Vegan peanut sauce is a staple in our house. I find myself making it every other week to have on hand for weeknight dinners or quick lunches that need a flavor punch. Over the years of testing and tweaking, I think I’ve really perfected the balance. Every spoonful is sweet, sour, and slightly spicy. As one reader put it: “instantly pleasing but complex and interesting.” Pair it with my spicy crispy peanut tofu with green beans for a full meal that comes together fast.
The minimal ingredients and simplicity of the blender prep are a huge part of the appeal. Everything goes in at once and blends smooth in about a minute. Good peanut sauce is downright ambrosial and I hope this one becomes a staple for you.
A few ways I love to use it: noodle dishes, stir fries, salad rolls, roasted vegetables, stuffed sweet potatoes, and honestly just straight off a spoon. It keeps in the fridge for about a week. Just know that after a few days it may thicken up, so stir in a splash of water to get it back to a fluid consistency.
Creamy Vegan Peanut Sauce (8 Ingredients)
Ingredients
- ½ cup natural peanut butter
- ½ cup water
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 2-ince piece ginger, peeled
- 2 tablespoons Tamari
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek (or Sriracha, Gochujang, other hot sauce/chili paste)
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Equipment
- Blender
Notes
- Any liquid sweetener that you enjoy will work well in place of the maple syrup.
- After being stored in the fridge, the sauce may need a splash of water stirred in to loosen it up a bit.
Instructions
- In an upright blender, combine the peanut butter, water, garlic, ginger, Tamari, maple syrup, lime juice, rice vinegar, Sambal Oelek, salt, and pepper. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
- Store the peanut sauce in a seal-able jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Would the flavors work with almond butter for those with peanut allergy or perhaps a different nut butter?
Hi Cee!
Almond butter and sunflower seed butter are both nice substitutions here.
-L
Peanut sauce is delicious; it’s always delicious
because it’s made from scratch!
Curtis
Outstanding! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
I love this sauce. I’ve made it a few times now, adjusting a couple of the ingredients for what I could find in the cupboard, but it always delicious. It is so instantly pleasing, but at the same time the flavour is complex and interesting.
I’ve made a ton of peanut sauces in my time, but this one is by far my fave!
I love the complex flavour: sweet, tangy, nutty – that’s a perfectly balanced sauce! Just made the second batch and this time pulled it off without a blender, having been too lazy to take my vitamix out of the cupboard and just using the jar. Super delicious!
Hi- I think my web browser might be playing tricks on my eyes as I am not seeing a measurement for any peanuts or peanut butter in this recipe. Would you mind responding with the amount and what type (peanuts or PB)? Can’t wait to make it! Thank you!
Half a cup!
Horray for blender sauces!