Are you ready for this spicy vegan peanut sauce? This sauce will take your pad thai to the next level with minimal effort, and is a great dip for veggies like carrots and bell peppers. You could use it on a sandwich or salad dressing (um...bye mayo).
This peanut butter sauce is perfect on top of noodles for a pad thai variation. Or enjoy as a veggie dip. For bonus points, add onto a veggie board.
Looking for something else asian-inspired? Look no further than these killer mushroom udon noodles.
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Ingredients
Let's talk ingredients...
- peanut butter for peanut-y flavor & creaminess
- sriracha and minced ginger for spice
- tamari (or soy sauce, or coconut aminos) for some oomph
- sesame oil for some smoky sesame flavor
- lime juice and rice wine vinegar to brighten up the sauce (and avoid adding extra salt)
- coconut milk for creaminess
Instructions
It doesn't get easier than this - put everything into a medium mixing bowl...
...and whisk until smooth! That's it. Seriously.
It'll take a little elbow grease to get everything nice and smooth, but it'll be worth it. Once it's all combined, give it a taste, and adjust seasoning as you see fit (see suggestions below).
Substitutions & Variations
While this spicy peanut sauce is naturally vegan, dairy free, and egg free, there are a few other substitutions to make this sauce friendly to those with allergies.
- peanut allergy: substitute with almond butter or even sunflower seed butter.
- soy allergy: try coconut aminos instead of soy sauce
- gluten allergies/intolerance: try tamari and double check the label to ensure it is gluten free (most tamari is, but sometimes contains traces of wheat)
Let's talk peanut butter. This recipe calls for natural peanut butter. It's a little thinner than regular peanut butter, so it whisks nicely. It's also much healthier (and less processed) than regular peanut butter. Score!
This recipe should be a guide - your peanut sauce can be whatever you want it to be!
- Want it spicier? Go for another ½ teaspoon sriracha.
- A little cooler? Maybe a couple more tablespoon coconut milk.
- Need it thicker for a vegetable dip? Try a few more tablespoon of peanut butter.
- Thinner for pad thai or noodles? Try more coconut milk.
Equipment
All you need here is a whisk, a small mixing bowl, and some measuring utensils. Maybe a storage jar if you're getting fancy.
Storage
Store this sauce in the fridge. Note it will thicken up like peanut butter. When ready to use, leave it out at room temp for a few minutes, or use on hot food to melt sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! In fact, I recommend it over processed peanut butter for this recipe. Make sure to taste and adjust - processed products might be a little saltier and thicker than natural PB, so try a little more coconut milk, and a little less lime juice. Freshly ground peanut butter doesn't usually have salt added, so you might need to add some and a little more lime juice.
It's pretty simple: either add liquid or add heat. For this sauce, the primary liquid is coconut milk. To thin out after refrigeration, simply add some heat.
It certainly can be! To make a healthy peanut sauce, use natural peanut butter, fresh ingredients and as few processed condiments as possible.
There are lots of ways to make a delicious vegan pad thai sauce. In this recipe, whisk natural peanut butter, coconut milk, fresh minced ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sriracha and sesame oil until smooth.
Top tip
Good old fashioned elbow grease is the name of the game. Combined with the right ingredients (cough natural peanut butter), you'll have a fantastic sauce in no time.
Spicy vegan peanut sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ Cup Coconut Milk Full Fat
- ½ Cup Peanut Butter
- 2 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 1 tablespoon Tamari Soy Sauce, or Coconut Aminos
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Grated
- 1 Lime Juiced
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, and whisk until combined (2-3 minutes). The peanut butter may take a little while to mix in - that is ok!
- Use as a pad thai sauce, a noodle sauce, vegetable dip, sandwich sauce, or salad dressing. Anything goes!
Susan Dillard says
Yum! Trying tonight. My grocery has not had limes for going on 3 weeks so I will have to use lemons
Angela Milnes says
Love it Susan! Lemons will work too, just gotta use whatever you have! Let me know how it goes!!
And thanks for leaving a rating, you are a superstar!