Vietnamese Peanut Sauce

This Vietnamese Peanut Sauce is an easy go-to creamy, savory-sweet, and versatile sauce. It is perfect for salads, Pad Thai, spring rolls, and noodle dishes.

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A good sauce is a must in my kitchen, and peanut sauce is one of my favorites. This peanut sauce is versatile and will find your place in the kitchen in no time, whether with your favorite warm dish or cold summer rolls.

Why I think you will also love this peanut sauce:

  • It’s a simple recipe that comes together in 5 minutes.
  • The coconut milk and peanut butter make it a rich and creamy sauce.
  • All flavors are perfectly balanced.
  • The coconut sugar makes it slightly sweet.
  • This sauce is mild, but you can easily make this a spicy peanut butter sauce if you wish.
  • And finally, the lime juice adds the perfect freshness to this peanut sauce.

WHAT IS PEANUT SAUCE

Asian peanut sauce is one of the most popular sauces used for various dishes, such as vegetables, salad dressing, or as a dipping sauce. But did you know peanut sauce originated in Indonesia and not Thailand?

There are quite some variations on peanut sauce, depending on the recipe and origin. The peanut sauce most commonly used is satay sauce (Indonesian), such as this recipe from Hot Thai Kitchen.

This Vietnamese Peanut Sauce recipe is inspired by the traditional Vietnamese peanut sauce called tuong dau phong or tương đậu phộng. That sauce mainly consists of peanut butter hoisin sauce, hot chili peppers, and water. However, the spiciness and consistency vary.

This peanut sauce recipe is mild and versatile, made with creamy peanut butter, hoisin sauce, coconut sugar, coconut milk, garlic, and lime. But you can add spice and heat to this sauce with chili peppers.

INGREDIENTS FOR VIETNAMESE PEANUT SAUCE

You will need a few basic ingredients and 5 minutes to make a smooth and creamy dipping peanut sauce.

Creamy Peanut Butter
Technically speaking, you could use crunchy peanut butter, but the smooth texture of creamy peanut butter makes it easier to mix the ingredients and a better dipping sauce. Also, the sauce will have a bit of a crunchy texture when it is served with chopped peanuts. I used creamy, natural peanut butter without extra ingredients for this recipe.

Lite Coconut Milk
I recommend using coconut milk lower in fat for this recipe, also known as lite coconut milk. The consistency of that coconut milk is more watery and easier to mix with the peanut butter. Also, since this recipe already has peanut butter, the fat in full-fat coconut milk can make the sauce a bit heavy.

Water
To thin out the sauce. How much you will need depends on the thickness of the sauce, and this depends on the coconut milk and peanut butter you are using.

Hoisin Sauce
It is an excellent sauce to add that authentic Asian flavor. It also thickens the sauce a bit.

Lime Juice
The juice of fresh lime or lemon will lighten up this sauce and enhance its flavors.

Coconut Sugar
The coconut sugar in this recipe is the perfect way to add sweetness to the sauce and balance the umami flavors.

Garlic
The only more potent ingredient in this sauce is the garlic. It adds a pungent flavor without making the sauce spicy.

Chopped Peanuts
To give this sauce a bit of texture and a bite, add chopped peanuts to garnish.

Hot chili peppers
This is an optional ingredient to add some heat to the sauce. Add a little bit until you have achieved your desired spiciness.

Ingredients for Vietnamese peanut sauce on a light grey backdrop in several small bowls with the names of the ingredients next to it

HOW TO MAKE VIETNAMESE PEANUT SAUCE

Once you have all your ingredients ready, this peanut sauce is ready in less than 5 minutes.

Step 1.
Add all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, but skip the chopped peanuts.

Step 2.
Mix well together until the sauce is smooth and creamy.

Step 3.
If the sauce is thick, add water to thin it out. A little bit will be enough to thin out the sauce and get the desired consistency. Add hot chili peppers if you wish, and mix again.

A glass bowl on a grey backdrop with Vietnamese peanut sauce in it and a steel whisk with a hand pouring in a bit of water in the sauce



Step 4.
Garnish with chopped peanuts and serve with, for example, summer rolls.

Check out the recipe card below for the full recipe with exact measurements.

VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

Feel free to use any peanut butter you have on hand. However, if you use peanut butter with added sugar, you can skip the coconut sugar in this recipe. Or taste it before adding coconut sugar. And if your peanut butter contains added salt, this will affect the taste.

If you don’t mind a thicker sauce, feel free to use any coconut milk you have on hand, such as a full-fat version. In that case, you will need to use a bit more water to thin out the thick sauce.

Want to make this recipe coconut-free? Use water or plant-based milk instead.

If you want to make this recipe low-fat, you can replace the peanut butter with pb2 or any other powdered peanut butter. You might want to use more water to get the right creamy consistency.

When you can’t find hoisin sauce, you could use soy sauce. Generally speaking, hoisin sauce is thicker and a bit sweeter than soy sauce. If the sauce becomes too thin when using soy sauce, you can thicken the sauce by using full-fat coconut milk, more peanut butter, or no water.

The garlic makes a great addition to this recipe, but if raw garlic is a bit too much of a good thing for you, you can use baked or sauteed garlic instead.

Want to skip the chopped peanuts but still enjoy a bit of a crunch or texture? You can use crunchy peanut butter instead of chopped peanuts to achieve the same consistency.

A small glass bowl on a grey backdrop with creamy peanut sauce garnished with peanuts and a hand dipping a summer roll in the sauce

FINAL TIPS

Serve it with
Summer rolls and peanut butter dips are a match made in heaven. This sauce is my favorite with this summer rolls recipe. This Vietnamese peanut sauce is smooth and so creamy!

Keep it for later
This peanut sauce will keep good for up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container. When you are ready to use the peanut sauce, keep in mind that it needs to sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes so the peanut butter can soften and turn into that delicious creamy dipping sauce again.

Freeze it
You made a big batch and would like to freeze this peanut sauce? No problem. Place the sauce in smaller containers and freeze it individually. The sauce will be thicker once it’s thawed. To make the sauce thinner, add a bit of water or coconut milk and mix. You can freeze this sauce for up to 8 weeks.

Craving More Dips?


I hope you will give this Vietnamese Peanut Sauce a try! Don’t forget to tag me on Facebook or Instagram @thegreencreator + #thegreencreator! Or leave a comment below and rate this recipe. It really helps me out if you do!

A small glass bowl on a grey backdrop with creamy peanut sauce and garnished with chopped peanuts with the text Vietnamese peanut sauce written on top and on the bottom a text saying easy vegan
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A small glass bowl on a grey backdrop with creamy peanut sauce and garnished with chopped peanuts

Vietnamese Peanut Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Bianca
  • Total Time: 5
  • Yield: about 6 oz / 175 ml 1x
  • Category: dip /sauce
  • Cuisine: Asian
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This Vietnamese Peanut Sauce is an easy go-to creamy, savory-sweet, and versatile sauce. It is perfect for salads, Pad Thai, spring rolls, and noodle dishes.


Ingredients

Scale
  • ¼ cup (60 grams) creamy peanut butter
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) lite coconut milk
  • 12 tablespoons water see notes
  • 1 ½ tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts – for garnish or use crunchy peanut butter
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced / raw or baked in oil for a few minutes
  • Optional: hot chili peppers to taste

Instructions

Chop the peanuts with a big knife on a sturdy (wooden) cutting board and set them aside.

Add all the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl, but skip the chopped peanuts.

Mix well together until the sauce is smooth and creamy.

If the sauce is thick, add water to thin it out. Just a little bit (one tablespoon at a time) will be enough to thin out the sauce and get the desired consistency. Add more water if the sauce is still too thick.

Add hot chili peppers if you wish, and mix again.

Garnish with chopped peanuts and serve with, for example, summer rolls.


Notes

  • Add 1 tablespoon of water or coconut milk to thin out the sauce.
  • This sauce is versatile, and you can easily add heat to it by adding a bit of chili pepper.
  • I recommend using all-natural smooth peanut butter for this recipe, but you can also use crunchy peanut butter and skip the chopped peanuts.
  • If you use peanut butter with added sugars, you can reduce or skip the coconut sugar. Taste the sauce before adding sugar to make sure it has the right amount of sweetness for you. It should not be overruling the other flavors.
  • If you want to make this recipe low-fat, you can replace the peanut butter with pb2 or any other powdered peanut butter. You might want to use more water to get the right creamy consistency.
  • Lite coconut milk is great for this recipe as it is thinner than full-fat coconut milk, making it easy to mix the peanut butter. But you can use full-fat coconut milk if you wish. In that case, add more water to thin out the sauce.
  • Want to make this sauce coconut free? Use water instead or plant-based milk of choice.
  • Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Let it sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before using it.
  • This peanut sauce freezes well for up to 8 weeks. Place the sauce in smaller containers and freeze it individually. The sauce will be thicker once it’s thawed. To make the sauce thinner, add a bit of water or coconut milk and mix.
  • This peanut sauce is great with these summer rolls.

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