If you love the combination of nutty and savory flavors, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this simple vegan peanut sauce. It’s easy to customize and it takes just five minutes to make.
This peanut sauce features a base of creamy peanut butter. To make it healthy, consider using a high-quality peanut butter with minimal added ingredients. You can also adjust the added salt and sugar to accommodate your dietary needs, if any.
Also, to ensure this sauce is vegan, use soy sauce and peanut butter without animal ingredients. (Check out our guide on vegan peanut butter brands.) This creamy, mouthwatering sauce is perfect for rice noodles, salads, and more.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
- Peanut butter. For best results, use a peanut butter with minimal ingredients. You can use creamy or crunchy, depending on your desired texture.
- Rice vinegar. This ingredient adds brightness and flavor to the sauce.
- Soy sauce. Be sure to use vegan-friendly soy sauce. To make this recipe gluten-free, use tamari.
- Garlic. If you enjoy the pungent taste of raw garlic, use fresh cloves. Otherwise, you can substitute garlic powder for fresh cloves.
How to Make Peanut Sauce
This recipe for peanut sauce comes together in minutes. For the full ingredients list, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the water. Whisk with a large fork or whisk.
Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Be sure to thoroughly mix the sauce before each addition.
2. Serve as is or top with sesame seeds and crushed seaweed. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips, Variations, and Substitutions
- Use a different nut butter. Try swapping the peanut butter for almond or cashew butter.
- Switch up the sweetener. Alternatives to maple syrup include agave syrup, white sugar, and coconut sugar.
- Skip the sesame oil. If you’re allergic to sesame or don’t like the flavor, feel free to skip the sesame oil.
- Finely minced the fresh garlic. If the minced garlic is too chunky, the sauce might be too pungent and unpleasant to eat. Take the time to finely mince the garlic.
- Use garlic powder. Another option is to use 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder instead of two garlic cloves.
- Add the water slowly. It takes some time for the ingredients to combine. So, be sure to mix the sauce well before each additional tablespoon of water. This will reduce the risk of making the sauce too watery.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover vegan peanut sauce in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. You’ll likely need to stir the sauce a few times before serving. If needed, you can rehydrate the sauce by adding some water.
Serving Suggestions
- Spring roll bowl. Peanut sauce is the perfect partner for a spring roll bowl.
- Bok choy. For a quick side dish, pair cooked bok choy with peanut sauce.
- Tofu. Try dipping crispy tofu into peanut sauce.
Vegan Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ cup peanut butter creamy
- 3 to 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger ground
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- ¼ to ½ cup water use warm water for thinning
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the water. Whisk with a large fork or whisk.
- Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Be sure to thoroughly mix the sauce before each addition.
- Serve the peanut sauce as is or top with sesame seeds and crushed seaweed. Enjoy!
Notes
- Try swapping the peanut butter for almond or cashew butter.
- Alternatives to maple syrup include agave syrup, white sugar, and coconut sugar.
- Feel free to use more or less of any ingredient, depending on your taste buds.
- You can use 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder instead of two garlic cloves.
- It takes some time for the ingredients to combine. So, be sure to mix the sauce well before each additional tablespoon of water. This will reduce the risk of making the vegan peanut sauce too watery.
- Store leftover peanut sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.Â
- The exact number of servings depends on whether you serve the sauce as a dip or dressing.
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About the Author
Kirsten Nunez is a journalist who focuses on healthy food and cooking. Her vegan and plant-based recipes have appeared on VegNews, eHow, Shape, and more. When she’s not creating and photographing vegan recipes for Clean Green Simple, you can find her experimenting in the kitchen and sharing plant-based meals with friends and family. More articles by Kirsten.
