sort of salad, and this creamy parmesan peppercorn dressing is one of our family’s absolute favorites!
It’s creamy and tangy and the peppercorns really give it the perfect edge!
The best part is it comes together in minutes negating any need to buy store-bought bottled dressing!
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Buttermilk and sour cream. These contribute to the creaminess and tanginess of this peppercorn parmesan dressing. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by combining milk and white vinegar (add 1 tablespoon of vinegar per cup of milk, stir, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes).
- Parmesan. I prefer to use Parmigiano Reggiano, but you can also use domestic parmesan or Grana Padano.
- Peppercorns. Start with whole black peppercorns and then crush them with a mallet. Add them a little at a time to the dressing, taste testing along the way, until the pepper amount reaches your liking. The coarseness of the pepper grind will affect the peppery flavor of the dressing – the more finely you grind it, the more peppery it will be.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe tip
While this creamy parmesan peppercorn dressing is easy enough to hand whisk or shake in a wide-mouth mason jar (my preferred method), you can also use a blender, or immersion blender. If using any blender, be sure to wait until after the blending has taken place to add the pepper otherwise you’ll lose the great texture of the coarsely ground peppercorns.
More creamy dressings
Give these other delicious homemade creamy dressings a try!
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Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 cup minced Italian flat-leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse freshly cracked pepper see notes
- 1 clove garlic paste
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the ingedients until a smooth creamy dressing has formed. Alternatively, use a food processor.
- Taste the dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste. If the dressing is too thick, simply thin with water, an ounce at a time. Enjoy!
Notes
- Crush all of the peppercorns then add a bit at a time until the pepper amount reaches your liking. The coarseness of the pepper grind will affect the final peppery taste of the dressing.
- One serving of dressing equals 2 tablespoons. This recipe makes a bit over 2 cups of dressing or 16 servings.
- This dressing can be made by hand whisking, in the blender, or by adding the ingredients to a mason jar with the cap on and shaking vigorously. If using a blender, mix in the peppercorns after blending.
- Dressing can be saved in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What could be used in place of red wine vinegar? This recipe sounds delicious.
Hi Beth, you can use white vinegar in place of the red wine vinegar.
This dressing is absolutely delicious. Used your suggested method to make buttermilk if you don’t have any on hand and worked perfectly. Thanks so much!
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Donna!
Easy. Great on cooked cauliflower and broccoli. Thank you.
So happy you enjoyed, Natalie!
Did you ever try this without the buttermilk? It’s not something I have on hand or would easily use the leftover. Just curious. I definitely plan to try this recipe. I’m always on the hunt for a new dressing. Thank you!
Hi Kelly, we haven’t tried it without buttermilk, but see our note in the ingredients section regarding making your own buttermilk at home with regular milk and white vinegar.
I don’t keep buttermilk on hand either but use 1/2 cup milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice and let it sit for 10 mins. Viola buttermilk substitute.
Can it be warmed and used as a pasta sauce?
Hi Tari, we don’t recommend using this as a pasta sauce. If you’re looking for a creamy parmesan sauce, check out our fettuccine alfredo recipe. You can simply add the peppercorns to that if you’d like.
Looks fantastic! Substitution question: I just really do not like the taste of eggs and that often spoils the flavor of food made with mayonnaise for me. Could I substitute a little more sour cream to replace the mayo, maybe with a touch of avocado or olive oil to replace the fat from mayo?
Hi Sheryl, yes, you can add a bit more sour cream to replace the mayo and it should be just fine. Hope you enjoy!
I think this is our new favorite salad dressing! Everyone absolutely loved it, even those who usually don’t really like salad that much. Thank you Chef for yet another great recipe!
We’re so happy you enjoyed this one, Karen!