8 Store Bought Blue Cheese Dressings, Ranked

While I love a good homemade blue cheese dressing just like anyone else, I don't always have the time to make my own, especially when I'm the only one in my home who appreciates the pungent, briny flavor. So, I was excited for the opportunity to taste some of the blue cheese dressings I frequently see on the shelves of my local supermarkets but never purchase. After all, it's so hard to know what you're getting — and I am admittedly picky when it comes to blue cheese dressing. 

I want that sharp, funky blue cheese flavor to be front and center with the texture of the dressing a close second. My preference is a dressing that is creamy with an ample amount of blue cheese chunks without having the consistency of glue. It should also pour well without being too watery in the process.

The good news is that all of the dressings on this list had a pleasant flavor, though some were lacking a bit of the chunkiness I wanted and at least one had a more herby flavor than is typical for a blue cheese dressing. Interestingly, I would be happy to eat any of my top four dressings pretty regularly. However, the top dressing on this list had me at first taste. I was so pleased with the fresh flavor, that I went back to it the next day and paired it with some chili and cumin seasoned crispy chicken thighs — and it still proved why it's number one on my list. Here's how eight store-bought blue cheese dressings stacked up against one another.

My least favorite of the blue cheese dressings was the Roka Blue Cheese Dressing by Kraft. My first thought was that it was missing something, so I checked the label. Unlike most other blue cheese dressings I tasted this one didn't list eggs in the ingredient list. While this lack of egg is great for anyone who has an egg allergy and wants to enjoy blue cheese dressing, I feel like the absence of eggs is noticeable, especially for someone looking for a more full-bodied blue cheese dressing.

After all, eggs work as an emulsifier, which can stabilize processed foods like salad dressings. So, if Kraft didn't use eggs as their emulsifier, they likely used a different ingredient that definitely affected the taste. And although the dressing was still palatable, especially when paired with vegetables, it came off a little flat and not as briny or as tart as I would have liked. It also had a slight aftertaste that's hard to describe, except to say it tasted overly-processed.

The dressing was also lacking a freshness to it and there was no doubt it came from a bottle. When eating this dressing again, I'd likely add some blue cheese crumbles of my own and perhaps some anchovy paste or bacon, too. I've also heard that adding Worcestershire sauce can improve salad dressing, because it adds a touch of sweetness and some much-needed acid. So, when it comes time to finish off this bottle of dressing, I might experiment a little to improve the taste.

When it comes to Kroger brand products, these items are usually hit or miss with me. That said, the Simple Truth label, which often includes organic ingredients, and the Private Selection label, which is more upscale, frequently offer relatively tasty options that don't break the bank. But the store where I shop didn't have any Simple Truth or Private Selection blue cheese dressings or I would have definitely picked them up. As a side note, I do regularly purchase the Private Selection crumbled blue cheese because I love to make steakhouse-style wedge salads at home and these crumbles are just the right mix of brine and funk.

I won't be adding the Kroger blue cheese dressing as is to those salads. Like the Kraft dressing, it was somewhat flat and overly-processed tasting and would definitely need some sprucing up before it hit anything on my plate. While it was still palatable, this dressing did have some acidic undertones, which could get a little overpowering if served as a dip for a Buffalo-style chicken wing, which also tends to be highly acidic.

Overall, I am likely to leave this Kroger blue cheese dressing on the shelf and opt for something a little tastier — even though this version is definitely budget-friendly at only around $1.50 a bottle. Sometimes, it's just not worth it to buy a less-expensive salad dressing if you're just going to have to enhance it or, worse yet, throw it out in the end.

Admittedly, I'm not a frequent Meijer shopper, especially since I have two Kroger stores, a Giant Eagle, and an Aldi closer to my home. But, for this tasting, I wanted to see what else was out there and I was excited to find Frederik's blue cheese dressing. The label says it's made by Meijer, so I'm assuming this is their higher-end product line much like Kroger has Private Selection. Based on that assumption, I expected a high quality salad dressing at a reasonable price. But I had mixed feelings once I tasted it.

Overall, this blue cheese salad dressing has a distinctly different taste than some of the others on this list, and I couldn't decide if I was a fan or not. It definitely has a more herby flavor than the other dressings, which was interesting at first. But after a few bites, the extra herbs kind of muddled the blue cheese flavor. It also had an underlying sweet note that had me scouring the label to see what might be responsible. Two ingredients stood out that could be responsible for this uncharacteristic sweetness: tamarind and Worcestershire sauce. Finally, this dressing, while it had an interesting flavor, was a little thinner than I might like and didn't have any blue cheese chunks, all of which caused it to fall lower on the list.

Prior to this tasting, I had never heard of Marie's blue cheese dressing and it apparently was somehow under the radar every time I was in my local supermarket. But this dressing has been around since 1959 when it was created in Seattle, Washington by a chef working for Marie Nordquist. Because Marie's signature dressing is its blue cheese option — and the dressing that gave the company its start — it should come as no surprise that this blue cheese dressing fared pretty well during the testing.

I appreciated the tangy blue cheese flavor and the subtle briny undertone. This dressing was also noticeably thicker than many of the other dressings on my list and contained a fair amount of blue cheese chunks, which probably explains why it comes in a wide-mouth bottle. This means this dressing could serve a dual purpose in your kitchen as both a salad dressing and a dip for veggies or wings. That said, the dressing did have somewhat of a garlic aftertaste that dropped it down a few notches — after all, I prefer a pure blue cheese flavor without a lot of embellishment. Overall, I liked this dressing enough to buy it from time to time, but there were few others that edged it out for those top four spots.

While primarily known for its smoothies, Bolthouse Farms has a fair amount of creamy salad dressings and two vinaigrette versions. But what sets it apart from other blue cheese dressings on this list is the fact that it's a yogurt-forward blue cheese dressing with a minuscule amount of calories. In fact, I often reach for this dressing for my everyday salad dressing because I can enjoy that blue cheese flavor I love with just a third of the calories.

Naturally, I was excited to see how this dressing tasted in comparison to other brands I have never tried — and I wasn't disappointed. This dressing made my top four because it's a solid blue cheese dressing that you would never know only has 50 calories. This dressing also has a nice, tangy blue cheese flavor with a delicious crispness to it. My only complaints are that this dressing is a little thinner than I would like and it seems to expire quickly in my fridge, unlike other salad dressings that are more shelf stable and last months after opening. For this reason, I always keep another brand in my fridge as a backup. And even though this dressing is number four on my list, I would still buy it again and again simply because it tastes good and it's lower in calories.

Interestingly, The Marzetti Company is based in central Ohio and has partnerships with several top restaurant chains like Texas Roadhouse, Chick-fil-A, Olive Garden, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Yet, I have never purchased a jar of this salad dressing until this tasting — despite being born and raised in central Ohio myself. Of course, I knew of the company, but Marzetti was not a name I gravitated toward when buying my salad dressings. Perhaps this is because it's more known for its French dressings;  blue cheese dressing is not its claim to fame. Regardless, though, I was clearly missing out on a quality blue cheese dressing by not snagging a jar of this from time to time.

While not the top dressing on my list, Marzetti's blue cheese dressing definitely made my top three and I would buy it again, especially if I wanted to change things up from time to time. Marzetti's blue cheese dressing has a pronounced blue cheese flavor and a fair amount of blue cheese chunks. It comes in a wide mouthed bottle, which is a good thing because it is a little on the thicker side, so it might make a better dip than a dressing. But I really appreciated the overall taste and how it paired with vegetables; and there was no aftertaste. Instead, this dressing has just the right amount of tang. It was the dressing's extra thickness that kept it from scoring higher.

If you're looking for a specific type of salad dressing, you can probably count on Ken's to have the flavor or pairing you want. Not only does the company produce 60 different salad dressings, but this Framingham, Massachusetts organization also produces high quality products. In fact, I'm a regular customer of the brand and enjoy the Northern Italian and Balsamic Vinaigrette versions for making a variety of salads and pasta salads. Using a Ken's version of the dressing I need definitely saves me time in the kitchen without compromising taste in the process.

And full disclosure — I was already a fan of Ken's Steak House Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing prior to this tasting. So, I was curious to see if it could retain the top spot in my heart. And while it continued to score high in taste, it wasn't the best one that I tried this time around. That said, I still find that Ken's Steak House Blue Cheese Dressing meets all of my guidelines for a good tasting blue cheese dressing. It's tangy and funky, and has good number of blue cheese chunks. It also has a great blend of richness and creaminess that I truly appreciate. 

Overall, Ken's is a straightforward blue cheese dressing that satisfies my taste buds every time. And, I will likely continue eating it regularly despite the fact that it came in second place during my taste test.

Litehouse's blue cheese dressing was first developed by Ed Hawkins in 1949 when he was working as a chef in Spokane, Washington — and to his knowledge it was the first-ever creamy blue cheese dressing. Eventually, Hawkins and his wife purchased the Lighthouse restaurant on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho where he continued to serve his delicious homemade blue cheese dressing. In fact, people loved it so much, they would bring their own jars so they could take some of the dressing home with them.

That's why it shouldn't be surprising that this bottled version of Hawkin's dressing is on par with a dressing I would expect to find on a nice wedge salad in a restaurant or served alongside some great chicken wings in a local eatery. It had such a freshness that I wanted to keep eating it — it was definitely a palate-pleaser for me. I appreciated the rich, tangy blue cheese taste, and the herbs and other ingredients were subtle enough that they didn't overtake the dressing but instead added a nice overall flavor profile.

Although this dressing was slightly thinner than I expected — especially since the label says "chunky" — it still had enough chunks of blue cheese to keep me feeling content. In fact, the smaller chunks of blue cheese gave it a refined, upscale feel. Plus, if you're watching calories, the thinner texture may go further than a thicker option allowing you to eat fewer calories overall. Prior to this taste test, I'd never heard of this brand, nor had I tasted it. But I am so enamored with it that I might add it to my fridge on a regular basis.

I approached the tastings from several different angles. I opened each jar of dressing and smelled it. Aroma is an important aspect of blue cheese dressing, so I was looking for the characteristic blue cheese scent and funkiness. Then, I poured it into a ramekin, noting its thickness, appearance, and chunkiness.

Once I was ready to taste the dressing, I put a small amount on a spoon and tasted its on its own, letting the flavor mingle on my tongue for a few seconds. The goal was to evaluate the tanginess, blue cheese intensity, and creaminess. I wanted to see if it had the right amount of funk and if it was perfectly creamy or too watery or too thick. The question at the back of my mind was: "Does this dressing have that craveable funk that makes me want to keep eating it, or is it overpowering or lacking a cohesiveness of flavors?" I also considered whether there was any aftertaste.

Finally, I tried the dressing on a cucumber slice and carrot stick to evaluate how it paired with salad ingredients. The dressings that ranked highest tasted fresh and tangy with that signature funk without being too mild or salty when combined with food. Once I was finished evaluating a dressing, I cleansed my palate with water and plain potato chips. The goal was to keep the dressing flavors from running together and to ensure the last dressing I tasted had the same opportunity to be fairly evaluated as the first. Each dressing's placement was based on the flavor balance, blue cheese taste, texture and thickness, and overall quality. I also perused the ingredient lists and nutritional information to compare when two dressings were close, but these factors played very little role in the ranking.