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Peanut Sauce is the perfect dip for baked tofu, it’s amazing over Peanut Noodles and salads, and it will soon have everyone licking their plates clean. You’re going to love it!

peanut sauce stirred together in glass bowl

Ingredients You’ll Need

What is peanut sauce made of? Peanut butter provides the creamy base, and then you’ll add in simple pantry ingredients, like soy sauce and spices.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Peanut butter
  • Soy sauce (use tamari to keep it gluten-free)
  • Maple syrup or honey
  • Lime juice
  • Sriracha

I also add in freshly minced garlic and ginger. They take the flavor over the top! But even if you don’t have those on hand, the flavor will be delicious.

It’s sort of like my Vegan Pad Thai sauce, but with peanut butter added in.

baked tofu on plate with peanut sauce

How to Make It From Scratch

All you need is a bowl and a spoon, or a whisk, to stir this together.

Stir the peanut butter, tamari, maple syrup, lime juice, sriracha, garlic, and ginger together first.

peanut sauce ingredients in glass bowl

The sauce will look relatively thick, so then you can add water, just 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin it out to your desired dipping consistency.

I usually add 1-2 tablespoons total.

water added to peanut sauce to thin

If you plan on pouring this sauce over noodles, I like this sauce to be runnier, but for a dip, I like it to be thicker. The consistency is totally up to you!

How to Serve It

What do you eat with peanut sauce? It’s delicious on salads, as a dip for sliced veggies, and is also a great sauce for noodle stir-fry recipes.

Here are some ideas on how to use it:

I can’t wait to hear how you like it! Please leave a comment below if you give this peanut sauce recipe a try.

baked tofu dipped in sauce

Substitutions

If you’d like to experiment with another nut butter, here are a few suggestions:

You can also replace the maple syrup with honey, if you don’t need this recipe to be vegan. If you use honey, I recommend starting with a little less, as it can taste sweeter than maple syrup.

peanut sauce stirred together in glass bowl

The Best Peanut Sauce You’ll Ever Make

5 from 10 votes
This Peanut Sauce is made with just a handful of simple ingredients, and you can stir it together in minutes. It's perfect as a dip, or over a salad, or noodles!
prep5 mins cook0 mins total5 mins
Servings:4

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha
  • 1 inch fresh ginger , minced
  • 1 garlic clove , minced

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, tamari, lime juice, maple syrup, and sriracha. I use a microplane to finely mince the ginger and garlic on top. Use a whisk to stir it all together until smooth.
    peanut sauce ingredients in glass bowl
  • Add a tablespoon of water to the bowl, and whisk again until the sauce is thinner. If you want an even thinner sauce, add another tablespoon of water, and stir again. Be careful not to add too much water at once, so the sauce won't get too thin.
    water added to peanut sauce to thin
  • This peanut sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It will thicken more when chilled, so you may need to add another tablespoon of water when you get it out of the fridge later.
    tofu dipped in the finished peanut sauce

Video

Notes

  • Nutrition information is for roughly 3 tablespoons of sauce. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, and not a guarantee.
  • You can use almond butter, cashew butter, or tahini as an alternative to peanut butter.
  • If you need a soy-free option, try coconut aminos instead. You’ll probably have to add extra salt, in that case, since it’s not as salty as soy sauce or tamari.

Nutrition

Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 689mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: vegan
Keyword: peanut sauce

More Healthy Sauces & Dips

Need more recipe ideas? Try one of these!

Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite dip?

Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. I create healthy recipes made with simple ingredients to make your life easier.

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Comments

  1. LOVE this recipe! It’s our go-to anytime we want a quick stir fry with some major yum. Usually use almond butter instead of peanut butter, swap the tamari for coconut aminos, and thin it out with a bit of broth. So delish! Thanks for another great recipe Megan!

  2. Question on other nut choices. The other day I purchase a jar of almond butter from Kroger,when I opened and tasted it, it reminds me of peanut butter, but without the two dimensions flavor of peanut butter,so I wanted to know,can you use almond butter instead of peanut butter for making this peanut butter sauce? The flavor is very close to tasting like peanut butter?

    1. I think this sauce would be delicious with almond butter, too! Let me know if you give it a try.