Spicy vegan peanut sauce

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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).

peanut butter sauce pouring into a jar — Not too thick, and not too thin. Perfectly pourable!

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
Instructions
Substitutions & Variations
Equipment
Storage
Frequently asked questions
Top tip
Recipe
Spicy vegan peanut sauce
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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...

all peanut sauce ingredients in a bowl — all of the ingredients ready for mixing!

...and whisk until smooth! That's it. Seriously.

super smooth peanut sauce with a couple drops lingering on the surface — so. smooth. slightly drippy. thick enough to "draw" a letter with your whisk.

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 tsp sriracha.
A little cooler? Maybe a couple more Tbsp coconut milk.
Need it thicker for a vegetable dip? Try a few more Tbsp 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

Can I use freshly ground peanut butter to make a peanut sauce?

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.

How do you thin out a peanut butter sauce?

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.

Is peanut sauce healthy?

It certainly can be! To make a healthy peanut sauce, use natural peanut butter, fresh ingredients and as few processed condiments as possible.

How do you make vegan pad thai sauce?

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.

Recipe