This is the best Peanut Sauce you’ll want to use on everything and it only takes 5 minutes! Easy to make with everyday ingredients, it has rich, nutty flavors and a subtle spicy kick. Perfect for dipping spring rolls and drizzling over noodle dishes and Buddha bowls!
If there’s one sauce I could eat for the rest of my life, it would be this Vegan Peanut Sauce. It’s layered with nutty, tangy, salty, and sweet flavors that enhance everything you use it on! You’ll always find a batch of peanut sauce in my fridge (and freezer).
Not only does this peanut sauce recipe feature bold flavors that make my tastebuds dance, but it’s also just plain easy to make! No blender, food processor, or special equipment needed. Simply add all of the ingredients to a bowl, whisk until smooth, then enjoy!
Just like my Chipotle Sauce and Ranch Dressing, you’ll want to pair this sauce with everything. Put out a bowl at parties with a platter of crisp veggies, fried tofu, and spring rolls for dipping, or pour it over a bowl of rice, noodles, or greens with vegetables. It’s sure to become a new staple in your kitchen!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Creamy peanut butter – Any kind of creamy peanut butter will work, whether natural or the no-stir variety. This recipe works just as well with almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter, although the flavors will change slightly.
- Rice vinegar – For a bright tanginess that balances out the rest of the sauce. Use lime juice if you don’t have rice vinegar.
- Soy sauce – This gives the sauce a rich, savory, and umami flavor.
- Maple syrup – Warm and sweet maple syrup is crucial for balance! You can substitute brown sugar or agave as well.
- Ginger – While fresh ginger has the best flavor, ground ginger works in a pinch.
- Sriracha hot sauce – This only adds a subtle heat that’s well hidden behind the peanut butter and coconut milk. Feel free to omit it if you don’t like spicy food.
- Coconut milk or water – I usually just use water and the sauce turns out very creamy, but to take it to the next level, use a little coconut milk (from a can or carton) until you reach the desired consistency.
How to make peanut sauce
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Add all of the peanut sauce ingredients (except for the coconut milk/water) to a medium-sized bowl.
Whisk in 2 tablespoons of coconut milk, then add more to achieve your desired creamy consistency.
Tip: A whisk is my tool of choice because it almost always gives the sauce the smoothest consistency. However, to make this recipe even easier, feel free to blend the sauce in a blender or in the bowl with an immersion blender instead.
Keep whisking until you have a smooth sauce, then enjoy!
Serving suggestions
There are two amazing ways to use peanut sauce: (1) as a dipping sauce and (2) as a dressing! Use these ideas for inspiration when thinking about how to serve the sauce:
- Dipping sauce – Put out a bowl of sauce garnished with crushed peanuts and surround it with sliced vegetables, fresh spring rolls, tofu satay, marinated tofu, vegetable wraps, fried tofu, and more.
- Dressing – Drizzle the sauce over tofu and rice bowls, noodles and vegetables, stir fry, Buddha bowls, salads, lettuce cups, and more.
Variations
- Make it spicy – Add an extra teaspoon of sriracha or a pinch of red chili flakes to turn up the heat.
- Less sugar – Use only ¼ cup of maple syrup if you want to make the sauce less sweet.
- Instead of peanut butter – Use cashew butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or your favorite nut or seed butter!
- Gluten free – Use tamari instead of soy sauce to make gluten free peanut sauce.
Storing
Whether you make it ahead of time or end up with extras, the sauce will stay creamy and fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. It will firm up as it chills but you can thin it out with a splash of water or more coconut milk.
It freezes well, too! My favorite way to freeze peanut sauce is in ice cube trays. Once the cubes are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let the cubes thaw or zap them in the microwave before serving.
Want more homemade sauces?
5 Minute Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha hot sauce
- 2-6 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk, as needed or water
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth. Start with just 2 tablespoons of coconut milk or water, and add more as needed to thin the sauce.
- Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It can also be frozen in a freezer safe container.
Notes
- May use no-stir or natural peanut butter.
- Peanut allergy? Use almond, cashew or sunflower seed butter.
- May use lime juice instead of rice vinegar.
- Gluten free? Make sure to use gluten free tamari instead of soy sauce.
- For the additional liquid, I usually just use water, but coconut milk will take it to the next level of creamy and delicious!
Insanely good. Enjoyed by all! Super quick to bring together and without a long list of ingredients. This will be my go-to peanut sauce from now on! Thank you so much!
Yummy, and makes lots!!! Thank you for the recipe!! 🙌🥰
I added a squirt of lime for a touch of citrus. Delicious recipe!!
The unenthusiastic “sure” response to honey, might be my favorite thing about this recipe other than eating it on anything. Maybe I read too much into it, I’m good at doing that! I love all your recipes, never made one that wasn’t a banger.
Lol thanks! I’m so glad you love my recipes. 🙂
Super simple and delicious! I mixed up a third of the recipe and stirred it into hot ramen-type noodles. It came out great!
Thanks for your wonderful idea and review, Erin! I’m thrilled you love the sauce!
Can you adopt me? I’m old enough to be your mother, but I am very adept at kitchen cleanup. If you cook, I’ll clean up, and you can spend more time with your family. I’ll still get the best end of that deal. 🙂
Hahaha! I’m happy to have you here and following along, Judy 🙂 Thanks so much for the kind words!
How many servings does this make.
It makes about 1 1/2 cups of sauce (depending on how much coconut milk you use).
This was amazing! I have made it a couple of times.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Judy!
This recipe sounds wonderful! What can I substitute the rice vinegar?
Lime juice would be a good substitute. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
So good!
Thank you for sharing your review! I’m glad you like the peanut sauce!
I know this is a weird comment but got a peanut allergy here… can I substitute cashew butter?
Sure! It will just be cashew flavored, but that’s not a bad thing!
Just made this peanut dressing following the recipe exactly with the optional almond milk instead of coconut milk. The hubby said “this is the best peanut dressing you have ever made”. 10 fingers up for this one. Thanks so much.
Hi Cindy. Thank you! Glad you guys loved it!
just made this sauce and your vegan buddha bowl! my entire family loved it…i put all sauce ingredients in my vitamix and it blended nicely…
eva
Made this without any sweetening to accompany the Buddha Bowl — so easy, and everyone loved it.
I love to hear that!!
Can you use honey instead of maple syrup or agave? Thanks!
Sure.
Truly is the best peanut sauce! I love this for dipping salad rolls and as a dressing for buddha bowls with rice, chickpeas, cucumber, carrot, cabbage, greens, and some cilantro.
I’m so glad you like it!
Super yummy! Easy to make. I air fried the tofu 370 for 12 minutes- it really made the meal. Yummy!!
Great tasting and a simple recipe! I’ve made it twice. Once with the maple syrup following the recipe and one time subsituting the syrup with hoisin sauce. Both time it tasted great, but I have to say I prefer the flavor of the sauce made with hoisin sauce. Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful, thank you!
I’ve made several peanut sauces in the past, including this one, but can never seem to get it fully mixed. There’s always slivers of peanut butter or tiny chunks left in the sauce. I usually just mix it with a fork. Any suggestions on how I can get it to be smoother? For this sauce, I used water to thin and this one tastes AMAZING! Great recipe!
I usually have to use a whisk to get it smooth, a fork wouldn’t get it there. Also, if my natural peanut butter is really chunky, I will put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender to get it smooth. Hope that helps! Glad you love the taste of the sauce!
I like this a lot as salad dressing.