Here’s a recipe for our favorite Peanut Sauce! It is the perfect dipping sauce for Spring Rolls, or makes a great dressing for Thai Noodle Salad, or Buddha Bowls. Its secret ingredient will have you craving it and coming back for more! Simple, healthy, vegan!
If you’ve been here a while, you’re probably already familiar with this Peanut Sauce from our Thai Noodle Salad Recipe. Lately, we’ve been dipping our vegan Spring Rolls in it and using it on so many things- and boy, does it satisfy!
Why you’ll love this Peanut Sauce Recipe!
- It’s light, healthy and not cloyingly sweet. You’ll want to drink it, literally!
- It only takes 5 minutes to make!
- It’s not overly thick, coating salads and veggies well but not drowning them.
- It is pleasingly balanced, hitting all the right notes on the palate.
- The addition of fresh-squeezed orange juice brings this recipe to life, and its the secret ingredient that elevates it and has us all craving more.
Now, if you want a thicker style, Satay Sauce, I really like Suwannee’s 5-minute Satay Sauce.
Peanut Sauce Ingredients:
- Peanut butter -look for all-natural peanut butter, unsweetened, not highly processed, and organic if possible. Either crunchy peanut butter or smooth peanut butter will work here! If there are peanut allergies, almond butter works too!
- Garlic and ginger – use fresh, for the best flavor!
- Sesame oil – to give a smoky depth
- Fresh orange juice– the secret ingredient!
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Soy sauce or GF liquid aminos
- Sweetener: use maple syrup or honey
- Heat: cayenne or sriracha
How to make Peanut Sauce:
Peanut Sauce is speedy and easy to make. Simply add the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth! Adjust salt and heat levels to your liking!
How to store Peanut Sauce:
Peanut Sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, in a sealed glass jar. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months!
Ways to Use Peanut Sauce:
You’ll find so many ways to serve up peanut sauce once you give this a try, but here are some of my go-to recipes that are delicious with peanut sauce:
- As a Dipping Sauce. Try our Healthy Vegan Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce Recipe.
- As a dressing, or use it to bathe Thai noodles and healthy veggies in this Thai Noodle Salad!
- Drizzle over Buddha Bowls!
- Drizzle over Crispy tofu
- Use peanut sauce in Thai Burritos and Tacos!
More Recipes you may enjoy!
Hope you love our peanut sauce as much as we do! Again, if you are looking for a thicker style “satay sauce”, I love Suwanne’s 5-Minute Satay Sauce recipe!
Please remember to rate this recipe for us and share your feedback in the comments below. ❤️ Have a fabulous week.-xo
More Sauces You’ll Love!
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Our Favorite Peanut Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: sauce, thai food
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Vegan
Description
An easy recipe for our favorite Peanut Sauce! Make this in 5 minutes- it’s healthy vegan and GF adaptable. Keeps for 5 days in the fridge, or freeze for later.
Ingredients
- 6 thin slices of ginger- cut across the grain, about the size of a quarter. (No need to peel)
- 2 fat cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (roughly 1 large orange)
- 1/3 cup lime juice ( 2 limes)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or Gluten-free Braggs Liquid Amino Acids (Note: Tamari will turn this unpleasantly dark)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup, ( or honey, palm sugar or agave,)more to taste
- 1/3 cup toasted sesame oil (6 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter (chunky or smooth, or sub almond butter!)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- optional: 1 -2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or a squirt of sriracha sauce)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender – ginger, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, maple, sesame oil, and peanut butter and salt, and blend until smooth. Taste. Adjust sweetness, salt and cayenne to your liking.
- Note: Unripe limes can make this too tart. Adjust by adding more sweetness. Find your perfect balance.
- Use this on salads, or as a dipping sauce for spring rolls and satays.
Notes
- The Orange Juice makes this… and is a MUST!
- Peanut sauce will last up to 5 days in a sealed jar in the fridge.
- Peanut Sauce can be frozen, just whisk well after thawing.
- For added depth or “umami”, feel free to add a tiny splash of fish sauce. Not necessary though!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 tablespoons
- Calories: 189
- Sugar: 9.1 g
- Sodium: 695.1 mg
- Fat: 14.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.2 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 3.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I just discovered your food site and am totally dazzled by everything! Question: is this peanut sauce to thick for the squeeze bottle and needs to be in a jar?
Hi Nancy, It does thicken once refrigerated. It may be too thick- I guess it depends on the tip of your squeeze bottle?
Yes. And if thinning out the sauce with some water to begin with?
You could but you don’t want to risk diluting the flavor!
Love this sauce!!!
Thanks Jenny, glad to hear it!
Thank you so much for this yummy recipe! I bought the toasted sesame oil from the link you provided & it makes all the difference. So good!
So glad you enjoyed it Mary!
Absolutely loved. It’s not as thick as some other recipes I’ve used, which I prefer. Great depth of flavor. What comes to mind is it tastes “fun” somehow! It definitely makes me smile when I taste it 🙂
Me too. 🙂
Utterly amazing recipe and super quick and easy to make. I also used grapefruit juice as I didn’t have any orange juice – was wonderful. Basic quantity made loads and I’ll definitely be freezing some.
Glad you enjoyed this Charlie!
Peanut Perfection! I didn’t have an orange (or OJ) so I squeezed a ruby red grapefruit instead and it worked fine. Grapefruit flavor undetectable. Just mentioning in case anyone else finds themselves in the same situation:-)
Ooo yummy Carolyn, I will have to try that!
Halved it the first time, it sounded like too much. I was so wrong! Had individual dipping dishes, and “caught” my adult daughter literally drinking it from the dish!
Hahaha, that is so funny. Love it!
Love your recipe
Please tell me how much ginger is 6 thin slices
Am not sure how much to use
Thank you
A heaping tablespoon. 🙂
Amazing.
Thanks Katherine!
This truly IS the BEST peanut sauce. I have made other peanut orange sauces in the past which were disappointing and used oj concentrate. Fresh orange juice is indeed a must here. I am making your Thai noodle salad tomorrow and the Thai burritos in a few days, but I might need to make another batch of sauce by then. I was glad nobody could see me as I slid my fingers beneath the blender blades to get every last drop of sauce. So delicious! A few spoonfuls later I decided to have a regular tossed green salad for lunch with probably too much of this dressing (is it possible?) Just had to come back and tell you how much I am enjoying this! I used the maple syrup and 1 tsp of cayenne. Not too hot, not too sweet, not too salty…..JUST right! Peanut perfection!!
Yay Pam! You are not alone in adoring this sauce! So glad you enjoyed.
This was very easy to make, I didn’t have fresh ginger or garlic so I used frozen cubes of each and still turned out good!
Glad to hear it worked out for you!
This recipe is a staple whenever I make veggie-filled dishes…and as Sylvia says, the fresh orange juice literally MAKES this recipe. Don’t skip it.
Thanks Elli!
This is a total family favorite at our house, and if I had my way I’d put that peanut sauce on everything!
Same here!
I am always a bit skeptical about “best ever” titles, but I had to remind my spouse many times that it was a dipping sauce, not a main dish. It really is the “best ever” Thai Peanut Sauce!
Thanks, Joseph- and coming from you means a lot!
My family loves peanut sauce but I never made it until now. It was a success. I’m definitely making more for freezing.
Awesome Valerie!
Superb and so simple to make!
Thanks Sharon!
I think that best ever” as a descriptor may apply here- this is a fantastic sauce! Perfect balance of everything – I made it yesterday for the rice noodle salad and today I’m making it for satay that I’m bringing to a party tomorrow. Mmm!
Awesome Laura!
OK yes, this is the best ever peanut sauce–the orange is a great addition. I use less sesame oil because I find it overpowers and I’ve been know to sub crunchy peanut butter when that’s what I have (it smoothens out in the blender),but it all works. Love using amber maple syrup in asian dressings–the caramely flavours go so well. cheers, b
Are you writing a cookbook soon? I need to bookmark so many of your recipes!
Glad this worked for you Bri- no cookbook in the works yet, but soon a site redesign so you can save recipes.
Delicious! Now I understand why you would like to eat it by the spoonful. Thank you for this recipe!
Great to hear Ana!
I just made your peanut sauce and I want to bathe in it! It tuned out amazing! Thank you.
Ahaha! Glad you liked it!
This is the best dipping sauce ever!
Just delicious! I could eat this sauce straight up by the spoonful. I’ve never made peanut sauce before (new to Thai cuisine) – and actually still haven’t. I subbed in Almond butter for the peanut butter. It’s terrific, and the organic tamari I used gave it a beautiful depth of color. A new favorite. Also made the Thai noodle salad mentioned, adding yellow pepper and snap peas, and using organic soba noodles. The hubs said, “You need to put this in the regular rotation”. We both loved it. Continued gratefulness to Sylvia for sharing!
Thaks Leslie! Glad you both enjoyed!
I wonder if organic almond butter would be an acceptable sub? I avoid peanuts (and peanut butter) due to glutamate, which is neurotoxic (Dr. Russell Blalock). Thoughts?
Hi Leslie- almond butter works great here!
Terrific! Looking forward to trying it. BTW Thank you SO MUCH for all you do! You taught me Sourdough bread in 2020 when I found your site and video (so well done and helpful). I’m loving the nutrient-rich, plant-based recipes that you post every weekend. They inspire me! XO from the North Georgia Mountains 🙂
Yay Lesley- so happy you are here! xoxo
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but I am wondering do you have a place on your web site to save recipes? I found a pomegranate dressing that sounded so good, but I have looked for it and looked for it and have not been able to find it again. The peanut dressing sounds so delicious. It’s one of my favorite dressings and I also love your web site.
You can now save recipes on the site- click on the My Recipe Box Tab at the top. 🙂
Yup. It is. The best ever. Thank you soooo much!
thanks Ana!