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Who needs store-bought dips and condiments when you can make fresh, healthy, delicious, budget-friendly, home-made versions in your own kitchen? These 5 dips and condiment recipes will help you save money, while pushing up the health and flavor factor.
When you’re pushing your shopping cart through the supermarket aisles, it’s easy to throw in those bottles and tubs of dips and condiments into your cart, rather than making it yourself at home. In fact, convenience is one of the main reasons why we buy certain items from the store instead of making it from scratch. However, many ready-made products, such as hummus, mayo, and pesto, can easily be made at home. The main benefits from homemade vs store bought? They can taste so much better than the pre-made stuff, which has been manufactured in vast quantities, likely weeks ago. When you make it yourself, it’s fresh and tasty, no canning or bottling required. You can also save on carbon footprint, as you don’t have to support an item that has ingredients shipped in, before it is manufactured and packaged at the company, and then transported miles and miles to your local supermarket. And you can control the ingredients, meaning you can make an item healthier with lower salt and sugar, and just the way you like it. Plus, you can save tons of money! I’m sharing five of my favorite recipes that will save you time and money, and give you complete control over the flavor and nutrient content of your dips and condiments. Plus, most of these recipes use basic pantry ingredients, such as olive oil and garlic, which means you don’t have to purchase so many fancy ingredients to get cooking! We’ve done the math on how much money you can save, so you don’t have to.
5 Dips and Condiments to Make at Home vs. Store-bought
Classic Hummus
It only takes four ingredients and a few minutes to whip up 8 servings of this versatile Middle Eastern classic. The original recipe of this hummus can also be used to make delicious varieties like this four way hummus. If you don’t usually keep tahini in the kitchen, have no fear; tahini (sesame seed paste) is great in other recipes, such as dressing, oat bars, or, more hummus!
Total Time: 10 minutes
Storage: This homemade hummus can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Homemade vs. Store-Bought Cost
- Homemade Cost: $1.86 for 16 ounces
- Store-Bought Cost: $2.47-$3.77 for 10 ounces
Nutritional Benefits for Homemade
- Lower in fat, sodium and calories
- Source of protein and fiber
- Source of iron and healthy fats
Uses
Basic Vegan Basil Pesto
Growing your own basil is the key to keeping pesto affordable! The cost of tiny jars of store-bought pesto can add up quickly, and they can contain upwards of 600 mg of sodium per serving. This recipe for homemade basil pesto makes 3 cups and only has 1 mg of sodium per serving, because you don’t have to add salt unless you want to when you make it yourself. If the nutritional benefits don’t convince you to try your hand at homemade pesto, then the cost certainly will!
Total Time: 10 minutes
Storage: This homemade basil pesto can be stored in an airtight container for 10 days in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.
Homemade vs. Store-Bought Cost
- Homemade Cost: $4.90 for 24 ounces
- Store-Bought Cost: $3.19-$5.99 for 6.5 ounces
Note: The homemade cost was calculated with pumpkin seeds. Bulk bins are a great way to save on dried goods, like nuts and seeds!
Nutritional Benefits of Homemade
- Lower in sodium, fat and calories
- Anti-inflammatory benefits from seeds
- Healthy source of fat from nuts and seeds
- Basil is a good source of vitamin K
Uses
Vegan Mayonnaise
This recipe for vegan mayonnaise is so simple that you’ll wonder why you didn’t try it sooner. In five minutes, you’ll have perfectly creamy vegan mayo. All you need is soy milk, Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, white pepper, lemon juice, and salt. Making home-made vegan mayo may not save you money, but you can be more picky about the ingredients that go into your jar. Need more? It’s easy to scale this recipe to suit your cooking needs without breaking the bank.
Total Time: 5 minutes
Storage: This homemade vegan mayonnaise can be stored for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Homemade vs. Store-Bought Cost
- Homemade Cost: $1.29 for 8 ounces
- Store-Bought Cost: $2.48-$4.88 for 30 ounces
Nutritional Benefits of Homemade
- Lower in sodium and calories
- No artificial preservatives or ingredients
- Lower in fat
- No cholesterol
Uses
Vegan Ranch Dressing
This fresh and creamy vegan ranch dressing is perfect for all your salad drizzling and pizza dipping needs. Ditch the plastic bottles of ranch on the shelf for this easy and flavorful plant-based alternative. The ingredients in this recipe are likely already in your kitchen, especially if you already made the vegan mayo listed above!
Total Time: 5 minutes
Storage: This vegan ranch dressing can be stored refrigerated in an airtight container or mason jar for up to a week.
Homemade vs. Store-Bought Cost
- Homemade Cost: $1.79 for 8 ounces
- Store-Bought Cost: $1.48 – $3.74 for 16 ounces
Nutritional Benefits of Homemade
- Lower in calories
- Lower in fat
- No cholesterol
- Lower in sodium
Uses
Cashew Cream
This cashew cream has a smooth texture and mild taste, which makes it a great plant-based alternative for cream, cheese, or sour cream. The recipe is also easy to adapt to sweet or savory dishes with a few additional ingredients. When it comes to cashews, remember the tip about bulk bins! They can help reduce food waste and overall cost.
Total Time: 5 minutes (plus 3 hours soaking time)
Storage: This cashew cream can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Homemade vs. Store-Bought Cost
- Homemade Cost: $10.12 for 24 ounces
- Store-Bought Cost: $5.99 for 8 ounces
Nutritional Benefits for Homemade
- Lower in sodium
- Source of healthy fat
- Source of protein
Uses
Note: Homemade costs were calculated with ingredients from store brands then compared to store brands (lower range) and name brands (higher range).
Written by Cara Joseph, dietetic intern with Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN
For more recipes featuring home-made dips and condiments, check out the following:
Classic Vegan Artichoke Dip
Easy Raspberry Salsa
Smoky Eggplant Olive Dip
Eggplant Pecan Pâté
Mississippi Caviar
I like to use my Nutribullet to make these dips and condiments. Grab my discount code to get your own!
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