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Creamy Parmesan Dressing (Carrabba’s copycat)

Creamy Parmesan Dressing is so good it will turn the most boring salad into a mouth-watering side that you’ll wish was the main course. You can’t go wrong with a salad dressing that has buttermilk and mayonnaise as its base. This dressing is so super thick and creamy, you’ll want to eat it with a spoon.

Creamy Parmesan Dressing in a bowl and salad next to it.

Buttermilk Recipes

I don’t know about you, but I always seem to have a container of buttermilk that is about to go bad. If you do too, here are some more ways to use up leftover buttermilk: Buttermilk Pancakes, Homemade Buttermilk Bread, Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Doughnuts, Buttermilk Biscuits, Buttermilk Coleslaw, and Chocolate Buttermilk Cake.

Spoon going into dressing.

Flavor of Creamy Parmesan Dressing

Fresh homemade dressing tastes so much better than bottled and this one is really simple to make. Garlic and Parmesan cheese give it most of its flavor along with a little tarragon. It closely resembles the Creamy Parmesan Dressing at Carrabba’s.

How To Make

This dressing is fabulously easy to make. No blender or Mason jar needed. Just whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. So much fresher tasting than store-bought dressing.

Creamy Parmesan Dressing in glass bowl.

Recipe Tip

If you wanted to, you could add about 1/2 teaspoon Anchovy Paste. It will give the dressing that extra something and depth of flavor, but it won’t taste fishy at all.

Not only is this dressing super easy to make, it is so full of flavor you only need a simple salad to serve it with. I love it with the crunch of romaine and a few grape tomatoes and red bell pepper for some color.

How To Store

Store in an airtight container in the refrigeraotr for 5 days.

Creamy Parmesan Dressing (Carrabba's copycat)

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Creamy Parmesan Dressing (Carrabba’s copycat)

Creamy Parmesan Dressing is so good it will turn the most boring salad into a mouth-watering side that you'll wish was the main course. You can't go wrong with a salad dressing that has buttermilk and mayonnaise as its base. This dressing is so super thick and creamy, you'll want to eat it with a spoon.
PREP: 10 minutes
COOK: 0 minutes
TOTAL: 10 minutes
SERVINGS: 1 cup

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 medium clove garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
  • ½ teaspoon anchovy paste optional

Instructions

  • Stir together all ingredients and refrigerate until needed.

Notes

The anchovy paste is optional. It will give the dressing that extra something and depth of flavor, but it won’t taste fishy at all.
For best flavor, use fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Course: Salad Dressing
Cuisine: American
Keyword: buttermilk

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Originally posted August 24, 2015.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

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13 thoughts on “Creamy Parmesan Dressing (Carrabba’s copycat)”

  1. I doubled the recipe to make a larger batch, used twice the garlic and possibly more anchovy (I used two anchovy flat filets that were thick, I didn’t have paste) and I substituted sour cream for buttermilk. It’s hard to buy buttermilk these days! I put everything in a large measuring cup and used an immersion blender to mix it. It turned out perfect and it does indeed get better when it sits for a little bit in the fridge. Definitely recommend using fresh grated parmesan, too!

  2. Was delicious 😋 But I would suggest making the day before. Really needs that time to set made a huge difference in flavor

  3. I made this for a Girl’s night Christmas gathering and it was spot on! I did use 2 cloves of garlic because I wanted it to be a little more garlicky. But it tasted just like Carrabba’s house dressing!

  4. Love it! I opted out on the anchovy paste and it was still a great carrabbas copycat. I liked it better the second day after the seasonings had time to integrate themselves into the dressing.

  5. Thalia @ butter and brioche

    What a delicious dressing. I do love a good creamy salad dressing and this recipe is one I must make.

  6. I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time. When we eat at Carrabbas that is the first thing I order (so good). By the way, the Chicken Marsala is also a winner!
    Thanks, Diann

  7. nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps

    While I’m mostly a vinaigrette girl, sometimes there is just nothing like a creamy dressing to lace your salad. Need to try this!

  8. karrie @ Tasty Ever After

    Just picked up a ton of the yummiest tomatoes from my CSA today and I’m going to make this dressing for a tomato salad tonight! Love that it’s an easy recipe and always have these ingredients on hand. Definitely adding the anchovy goodness to mine too 🙂

    1. Christin
      Christin Mahrlig

      Got to enjoy those fresh summer tomatoes as long as they are around. 🙂
      Hope you like the dressing!

  9. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

    I’ve never had Carrabba’s dressing before, but I can only imagine how good this must be! Looks delicious, Christin!

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