Ditch the takeout & make this Healthy Sweet and Sour Sauce instead! It's made in minutes in a blender & has the perfect balance of sweet, sour & fruity.
I make lots of different sauces and keep them on hand in the fridge for quick dinners. Even the most boring bowl of food can be transformed into something amazing with a drizzle of full flavoured, tangy sauce.
I used to love that ridiculously thick and gloopy, obviously dyed red, sweet and sour sauce from Chinese takeouts. I really don't know what I was thinking. From what I can remember it was mostly sweet without much sour and incredibly cloying.
My version of this classic takeout sauce is perfectly sweet, sour and tangy. Compared to most recipes out there it doesn't contain an awful lot of sugar. It has a bit, but most of the sweetness comes from fresh pineapple which is blended up into it. It's so fruity and delicious and as an added bonus you'll be getting a serving of fruit while you're slurping your big ol' bowl of noodles or rice for dinner!
HOW TO MAKE MY HEALTHY SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE
This Healthy Sweet and Sour Sauce is so easy to make. If you have made my Garlic Pineapple Sauce, Vegan Stir Fry Sauce or my Peanut Sauce then you will be familiar with my lazy sauce making method:
- Gather all of your ingredients and throw them in a blender
- Blend until smooth
- Pour into a pan and warm through, stirring as you go.
That's it! Lazy sauce making masterclass done.
SERVING IDEAS
This sauce is incredibly versatile. It goes well with rice, noodles, grains like quinoa and millet, vegetables, crispy tofu and tempeh. Use it as a stir fry sauce, drizzle it on rice or noodle bowls or use it as a dipping sauce.
Hungry for more?
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
Recipe
Healthy Sweet & Sour Sauce
Author:Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch
- 260 g (about ¼ of a large) pineapple chopped up into chunks drained canned pineapple can be used instead - see recipe note
- 3 tablespoons | 45mls rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar I used organic cane sugar but brown sugar or coconut sugar works well too
- 85 mls | ⅓ cup natural tomato ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce
- 1 small clove garlic
- 45 mls | 3 tablespoons water or if you use canned pineapple use the juice from the can
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until completely smooth. It will be really foamy and an insipid kind of colour but the foam disappears when it's heated and the colour brightens up.
- Pour into a pan and warm over a medium heat, stirring constantly until it is nice and thick. It takes around 10 minutes.
Angeline Dupont says
Thank you for this recipe. My daughter and I have been wanting to make some Orange panda copycats cream cheese rangoons and sweet and sour. To save a trip out on this miserable rainy day, could I sub splenda for the sugar? Also, can regular white vinegar be used in place of the rice vinegar? Or I also have red vinegar or lemon juice on hand as well. Thanks again!
Melanie McDonald says
Splenda should be fine. White vinegar might be a bit harsh. I'd reduce it by half, taste, and add more for tang as necessary. If you have apple cider vinegar that can be used at the same amount as rice vinegar.
Ruth says
Can you sub sugar for maple syrup or agave?
Melanie McDonald says
You could. As it's liquid though I'd omit the water to compensate when blending initially. Only add it if necessary to thin a bit at the end.
Adam says
Thank you so much for this recipe, you're an absolute lifesaver. I'm trying to reduce the amount of sugar I'm eating and was looking for a recipe for my visiting nephew. 3/4 cup sugar in the other recipes, I couldn't get over it! This has been the perfect compromise. My nephew gets what he wanted and I get to feel better about what we're eating.
Ro_jW says
This recipe was delicious! Even with me substituting the cornstarch for wheat flour...essentially you end up using a tad more flour but it is still balanced and delicious! Hard to mess up this recipe.
Violeta says
Could we omit the sugar?
A Virtual Vegan says
It will technically work without it but you won't get the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavour.
Hollie says
Love love love!!! Perfect for our stir fry’s and so much healthier:)
Adele Rumbold says
Absolutely lovely sauce. I have recommended this to family and friends.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks so much Adele!
Rachel says
I made this for dinner this evening and both my boyfriend and I loved it! Really easy to make, and tastes delicious. I'll definitely be using this recipe a lot! I'm so glad I stumbled across your blog!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great Rachel. I'm so glad you both enjoyed it. Thanks so much for coming back to leave feedback too. I really appreciate it!
Niket says
I made this recipy a fes times now, and its realy realy delicious! I make more than one recipy at the time, so I always have something in me freezer. It's easy, fun and delicious.
Much love frOM Holland
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you are enjoying it Niket and thank you so much for coming back to leave feedback. I really appreciate it!
Patricia Lamb says
Lovely sauce, and easy to make. Thank you.
A Virtual Vegan says
You're welcome. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Nico @ yumsome says
This looks rather fab, Mel! I've only ever had sweet and sour from a takeaway once in my life - back in the '80s, and I can't say I was in any way impressed. It wasn't that nuclear red colour that I've seen in recent years, just orange like yours, but it tasted cloyingly sweet, and almost chemical. Goodness knows what they put in that stuff! It put me off for life!
Thankfully, it looks like you've redressed the balance!
Agness of Run Agness Run says
I love the sauce, Mel! It seems delicious and a versatile ingredient to many meals!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Agness!
Jodi says
Congratulations! I'm so happy for you and your family! Canada is a great neighbor to the USA! Thanks for the sauce recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Jodi. We are so happy! Hope you enjoy the sauce. ????
Anne says
As a Canadian born (a French-speaking New Brunswicker) fan of yours, I just want to congratulate you on your new "landed" status....and offer my warmest BIENVENUE !
BTW, I live your blog evev if not vegan.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Anne! We are so happy to know that we can stay in this beautiful country!????
KL says
Great recipe! Next time I’ll use less sugar. Thanks for sharing.