This is my favorite peanut sauce recipe, and I use it in so many dishes. I love serving it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, or tossing it with cooked rice noodles and sliced cabbage for a quick salad. You can even use the peanut sauce to flavor your protein of choice, such as pan-fried tofu, baked chicken, or some grilled shrimp. It’s made with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, and you can adjust the seasoning to your liking.
CAN I USE SOMETHING BESIDES CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER?
Yes! I made this peanut sauce with crunchy peanut butter once, and I quite liked the crunchy bits of peanuts in my sauce. You can also use almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter. You may want to adjust the seasonings because the other nut butters have a slightly different flavor profile.
HOW DO YOU MAKE THE PEANUT SAUCE SPICY?
I would add a bit of cayenne pepper. Start with 1/8 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper, taste, and add more as needed. Alternatively, replace the sesame oil with a nice spicy chili oil. You can add a small drizzle of sesame oil for flavor, if you like.
ADDITIONAL COOKING NOTES FOR THE PEANUT SAUCE RECIPE
- Using peanut butter at the bottom of the jar: If you are making this peanut sauce recipe with the last bit of natural peanut butter at the bottom of the jar, consider adding 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of oil. Peanut butter at the bottom tends to be more dry. That’s why you may need a bit more oil to get the sauce to reach a creamy consistency. Any oil will work for this purpose.
- When you first start stirring the ingredients for the peanut sauce, the peanut butter will feel very stiff. Don’t worry. Just keep working the peanut butter with a fork or whisk and stir constantly. In a few minutes, the peanut butter will blend with the rest of the ingredients.
TRY THE PEANUT SAUCE WITH THESE RECIPES!
Easy Creamy Peanut Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup filtered water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (use tamari if gluten free)
- 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, use a fork or whisk to mix the peanut butter, 1/4 cup water, rice vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, and sesame oil. The peanut butter will be quite stiff at the beginning, but do not worry. Just keep working it into the liquids. If the sauce seems thick, add a little more water until you get the desired consistency.
- Use the peanut sauce as a dip for appetizers, a salad dressing, or a sauce for noodles! Refrigerate any leftover peanut sauce for up to a week.
Notes
- SUBSTITUTIONS: You can replace the rice vinegar with lime or lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. You can also replace the maple syrup with honey or agave.
- The spring rolls are based off of my Rainbow Vegetable Spring Rolls recipe. The spring rolls also have pan-fried tofu, which I seasoned with my Sweet Chili Sauce.
Amy says
Just stumble upon your page. I love your page Lisa. It’s so bright, cheerful! ! I love all the recipes.
Lisa Lin says
Thanks, Amy!
Ahaan says
I loved this recipe, as peanut is my favorite. I have learned a lot through your recipes, its different and healthy. Keep sharing!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks, Ahaan!
Nancy says
Great peanut sauce! I added a bit of sambal oelek for a little more kick. So easy and tasty. I’ll use it next on some noodles.
Craig says
Glad to have found your site. I’ll keep an open…
Leanne Ross says
Just had this sauce with chicken skewers for dinner, yummy! I loved that the sweetener was maple syrup so I was able to use my ‘no sugar’ maple syrup. As my husband is a diabetic this recipe was great!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks, Leanne! Glad you enjoyed this!!
Agnes Maria Williams says
Simple yet so delicious. Goes good with a simple salad or the spring roll. I sometimes do not like the peanut sauce that comes with the spring roll as they can be laden with too much hoisin sauce.
Lisa Lin says
Thank you!