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–+ servings
A spoon rests in a bowl of creamy light brown peanut sauce in a white bowl.
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5 from 46 votes

Easy Peanut Sauce Recipe

Make this 5-minute peanut sauce recipe with pantry staples and a whisk. It’s creamy, sweet, and spicy with a Thai-style option—perfect for spring rolls, noodles, and dipping.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Condiment, Sauce
Cuisine: Asian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 1 cup
Calories: 53kcal
Author: Traci

Equipment

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Creamy Natural Peanut Butter * or peanut butter of choice
  • 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha Sauce
  • 1 (½-inch) piece Fresh Ginger peeled and finely grated
  • 2 cloves Garlic finely grated
  • 2 tablespoons Cold Water add more as needed
  • pinch Salt optional, as needed

* For a Thai-style variation, see recipe notes below.

Instructions

  • PEANUT BUTTER should be soft and easy to stir for smooth mixing. If it’s cold or stiff, warm it briefly until it loosens.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together PEANUT BUTTER, SOY SAUCE, RICE VINEGAR, MAPLE SYRUP, SRIRACHA, GINGER, and GARLIC until smooth. Note: The sauce will be very thick in this step.
  • Gradually add WATER (or COCONUT MILK), 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. If it becomes too thin, whisk in more peanut butter to thicken.
  • Taste and adjust for tang, sweetness, or heat to your liking. Add a pinch of SALT to taste.
  • Serve at room temperature or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Video

Notes

Peanut butter selection – I’m using a natural peanut butter with no added sugar or oil. If using peanut butter with added sugar, start with less maple syrup, adjust to taste, then add water gradually to reach your desired consistency.
Customize the spice level – The Sriracha in this recipe makes it mildly spicy. Add extra for more heat, or a pinch of cayenne or chili flakes. For a non-spicy version, replace sriracha with ketchup.

Thai-Style Peanut Sauce (Optional)

Add 1 teaspoon fish sauce (note: this makes it not vegan), add the juice of 1 lime, and replace the water with coconut milk, adding more as needed. Adjust the heat with extra sriracha, or use chili garlic sauce, sambal oelek, red pepper flakes, or cayenne to taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoons | Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.2mg