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    Home » Recipes » Sauces

    Published: Aug 17, 2020 · Modified: Feb 2, 2021 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 8 Comments

    Peanut Sauce

    GO TO RECIPE GO TO VIDEO PRINT RECIPE
    5 from 6 votes
    peanut sauce

    Quick and easy peanut sauce that's just the right blend of creamy, savoury, sweet, citrusy, tangy and a little spicy. Drizzle it on everything!

    peanut sauce on a spoon

    My Peanut Sauce that's new but not new. It's actually the same sauce I used in my Peanut Noodles and my Tofu Bowls but I thought it deserved it's own post because it's so good and ready for saucing up anything and everything!

    Wondering what peanut sauce tastes like? Well, it's creamy, peanutty, garlicky, gingery, citrusy, slightly "soy sauce" salty, with a deliciously spicy, sesame kick.

    Jump to:
    • What ingredients and equipment do I need?
    • How to make Peanut Sauce from scratch
    • Success tips
    • Possible variations
    • Storage, freezing & reheating tips
    • What do you eat peanut sauce with?
    • Hungry for more?
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Comments

    Broccoli with a drizzle of sauce

    What ingredients and equipment do I need?

    (For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).

    Here's what you'll be needing for this peanut sauce recipe and why:

    • Peanut butter - For that thick, creamy texture and delicious peanut flavour.
    • Soy sauce or tamari - For rich and salty depth of flavour
    • Sesame oil - For a good kick of sesame flavour and gloss
    • Sriracha - To spice things up!
    • Lime juice and zest - Fresh flavour, acidity and tang!
    • Garlic - A savoury sauce without garlic?? I don't think so! ;O)
    • Fresh ginger - For that warming, earthy, fragrant ginger punch!
    • Maple syrup - or brown/ coconut sugar A touch of sweet to balance all of the flavours and reduce any harshness.
    • Water or coconut milk - To thin as necessary. Either is good. Using water keeps the flavours more vibrant and punchy but peanut sauce with coconut milk is creamier and more mellow.

    TOP TIP - If you don't use fresh ginger very often, keep it in the freezer. It stays good for months and months and is grate-able straight from the freezer!

    You can make the sauce by hand or use a blender. I prefer using a blender so it's really smooth. And also because I'm lazy and it saves me having to grate the ginger, garlic and lime zest properly. You can just throw it in in chunks when using a blender!

    How to make Peanut Sauce from scratch

    My Peanut Sauce recipe is incredibly easy to make. Here's how it's done in 2 easy steps:

    Step 1 - Add all of the ingredients except the coconut milk or water to a bowl or blender and either whisk together until combined or blend.

    peanut sauce ingredients in a bowl

    Step 2- Add coconut milk or water gradually until you get the consistency you need for whatever you will be using the sauce for.

    whisking sauce in a bowl

    Note that when you whisk it together the colour will be darker and the sauce won't be completely smooth because of the ginger, garlic and zest. If you blend it will become much lighter and will be smooth like in the photo below.

    blended sauce in a bowl

    Success tips

    • Sesame oil gives a lovely flavour but if you don't consume added oils or don't have any, feel free to omit it.
    • Adjust the thickness to suit your needs. For example, as a dip you should add less liquid to make it thicker and if you intend pouring it on salads or tossing it through noodles you will need to add a little more liquid to make it thinner.
    • Use the recipe as a guide and adjust to taste. This is the kind of recipe that should be tweaked to suit your own personal tastes. Add more or less garlic, hot sauce, maple syrup or ginger. Taste and tweak as you go.
    • Use a different nut or seed butter. The sauce is great with almond butter or cashew butter and also works well with sunflower seed or pumpkin seed butter.

    Possible variations

    • Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, liquid aminos or coconut aminos
    • Make it sweeter by adding more maple syrup or sugar
    • Make it thicker or thinner by adjusting the amount of coconut milk or water you add
    • Add chopped cilantro for a burst of flavour and colour
    • Add some chopped peanuts for crunch
    • Make it more citrusy by using lime juice to thin instead of water or coconut milk
    • Use lemon instead of lime
    • Make spicy peanut sauce. It's already got a little kick thanks to the sriracha, but feel free to add more or add some chopped fresh red chili.

    Make Thai style peanut sauce - Use coconut milk instead of water and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of red curry paste and 1 to 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar or white vinegar instead of the lime. Use sugar instead of maple syrup and omit the sriracha.

    Want to make a Vietnamese style peanut sauce recipe? - Add about a quarter cup of hoisin sauce and use sugar instead of the maple syrup.

    a tofu bowl with peanut sauce

    Storage, freezing & reheating tips

    Prep ahead - Make the sauce and store it in a jar in the fridge. It keeps really well in the fridge for about 7 to 10 days if you made it with water, and about 4 to 5 days if you used coconut milk. It does thicken up as it sits so thin it with a little water or coconut milk when you come to use it.

    Freeze - The peanut sauce can be frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and thin as necessary with a drop of water or coconut milk.

    What do you eat peanut sauce with?

    Do I even need to talk about what this peanut sauce is good with? The answer is almost everything.

    You can drizzle it, full on submerge things in it, marinade with it or dunk your favourite things in it. And if your mind isn't already coming up with multiple plans, here are some of mine:

    Drizzled over:

    • rice dishes
    • bowl meals
    • roasted vegetables
    • salads
    • grain bowls
    • coconut lime rice
    • grilled food
    • lettuce wraps
    • veggie burgers
    close up photo of peanut noodles in a bowl with a fork

    Mixed into:

    • noodles, hello peanut noodles (as featured in the pic above)!
    • slaw
    • Pad Thai
    • zoodles

    As a dip with:

    • my baked tofu triangles (amazingly good!)
    • spring rolls
    • summer rolls
    • Vegan chick'n like my fave Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders
    • wraps
    • raw veggies

    As a dressing, drizzle or marinade in:

    • my tofu bowls
    • salads like my Peanut Crunch Salad in a Jar
    • Tofu or tempeh dishes. Marinade in the sauce then grill, pan-fry or bake.

    Hungry for more?

    If you are loving this peanut sauce recipe and want more tasty vegan sauce options, check out my:

    • Green Sauce
    • Vegan BBQ Sauce
    • Healthy Sweet and Sour Sauce
    • Vegan Stir Fry Sauce
    • Garlic Pineapple Sauce
    • Easy Cheese Sauce

    📖 Recipe

    peanut sauce on a spoon

    Peanut Sauce

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    5 from 6 votes
    Quick and easy Peanut Sauce that's just the right blend of creamy, savoury, sweet, citrusy, tangy and a little spicy. Drizzle it on everything!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    PREP TIME: 5 minutes
    COOK TIME: 0 minutes
    TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes
    Servings: 6 ¼ cup servings (makes a total of about 1.5 cups / 360 mls)

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup / 125 grams peanut butter or seed butter (almond/cashew butter works well too)
    • 3 tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari , or coconut aminos
    • 1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil , omit to make oil-free
    • 1 medium lime , zest and juice
    • 2 cloves garlic , (just use 1 if you want a more subtle garlic flavour)
    • 1 inch piece fresh ginger
    • 2 tablespoons maple syrup , or brown or coconut sugar
    • 2 to 3 teaspoons Sriracha , or sambal oelek (or other hot sauce)
    • up to ½ cup / 120 mls water or canned coconut milk , to thin as necessary

    RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

    • Microplane
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Add all ingredients except the water/coconut milk to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. If you don't have a high powered blender you might need to add a small drop of the water or coconut milk right away to get things going. Once smooth, add water or coconut milk to thin as necessary. The amount of liquid you need to add will depend on how thick or runny your peanut butter is and what your intended use for the sauce is. For instance if making the sauce to coat noodles you will need to make it thinner than you would if you intend to use it for dipping.

    No blender?

    • If you don't have a blender, grate or mince the garlic, ginger and zest very finely, then whisk everything together in a bowl.

    NOTES

    Use the recipe as a guide and adjust to taste. Add more or less garlic, lime, hot sauce, maple syrup or ginger. Taste and tweak as you go.
    For a recipe that uses this marinade recipe see my Peanut Noodles. 
    Love sauce? - Make a double batch! It keeps really well in the fridge for about a week and freezes well too. Use it for dipping, stir-fries, marinating tofu, drizzling on bowl meals and salads etc. 
    Oil-free - Sesame oil gives a lovely flavour but if you don't consume added oils or don't have any, feel free to omit it.
    Adjust the thickness to suit your needs - For example, as a dip you should add less liquid to make it thicker and if you intend pouring it on salads or tossing it through noodles you will need to add a little more liquid to make it thinner.
    Peanut allergy? - Use a different nut or seed butter. The sauce is great with almond butter or cashew butter and also works well with sunflower seed or pumpkin seed butter.
    Prep ahead - Make the sauce and store it in a jar in the fridge. It keeps really well in the fridge for about 7 to 10 days if you made it with water, and about 4 to 5 days if you used coconut milk. It does thicken up a little as it sits so thin it with a little water or coconut milk when you come to use it.
    Freeze - The peanut sauce can be frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and thin as necessary with a drop of water or coconut milk.

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 4tablespoonsCalories: 193kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 6gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 544mgPotassium: 181mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.

    Tried this recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram and hashtag it #avirtualvegan

    Recipe FAQs

    What kind of peanut butter should I use?

    Natural peanut butter with just peanuts or peanuts and salt in the ingredients is best to use. If you have a not so natural variety though it's ok to use it as long as it isn't sweetened or flavoured in any way.

    Should I use crunchy or smooth peanut butter?

    Either crunchy or smooth peanut butter is fine.

    Can I make the recipe oil-free?

    Yes. Omit the sesame oil.

    Is peanut sauce healthy?

    Peanut sauce is filled with nutrient-rich, raw ingredients ( if you use a good quality no additive peanut butter), but it is high in calories and fat so should be enjoyed in moderation. It is very full flavoured so you don't need much anyway!

    Can peanut sauce be frozen?

    Yes it freezes well for up to 2 months.

    Is peanut sauce gluten-free?

    Use gluten-free Tamari, coconut aminos or liquid aminos instead of soy sauce and the peanut sauce will be gluten-free.

    Does peanut sauce need to be refrigerated?

    Yes it should be stored in the refrigerator. It's ok left out of the fridge for a while at mealtimes though as long as it's put back when you've finished with it.

    How do you thicken peanut sauce

    With this recipe, you shouldn't have any need to thicken the sauce because it starts off very thick and then you thin it gradually depending on our needs. But, if you accidentally make the sauce too thin and need to thicken it, simply add a bit more peanut butter and mix/blend it up. Bear in mind though that the sauce does thicken naturally as it sits, so if it's only a little thin, just leave it for a bit and it will likely sort itself out.

    Can peanut sauce go bad?

    Like all food, peanut sauce can go bad, but it lasts for a good while if kept in a sealed container in the fridge and even longer in the freezer. If you notice a bad smell or any sign of mold don't eat it and discard it.

    « No Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Margot says

      September 07, 2020 at 9:50 pm

      5 stars
      Everything from you I have tried has been delicious! I am impressed. Thank you for sharing those goodies with us.. I will be making much more to come. You are making my life so much more fun.. I really needed new tasty recipes. My hat to you !

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        September 08, 2020 at 9:35 am

        Thank you so much Margot. I'm really pleased you're enjoying my recipes!

        Reply
    2. Carla Thomson says

      August 31, 2020 at 9:25 pm

      5 stars
      Very delicious sauce all ready to top our tofu noodle bowls!! Will add this to my faves. Thanks Mel!

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        August 31, 2020 at 10:09 pm

        Glad you enjoyed it Carla!

        Reply
    3. sylvia says

      August 20, 2020 at 5:30 am

      5 stars
      Hi Mel..... thank you for this fantastic recipe! It made last night's salad, topped with baked tofu slices, an absolute feast. From now on, this will my go-to peanut sauce recipe. Can stop searching now!

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        August 20, 2020 at 8:54 am

        I'm so pleased you're enjoying it Sylvia, and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review/rating!

        Reply
    4. Laima Martinskis says

      August 19, 2020 at 8:28 am

      5 stars
      This peanut sauce is incredibly delicious!

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        August 19, 2020 at 7:06 pm

        Thank you Laime. I'm really pleased you're enjoying it!

        Reply

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